Chapter 7

Edith Butler was only 9 months old when she was orphaned. As I mentioned she was taken in by her grandparents William and Annie Butler.

On the left is Edith as a baby and right Edith and Herbert

At the age of 20 Edith married 25 year old Herbert William Tirrell who lived in the nearby village of Maltby. They were married on 26^th December 1920 at St James' Church in Ravenfield. They went to live in Bramley which is another nearby village. According the the 1921 census they were living at 19 Cross Street in Bramley. On the census return Herbert had written that he was out of work then crossed this out. He gave his place of employment as Thurcroft Colliery.

On 3^rd March 1922 Herbert and Edith's daughter Kathleen Lilian was born at 19 Cross Street. Kathleen Lilian was my mother.

I don't know when the family moved but by 1925 they were living at 111 Northfield Lane in Wickersley in a bungalow which I believe my granddad built. On 26^th September Edith was busy doing her housework and while dusting the mantelpiece her apron caught fire. Her neighbour heard her screams and found her in flames. She wrapped her in a rug and once the flames had gone out she sent for an ambulance. Edith was taken to Rotherham Hospital but sadly died the same day. Cause of death given as shock from burns, she was 25 years old. My mother lost her mother at such a young age that she couldn't remember her and I never knew my grandmother.

My granddad was in the same position as a lot of my male ancestors, a young father with no wife to care for the family. Help wasn't far away. Aunt Fanny stepped in and took Kathleen to live with her and her husband Joe Brocklesby in Ravenfield.

Mum remembered her with great affection. She told me she had a lovely garden and she kept pigs and chickens. When she was in the garden she always wore a man's flat cap. She was a religious lady and mum always had to kneel at the side of the bed and pray before going to sleep. Fanny must have been a angel I think. She had no children of her own but devoted herself to the children of her family who needed help.

Granddad remarried when mum was five years old. He married 25 year old Evelyn Davis on 3^rd December 1927 at the Wesleyan Methodist Church in Rotherham. Mum went to live with her dad and his new wife and soon had a half sister and a few years later a half brother. Evelyn was my grandmother and a very lovely one.

I am sure my story isn't unique. Lots of families must have had similar stories through the ages. Not only amongst the people living in poverty but in every walk of life.

Chapter 8

This has brought me into the 20^th century and thankfully with advances in medicine and discovery of antibiotics the mortality surrounding childbirth has improved vastly. Contraception has reduced the number of children people are having and childbirth is much safer. Children are growing up healthier and thanks to vaccination are not dying from childhood diseases as often.

Two World Wars meant a great loss of life in the 20th century reducing the male population especially. Women were left without husbands and bringing their children up alone. Women who previously would have stayed at home looking after families were now finding they needed to work to support themselves.

After World War 2, halfway through the 20^th century the National Health Service was formed which meant that everyone had access to healthcare which was funded by a contribution from their wages. The country began to prosper and as food became more abundant everyone was healthier.

Two centuries later into the 21^st century, things were looking better but who knows now what the Covid Pandemic will bring. We already have a vaccine thanks to previous medical research so can we look forward to better times?