wickersleyweb

I was born in 1927 at Wickersley Hall and was christened in St Albans church.

The hall was purchased by my grandfather, William Marsland around 1925 or so, who was a retired draper from Sheffield.

My grand father William was born in Sheffield and was apprenticed to a boot and shoe maker, I find that quite a number of his family successfully pursued the same profession, and had originated from around Bolton. Lancs. On completion of his apprenticeship he set up shop on his own but after he had made enough money had an apparently quite a large drapers shop in Attercliffe - where he raised a family and kept on until shortly after the first world war when he sold it. During that period period he had bought a weekend? Cottage in Bradwell, when he sold this I do not know but he bought a public house somewhere in Derbyshire which he kept for a short while before buying Wickersley Hall around 1924-5

I lived at Wickersley Hall for two years until my father found another job in Brampton.I can remember quite a lot about the house and a little around it.Sometimes I was taken to Raddigans shop for sweets etc,the last time I was by the shop was a private house with its double rounded front still intact,there was another shop almost opposite which I was taken to for pepper!!

I was also taken to a farm just along the road Mr Baker? who had a number of steam traction engines in the yard; the property had an old barn fairly close which was damaged in a gale about 1928.

The Hall was fairly large, it ran behind the semi detached houses. In the one next door to the hall lived a Mrs Leader, Looking back I guess she must have had a family but I cannot recall any.

In the field behind these houses grandfather kept quite a number of chickens, I can remember being put inside to collect the eggs when aunty lost the keys! There was then a stream in the field where he kept ducks. In the drive by the house was a pump with a stone trough under.

There was of course only oil lamps and candles indoors, also no toilets.

My mothers sister and married brother lived here as well. Una married a man called Harry Ross they bought a bungalow on Listerdale. The brother stayed on for two years before taking a job in Hereford, he was an engineer and always worked for councils or corporations.

My fathers family lived in Thrybergh, and I can remember being taken there on occassions in a pram, I believe through the Listerdale estate and then a long way by the side of a railway.

I can remember being taken to Maltby to watch motor bike racing!! in a field.

I can remember several things about the house after all this time.

I have not had many chances to visit my birthplace, the last time was twenty five years ago. We came up to mums sisters funeral, she had lived in Dronfield for a long time. We called round to show my daughter where it all was.

I find it difficult today to understand how I can still remember so much about a place I only lived in for two years and now have difficulty remembering incidents from last week!!

We had lived in a place called Billingshurst from 1939 but the local housing increased so much we decided to move and now live in Sussex. Our two children live quite close.