Grace's Grandfather, John Walker

 Over the last two or three weeks, Grace has been telling Stan about the deteriorating health of her Grandfather, John Walker.  

John Walker was the father of Alice, Grace's mother.  He was born in 1864 in Cliffe Bridge, a small settlement just outside Barnsley, between Lundwood and Monk Bretton.  He started work as a miner, probably aged around 12, but in his early 20's he moved to work on the pit top, firstly as a labourer and later on the screens where coal was washed and sorted into size/grade.  By 1914 he had moved to work at Grimethorpe Colliery and became Screens Foreman, a job he held until his retirement.

John married Elizabeth Ryder in August, 1887, and they had six children - Alice was their second child and the oldest of four girls.

The photograph below was taken on Vera's 21st birthday on 4 July, 1936, in the back garden of 56 Brierley Road.  John is seated in the centre with his daughters Grace (left) and Alice and Hilda (right).  John's fourth daughter, Lucy, had died in the 1918 'flu epidemic.  Standing at the back are Grace (who was 15 at the time), Gladys McGeary and Vera.  The children in front are Bessie and Doreen Cuthbert (front left) and Joan Cuthbert (right).  The girls are all John's grand-daughters.