Does anyone remember Dolphin Street?

[ronty 10]

Hello Bobbers,

Thanks for the info on the Dolphin street memorial. I have moved house recently and the original photo of the memorial is somewhere packed in a box in my loft, but as soon as it come to light I will send you and sue a copy of it. It is a bit out of focus and not easily readable, as you will have gathered from my mis-reading of the names. It's great to hear from you. I saw my uncle Frank recently, he's the youngest son of Champy and is celebrating his 91st this week, his wife Annie was brought up by her granny Mrs Bishop.

I went to see them a few weeks ago and showed them some of the photos from the Sheffield web site of Dolphin street. Frank was thrilled to see them and his reaction was interesting. I felt for him, as he wanted to share it with other contemporary's but, as he said, there's no one left to share it with.

I'll have a look to see if I can find the photo and do my best to get it scanned and sent to you.

[Bobbers 10]

Hi Ronty,

 

That's great! I printed off the two photo's of Dolphin Street and showed them to my folks yesterday - they recognised them immediately and were able to point out who's house was who's and who's garden was who's etc.

[missis 10]

Hello - this is the first time I've used this site. My father James Molloy and his family lived at 42 Dolphin Street. My Dad was born in 1896 and fought in WW1. I was told by elderly relatives that they had seen his name and his brother's name on the memorial at Dolphin Street. Unfortunately their names do not appear on the list provided by Ronty in 2006, although could be mis-spelled. James was in Royal Scots Fusiliers and John in Durham Light Infantry. Both were wounded. They were pals with the Drakes and Learys I believe. My Dad was the 3rd of 6 children, John eldest, Nora 2nd, followed by Thomas, Joseph and Francis. Most of them worked at Nunnery Colliery. Anyone know how I can see a copy of memorial photo please?

[steve1953 10]

Hello - this is the first time I've used this site. My father James Molloy and his family lived at 42 Dolphin Street. My Dad was born in 1896 and fought in WW1. I was told by elderly relatives that they had seen his name and his brother's name on the memorial at Dolphin Street. Unfortunately their names do not appear on the list provided by Ronty in 2006, although could be mis-spelled. James was in Royal Scots Fusiliers and John in Durham Light Infantry. Both were wounded. They were pals with the Drakes and Learys I believe. My Dad was the 3rd of 6 children, John eldest, Nora 2nd, followed by Thomas, Joseph and Francis. Most of them worked at Nunnery Colliery. Anyone know how I can see a copy of memorial photo please?

hi missis,some pictures of dolphin street on picture sheffield . com

[dean1 10]

missis. PM me your e-mail address and i'll send you a photo of the war memorial.

Dean.

[dean1 10]

Hi missis, if you PM me your e-mail address i'll send you a photo of said war memorial.

The photo is rather blurred, but i can definately see the two names you mentioned under wounded.

Dean.

[dean1 10]

Hi missis, i can let you have a photo of the war memorial. i can also see the two names that you mention.PM me your e-mail.

Dean.

hope this post works, tried 3 times already!!

[hillsbro 32]

Interesting thread. I didn't know Dolphin Street but here is a scan taken from an 1890s map showing its location:

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/DolphinSt.jpg There were evidently no other houses nearby; as it was so close to the Nunnery pit, maybe the street had been built for the miners. I wonder how the street got its name. It's a shame if the war memorial has been lost; naturally it makes the photo all the more valuable.

 

Here's a list of surnames of Dolphin Street residents from the 1901 census; the occupation most of the householders is given as "coal miner":

 

Odd numbers

Shepherd, Preskey, Swallow, Smith, Heenan, North, Bradley, Archer, Archer, Hill, Whitworth, Hibbert, Tankard, Jacques, Jeffcock, Vardy, Platts, Cupit, Shepherd, Day, Tankard

 

Even numbers

Jacques, Kelk, Otter, Gibson, Bishop, Monaghan, Drake, Trueman, Hartill, Kirkham, Methley, Scott, Swallow, Poole, Burrows, Smith, Hazard, Johnson, Cann, Bellamy, Fullwood, Jackson, Winterbottom

 

They hadn't all been born locally – for example the Hazards were from Lincoln, John & Thomas Hartill from Staffordshire and the Hills from Derby; also William Swallow’s wife Mary was from Ireland and William Bishop’s wife Isabella was German-born.

[dean1 10]

Hi hillsbro, excellent addition to the thread.

if you can get hold of a 1903 old ordnance survey map of Darnall, you'll see exactly how adrift the street was from the neighbouring estates. But as you say slap bang next door to the pit. i was wondering about their daily lives, Pit, allotment, chapel, pit, allotment, chapel, pit ----. Then the first world war!

as steve1953 stated earlier there are two photo's on Picture Sheffield showing the allotments next to the houses. There were also more allotments further up Broad Oaks Lane, thats the dirt track in front of the house on the photos at Picture Sheffield.

The casualty list posted by Ronty is not quite correct, but if you saw the photo of the memorial you'll understand how the mistakes were made. The 8 deaths should read -

 

Elkington, Thomas Mellor.

Jacques. J.

Jacques. William.

Johnson. James.

Leary. Robert.

Methley. Ernest.

Martin. A.

Waller. J.

 

 

Had quite a bit of fun on the Great War Forum sorting that out!

Dean.

[hillsbro 32]

Indeed, Dean, life was a lot simpler then - you did your shift at the pit, worked on your allotment, went to chapel etc. ... and then the war! I just looked up one of the casualties - Ernest Methley from No 21. He was killed in 1917, aged just 20. Unlike my great-uncle he doesn't have his own grave; his name is on the memorial at Thiepval. Just one casualty out of millions - such a waste.

I don't have a 1903 Ordnance Survey map but I just remembered that I have a 1912 edition, and so I looked it out. Here's a scan in case it's of interest:

http://i169.photobucket.com/albums/u219/twigmore/DolphinSt2.jpg

Looking at the aerial photo on "Live Search" the area has, not surprisingly, changed beyond recognition, but Broad Oaks Lane can still be seen.

[dean1 10]

I think it got worse in the early 20's, there was an accident on the 3rd Dec 1923 when 7 men were killed at the Pit.

I cant find a casualty list of the men, but was wondering if some of them were on the War memorial that survived the war only to be killed at work?

Simpler life hillsbro, but i think a lot harder than today.

[carsupplier 10]

I know some of you have put links to old maps on here showing Dolphin Street, but I have been sent a map of the Attercliffe area, which I think is from around the 1950's. It shows Dolphin Street and Broad Oaks Lane opposite the Nunnery colliery. If anyone would like to see it I can send it via email to you, just PM me.

 

Chris.