I'm wondering if you can help me? I've been researching
my family tree and hit a brick wall, then I stumbled across your website. My
name is Leanne and my great grandmothers name is Leah ARTHUR (chart 3 on
your website) I have spent many months looking for some information on her
daughter Martha Emma Arthur born 1900. I have traced her up until early 1920's
where she had a daughter ( Dorothy Arthur) and went to prison, I have found her
daughters family but the trail stops there. I cannot find anymore information,
whether she had any other children or where she was living.
If you could help me in any way I would be very
gratefulAs always my initial reply was I don't have any more information and as it was the family of a female Halstead who married out of name I didn't normally follow them. the only reason I had with this family was because Leah's brother was John Halstead ARTHUR
So i did what I also do in these cases and tried to bring the family us to date. Finding the death of Henry ARTHUR was relatively easy in 1932 - unfortunately he didn't leave a will but i did check the British Newspaper Archive. it is a lot easier to search when you have an exact date to work with even if it is only a quarter in the GRO indexes. This produced a couple of entries one of which was of interest for the information that it contained. This article is from the Burnley Express of 17th February 1932
WORSTHORNE'S OLDEST INHABITANT.
DEATH OF MR. H. ARTHUR.
The interment took place last Monday of the late Mr.
Henry Arthur, of Hope-street, Worsthorne. Deceased, who was in his
eighty-fourth year, was the oldest male inhabitant, and belonged to a family
noted for longevity. He survived by two brothers, aged 86 and 72 respectively,
and sister, aged 82. Born in Devonshire, he came to Worsthorne at the age of
18, and lived there for the remainder of his life, marrying a member of the
Halsted family. This family noted for having bequeathed the money for the £2
sermon preached in the Burnley Parish Church every year on the first Sunday in
May and also the Rochester Charity, payable in Worsthorne and Burnley. Although
of a quiet and retiring disposition, Mr. Arthur was much esteemed by all who
knew him. He leaves son and daughter.
The interment, which took place in St. John's Churchyard,
was conducted by the Vicar of Worsthorne, the Rev. H. Stones, M.A. Deceased was
borne to his last resting place by the following members of the Reading Room,
of which he was a member: Messrs. E Boyle, Fred Chadwick, A. W. Ormerod, T.
Stanworth, L. Stanworth, and S. King.
The mourners were Mr. and Mrs. J. H. Arthur and Grandson
Fred, Mrs. Wright and Grandson Arthur, Mr. and Mrs. T H Nuttall, Mrs. Crabtree,
Mrs. Heyworth, Mr. and Mrs. F. Cunliffe, Mr. W, Chadwick, and Mr. J. H. Astin.
Floral tributes were sent by:—Son Jack, Rhoda and
Grandson Fred; Daughter Leah and Grandson Arthur; Tom and Clara; Mr, and Mrs.
F. Cunliffe and Edna; Mr. and Mrs. John Crabtree: Mr. and Mrs. R. Rankin and
Nellie (Harle Syke); Mr. and Mrs. Ormerod and Donald; the members of the
Worsthorne Reading Room; and a friend. The arrangements were carried out by G.
Chadwick, Worsthorne.
Whilst all of it was of interest to Leanne the piece that interested me was the list of mourners.
It enabled me to find Leah's marriage, the unfortunate death of Leah's husband two years after their marriage (again reported in the papers) and also Leah's death on Christmas Day 1946. it would appear from the obituary in the paper that Leah was also well thought of and a pillar of the community.
As for Martha ARTHUR - did she go to prison? well not that I can find. Mind she was put on probation for 12 month in 1921. After that she seems to disappear from the face of the earth. Did she change her name?
If you have any ideas please let me know and I will pass them onto Leanne.
There is also one other interesting snippet in that article on the death of Henry ARTHUR. it says that he was married to a member of the Halstead family that created Halstead Sunday (I wrote about this in a post back in 2012). That means that he should be in the main chart but he isn't so know I need to find the link! Also what is the Rochester Charity! Watch this space
John Hanson
