Bonus Sweatmore

Bonus Sweatmore started work at Knowles Brickyard in 1930, aged 16. 
49 years later, on 1st June 1979, he retired and was presented with a clock by his employers.
Bonus lived first in St George's Road in New Mills before moving to a newly built bungalow on Marsh Lane in the 1970s. He walked to and from work every day, come rain or shine. He was able to enjoy a long retirement before passing away in 2008.
Few  people spend all their working  days with one employer but having left school, Bonus Sweatmore found a "job for life".

 Bonus was born in December 1915 and married in March 1940.

 Bonus, photographed at the wedding of his daughter Ann in 1965

 Bonus and Ann in his garden in 2003

 The inscription on the clock reads: "Presented by Messrs R E Knowles Ltd to Bonus Sweatmore in recognition of his 49 years faithful service with the company 1st June 1979"

Knowles Brickyard, Furness Vale. Bonus Sweatmore's place of work for 49 years.

Death by Poisoning

A young lady (name not known) was in service at Brookfield House, on Reservoir Road, Whaley Bridge in 1930. Brookfield House was, in those days, the servants’ quarters for Whaley Hall.

Brookfield House, Reservoir Road

She was somehow ‘involved’ with a local police officer, Police Constable Gage from Bridgemont. She told other servants that she and Gage used to meet on Reservoir Road and go to the hen house for a drink.

One Saturday night she got off the Buxton train at Whaley Bridge and started to walk up Reservoir Road to Brookfield House where she was ‘in service’. She was followed by PC Gage from Bridgemont as witnessed by Frank Collier who was employed at Botany Bleach Works. PC Gage did not see Frank Collier.

It was rumoured locally that the girl was pregnant but if it was true it never came out officially.
The next day the young lady was found dead in William Eyre’s hen run and, not intended as a pun, foul play was immediately suspected. The hen run was in the field opposite Brookfield House. The field is now owned by Grant Ford and the hen house is still there after all these years.
A post mortem revealed that the girl had been poisoned with a very rare poison. The police made enquiries at all the local chemists and the only person who had acquired this type of poison was Police Constable Gage. Gage was suspected of murdering the girl and was summoned as a witness/suspect to the inquest held at the Mechanics Institute on Market Street in Whaley Bridge.

The number of people who wanted to attend the inquest was far too many than the building could cater for so seats were fixed on the pavement outside and loudspeakers were erected so that those people could at least hear the proceedings. Gage was very evasive with his answers to the Coroner. When asked why he had bought the very same poison that killed the girl he said he knew nothing about it and he had simply bought the poison to end his dog’s life as it was suffering from a medical condition. The Coroner asked Gage where he had buried the dog so that checks could be made on its body. Gage said he had thrown it in the fire-box at Blandola Riddle Works in Bridgemont close to where he lived. Asked where he had kept the remains of the poison so that could be also checked he said he had also thrown that in the fire-box.

The jury was ordered to return an open verdict and Gage was free to go. He was transferred the next day to take up duties in Northwich and nobody was ever charged with the poor girl’s murder.

Below is a photo of Grant Ford’s field before his house was built and the hen house is in the corner. You can see the Masonic Hall in the background at the entrance to the Park.

Tony Beswick

Gerald Hallworth

We are sad to hear that Gerald Hallworth of Ringstones Farm passed away last week. 
Born in Stockport, in February 1928, Gerald was 92 years of age.
He had lived at Ringstones since 1953, mostly farming dairy cattle, with a herd of 50 at its largest. At times, he also kept pigs and poultry. 
Gerald was a good friend to the History Society and was often seen at our meetings and events. He will be very much missed in Furness Vale.

An Anniversary Tale

On this day in 2001, Great Train robber, Ronnie Biggs was finally captured on arrival home from exile in Brasil.

Tony Beswick writes about his colleagues:

 

Another brief tale and this time about Bennetstone Hall.

After the Great Train Robbery some of the gang escaped from prison and obviously had quite a bit of money. One such person was Charles Wilson. He was rumoured very strongly to have stayed at the Hall. He would be right up Gerry Adshead's street. Gerry liked money and characters. It was said that Wilson used to sit quietly at one end of the bar drinking. Apparently even the police knew he was living there and spent some time drinking with him.

Don't forget there was a lot of sympathy for the robbers after their excessive sentences and they became sort of heroes. Wilson did get caught and I think he was the last man to be released. He was asassinated in Spain years later.  Others got away scott free.

 Bruce Reynolds, the mastermind, after he was finally released did one last job: he broke into a mansion in Macclesfield, opened the safe and stole £50,000.00 He thought he would have to go on the run again but the crime was never reported.

 

 Charles Wilson

Historic Furness Vale in pictures

A selection of photographs of the village from the collection of Tony Beswick. He will be adding to this album in the coming days.

 A group photograph of Bugsworth School from Tony Beswick. The picture is undated but the style of dress suggests the Edwardian period.

Carr Farm and the view across to New Mills. The spire of St. George's Church is prominent on the horizon. The white cottage between the railway line and Marsh Lane was known as Nob Hall.