Henry and Annie 1886 to 1919
When Henry took over as farmer, the family would have been living in what Maurice calls the farm
Cottage, which is the white lime washed building on the end of the top barn, since the present farm house, on the right was not built until 1895. For the story of the building of this new house in 1895 see Brian’s Speech |
The Family c 1904
From Left to right: Henry, Bryan, Herbert, Sarah, Annie, William, Ida
From Left to right: Henry, Bryan, Herbert, Sarah, Annie, William, Ida
The Family in the Great War
From left to right: Henry, William Gardner, Sarah Eleanor Violet, Bryan Ashton, Ida Annie, Herbert Henry, Annie
From left to right: Henry, William Gardner, Sarah Eleanor Violet, Bryan Ashton, Ida Annie, Herbert Henry, Annie
Henry Mackereth, aged 36, married Annie Woodhouse, aged about 23, on 27 February 1889 in St.
Luke, Skerton, Lancs. They had eight children:
Richard J Woodhouse Mackereth 1890-1899
Henry Mackereth 1892-1892
Thomas Bateman Mackereth 1893-1904
Herbert Henry Mackereth 1895-1965
Sarah Eleanor Violet Mackereth 1897
Bryan Ashton Mackereth 1899-1918
William Gardner Mackereth 1901-1988
Ida Anne Mackereth 1902-1985
Luke, Skerton, Lancs. They had eight children:
Richard J Woodhouse Mackereth 1890-1899
Henry Mackereth 1892-1892
Thomas Bateman Mackereth 1893-1904
Herbert Henry Mackereth 1895-1965
Sarah Eleanor Violet Mackereth 1897
Bryan Ashton Mackereth 1899-1918
William Gardner Mackereth 1901-1988
Ida Anne Mackereth 1902-1985
Richard John Woodhouse Mackereth caught diphtheria and died in 1899; Thomas Bateman Mackereth died as a result of an accident with a lorry, whilst cycling on Ashton Road. (see Henry’s family memorabilia)
Later, Bryan Ashton Mackereth, was killed in the Great War, on October 31, 1918, serving in the 18th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). (Please see The Bryan Ashton page)
Sarah Eleanor Violet Mackereth married Arthur Kenneth Britton.
William Gardner Mackereth married Doris Hope Mountain, in 1928
Ida Anne Mackereth married John Rawnsley McDowell, in 1929
Later, Bryan Ashton Mackereth, was killed in the Great War, on October 31, 1918, serving in the 18th Battalion Kings Own (Royal Lancaster Regiment). (Please see The Bryan Ashton page)
Sarah Eleanor Violet Mackereth married Arthur Kenneth Britton.
William Gardner Mackereth married Doris Hope Mountain, in 1928
Ida Anne Mackereth married John Rawnsley McDowell, in 1929
Henry’s stewardship, as farmer of Waterside, continued in the same way established by Richard. No doubt there were some improvements, with machinery enabling farming to be slightly less labour intensive.
Henry occupied Grange Farm in the village of Stodday in 1913, according to Pamela and Dick White, in their report on the Village of Stodday.
Maurice does not remember this period, though his brother did, see Brian's Speech.
Afterwards he lived at ‘Brook Dale’, in the village of Scotforth, adjacent to Lancaster. The house is still called Brook Dale, but is is now a children’s nursery.
Henry next lived at Ashton House, Lonsdale Avenue, in the village of Torisholme , near Morecambe.
Maurice does not remember this period, though his brother did, see Brian's Speech.
Afterwards he lived at ‘Brook Dale’, in the village of Scotforth, adjacent to Lancaster. The house is still called Brook Dale, but is is now a children’s nursery.
Henry next lived at Ashton House, Lonsdale Avenue, in the village of Torisholme , near Morecambe.
Grandma Annie died at Ashton House, and Henry returned to Waterside for two more years, before passing away in 1937.
The attached newspaper cutting provides more information. His carer/nurse, whilst he was at Waterside, was a Mrs Redmayne. Mrs Redmayne was an important figure for Maurice, as her son, Alec Heagon was Chief Electrical Engineer at Lansil Ltd., in Lancaster (Rayon and Chemical manufacturers). It was through Alec that Maurice was able to obtain an electrical apprenticeship with LANSIL Ltd in 1939 . |
Maurice says:
"My personal memories of my grandfather, referred to as Mr Mac, are really associated with Ashton House, and his garden, which was always immaculate, full of flowering borders; lawn mown with striping ; rose garden at the front - fallen petals collected every morning; greenhouse with liquid manure tank from sheep tridlings, which I collected with my brother Brian, and sister Della, for sixpence a bucket; lovely tomatoes and grapes.
"His vegetables were in straight rows, with no weeds, and of a superior quality, in fact he exhibited at local shows, and one of his chief competitors was a Mr Cole.
"His garden tool shed had all his tools cleaned, oiled and hung in their correct place, and ready for use.
"As I write about his garden, it is really remarkable what I can remember about that time.
" I remember my grandma Annie used to serve me cool drinks in a glass with bow sides (to me it seemed to be very special )
"Latterly, when Henry returned to Waterside, looking out of his bedroom window, we children were encouraged to remove all the daisies from the front lawn below his window.
"I can assure you, there were a lot of daisies in that lawn.
"I understand my cousin Geoffrey McDowell, the son of Aunt Ida (nee Mackereth), said that his mother always referred to Waterside as a model farm. This expression would have referred to the building layout. At that time it would mean good size cow stalls, with good feeding gangways, water bowls in each stall, good gangways for access to front and rear, with good drainage in the muck collecting area, along with a good barn for access to hay and other feedstuffs. Personally I think any improvements would have been made when Waterside was in the ownership of Mr W J Pye after the sale of Ashton Hall Estate in1930."
"My personal memories of my grandfather, referred to as Mr Mac, are really associated with Ashton House, and his garden, which was always immaculate, full of flowering borders; lawn mown with striping ; rose garden at the front - fallen petals collected every morning; greenhouse with liquid manure tank from sheep tridlings, which I collected with my brother Brian, and sister Della, for sixpence a bucket; lovely tomatoes and grapes.
"His vegetables were in straight rows, with no weeds, and of a superior quality, in fact he exhibited at local shows, and one of his chief competitors was a Mr Cole.
"His garden tool shed had all his tools cleaned, oiled and hung in their correct place, and ready for use.
"As I write about his garden, it is really remarkable what I can remember about that time.
" I remember my grandma Annie used to serve me cool drinks in a glass with bow sides (to me it seemed to be very special )
"Latterly, when Henry returned to Waterside, looking out of his bedroom window, we children were encouraged to remove all the daisies from the front lawn below his window.
"I can assure you, there were a lot of daisies in that lawn.
"I understand my cousin Geoffrey McDowell, the son of Aunt Ida (nee Mackereth), said that his mother always referred to Waterside as a model farm. This expression would have referred to the building layout. At that time it would mean good size cow stalls, with good feeding gangways, water bowls in each stall, good gangways for access to front and rear, with good drainage in the muck collecting area, along with a good barn for access to hay and other feedstuffs. Personally I think any improvements would have been made when Waterside was in the ownership of Mr W J Pye after the sale of Ashton Hall Estate in1930."