Looking for history of the Sheffield Cats Shelter and Miss Jane Barker

[medusa 16]

The current committee of the Sheffield Cats Shelter would like some information about the history of the charity and its founder, a Miss Jane Barker, who founded the charity in 1897, to put on our website.

 

We know that at some point in the past the charity was based on Gell Street, but we have no idea when or why the Shelter was moved to its current location at Travis Place, Broomhall, or whether these were the only two addresses where the Shelter's been based.

 

We also don't know anything about Miss Barker apart from her name, but we'd love to know more.

 

I've done web searches and the like, but that hasn't really found us very much, so we'd like to hear from anybody who remembers a time when the Shelter was at Gell Street, or anybody who knows how we could go about searching for further information.

 

Thanks for your help.

[rubydazzler 11]

Is Mr Maw still connected with the Shelter at all? He used to live on Wharncliffe Road and he was on the committee for years as was Michael Maas and they both seemed to know a lot about the early life of the Shelter.

 

I think the time of Gell St was in the late 19th c. Was she bequeathed the house on Travis Place? There was some sort of booklet iirc, that was when I lived nearby and we used to support the Shelter, certain I remember seeing one.

[Arfer Mo 10]

HI I remember taking our cat to the cats shelter in Gell st over 70 yrs ago and recall there was no charge, Arthur.

[medusa 16]

Thank you Ruby- I'll get someone to have a look up of the two gentlemen and see if they're still members. Neither is still on the committee, but they might be willing to share their knowledge with us if we can still trace them.

 

Whatever information used to be available, we can't find anything in the Shelter currently, and it's probable that those sorts of leaflets have been thrown out years ago as they became 'out of date'- of course the problem with that is that the out of date background information then gets lost. We aren't even sure how we've ended up in the current building- maybe we can get our solicitors to dig out the deeds and tell us when we took occupation.

 

Thank you Arthur- so we know that the Shelter was still at Gell Street approaching WWII. I wonder if it was damage in the war that necessitated a change in location, or whether it was a bequest of a new building that enabled it. This is asking more questions than it's answering at the moment, but maybe it's like doing a jigsaw puzzle and we'll find a picture when we have enough pieces.

[Jabberwocky 46]

This looks as if its going to be a fascinating thread.

I cant help one bit because Ive never heared of the lady in question but im definately going to follow this.

[medusa 16]

Thank you Jabberwocky- I'm hoping that some of the forummers who know about genealogy and the like will know how we can narrow down searches for Miss Barker (apart from her name and that she lived in Sheffield in 1897 we know nothing else about her- and we only know that because there's a plaque on the door that's been about longer than everyone we know has been involved with the Shelter).

 

There is one image that we know of in existence (ironically not owned by ourselves, so I can't reproduce it here without permission) from, we believe, the 1920s, showing the Gell Street address, so that's our starting point, but anything else is a bouns.

[hutch 10]

The 1927 Kellys Sheffield directory gives a Miss Jane Barker living at the Rookery 27 Collegiate Cres, with Miss Mary Beatrice Barker, by 1951 just Jane living there.

 

Just a thought it may be her.

[medusa 16]

The 1927 Kellys Sheffield directory gives a Miss Jane Barker living at the Rookery 27 Collegiate Cres, with Miss Mary Beatrice Barker, by 1951 just Jane living there.

 

Just a thought it may be her.

 

Thank you for looking, and there is a possibility that this is our Miss Jane Barker, but if this is her and she founded the Shelter when she was 30, then she'd be over 80 by 1951. It's even the correct area- we're very near to Collegiate Crescent.

[jana 10]

Medusa- I have sent you a private message please check your forum in box

 

Regards

[Plain Talker 11]

I seem to remember, many years ago, seeing a photo of an old van thing, (reminded me of Corporal Jones' lorry, off "Dad's army "! )

which i'm sure had, emblazoned on its side, the legend "Sheffield Cat's Shelter, Gell St".

 

Is that the photo you refer to, Medusa?

 

PT

[Tridentine 10]

The van picture was in the "Memories of Sheffield" volume 1 published by the Star (?) with the help of subscriptions about 20 years ago. I recollect the photo in question was taken about 1922 and the van was driven by a man who was about 80 and looked a bit like Cpl Jones.

 

If that helps trace the picture....?

[devlin 10]

1901 census @ 27 Collegiate Crescent (ages quoted)

 

Mary B Barker Head of house described as living on own mean 35

Jane Barker sister described as living on own means 34

Elizabeth F Holmes Cook born Sheffield 29

Hilda Dronfield Housemaid born Wortley 22

Lizzie Copley Housemaid born Lincolnshire 19

 

1891 census @ 27 Collegiate Crescent

 

Sarah Barker Head of House born Sheffield described as living on own means 56

Mary B Barker Daughter born Swinton no occupation etc quoted 25

Jane Barker Daughter born Swinton no occupation etc quoted 24

Henry S Barker Son born Swinton Artilcles clerk to law solicitor 22

Ernest M Barker medical student born Mexbro 20

Lizzie Rollinson servant (medical) born Chesterfield 30

Clara M Babbington servant (medical) born N Lincs 29

Clara Potts Cook & domestic servant born Hemsworth 32

Eleanor J Rodgers Housemaid born Ledbury 23

Lucy Harrison Housemaid Born Sheffield 21

 

1881 census @ 27 Collegiate Crescent

 

Sarah Barker Head of house described as living on own means 46

Mary B. Barker scholar 15

Jane Barker scholar 14

Henry S. Barker scholar 12

Ernest M. Barker scholar 10

Mary R. Matthewman Governess & teacher born Ridgeway Derbys 34

Sarah Wallis Cook born staffordshire 23

Maria Wallis Housemaid born Sheffield 21

Blanch M. Childs, Serving Maid born Sheffield 23

 

1871 Census @ High Street Mexbro

 

Henry Barker head of household born Mexbro Earthenware manufacturer & Railway Marshall 42

Sarah Barker Wife 36

John Barker Scholar 7

Mary Barker Scholar 5

Jane Barker Scholar 4

Henry Barker 2

Earnest Barker 10 months

Edward Barker Brother Earthenware manufacturer born Wortley 27

Mary Matthewman Governess & teacher born Ridgeway Derbys 24

Charlot Barker Cook born Suffolk 21

Hemma Marton Nurse born Cheshire 26

Margret Neil Housemaid born Mexbro 21

Mary Reed Nurse maid born Swinton 15

 

hope this helps if the 27 Collegiate Crescent is the right Jane