LETTER: Family connections to fallen war heroes

I have just been reading back copies of the Derbyshire Times as I have been on holiday for the past few weeks in Spain (my newsagent saves back copies for me).

I was interested in the article of Thursday, April 7, regarding Lawrence and Patrick Tighe.

Many years ago I was at Spital Church graveyard and fell over near to a war grave, which was Lawrence Tighe’s and this name was known to me and so I kind of knew that Patrick’s grave may be there as well.(this reason for the visit was personal as I sometimes do have predictive dreams and knew I did have to visit the graveyard).

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The reason I am writing is that my grandmother, Jane Else (known as Jinny) who lived in Newbold was the sister of Lawrence and Patrick. I think my great-grandmother is also buried with one of the boys or men rather. I did ring Spital Church and from the records there are quite a few of my relatives buried there. I did try to figure who belonged to who as there are some children buried in unmarked graves. I did have a list that I typed out but am now struggling to find it - there were quite a few names. My grandmother is buried in Newbold.

I know her husband died young of an embolism and he worked at the Wagon Works. My grandmother was a widow for many years. She was a character and went down most nights to the pub at Newbold, sitting in the snug. She drank bitter, came back to her flat singing ‘Let Me Call You Sweetheat’, made herself a sandwich and a massive mug of tea (in those old fashioned blue and white cups and she drank it in the night, stone cold) . Her best friend was Ethel, who lived in the next flat.

My grandmother died in September 1980 - a month before my daughter was born.

My uncle, my mum’s brother cleared out the flat and I used to look at two large framed photographs of these uncles in uniform. Very smart. I think one might have been a Private. I did ring the Sherwood Foresters many years ago. Grandma used to talk about her brothers.

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She said they lived on Sheffield Road and that they were miners. I know my grandma did lose some babies, one I believe from measles, which in those days did kill.

I have a few photos of my grandma. She had three living children, my mum, Mary, and her brothers Christopher (who died when he was 60 and who was married to Vera and had a daughter called Christine). He lived at Stonegravels, and there is my uncle Ernie who has two children, Tony and Andrew. When I was young we lived for a short while at Stonegravels.

My grandma used to talk of the old days when the Irish would get together. Her grandparents came from County Cork. She once said they used to take in lodgers and one was accused of murder.

Anyway, perhaps this information would help Daren Norris.

I used to go and visit the graves every two weeks for a number of years, taking flowers - perhaps I am due a revisit.

I live in Walton.

Irene Pedley

Walton

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