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R. Stephenson-Smythe  
#181 Posted : 04 March 2012 15:06:18(UTC)
R. Stephenson-Smythe
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The Grimshawes were philanthropic people and held parties and events within the grounds of the Hall.
 
They even employed a school teacher to educate the young children of the Valley.
The first classes were held in the Hall itself but the family later built a detached school at the bottom of the driveway. The children were from the Estate and from the families from the Gunpowder Works. The leaving age was 14.
The first teachers were Miss Dolores who sadly died very young. The little shrine on the moor was built in her memory in 1889 by the Grimshawe family. Then Mrs. Oyarzabel helped out with the education needs.
Later still there was a professional teacher called Mrs. O’Rourke who left when the school closed in 1930.
 
R. S-S

Edited by user 06 March 2012 17:02:38(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Norm  
#182 Posted : 04 March 2012 15:21:37(UTC)
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School photo from previous post. I have removed the writing on the photo under instruction from R.S-S. He hopes it will look better.

Norm attached the following image(s):
Errwood school.jpg
gritch  
#183 Posted : 04 March 2012 16:46:29(UTC)
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The same photograph, perhaps a little clearer, also appears on this site 

 http://goyt-valley.org.uk/photos/local-people/ 

Norm  
#184 Posted : 04 March 2012 17:12:23(UTC)
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Hi gritch

Yes that's a lot clearer than R.S-S's scanned piccy.

Not the same picture though, the little girl about third from the left has moved a lot. Obviously taken at the same time. Not sure if I can "nick" it.

Norm

jencairns  
#185 Posted : 04 March 2012 20:53:54(UTC)
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GHOSTS seen at ERRWOOD

You’re quite safe R. S-S – I failed to spot a green man (I leave that to Mike Harding!). Old churches are usually good place for those. Missed the monkey puzzle tree though. Are these tales recorded anywhere? 

My Personal Experience
Anyway, it would have been sometime in the early 80s or late 70s perhaps.  Went up to the Goyt valley one Sunday, nice sunny day possibly May, not in a holiday – there weren’t many families with children about. Thought I would have a look at the Errwood reservoir which was crammed with folks with binoculars staring at some bird on an islet in the reservoir – on a tree I think. I asked, and was told it was a bird flown in from Russia or some distant land…. but not being into birds decided to follow the path up to the old house.
 
NB I had never before visited the house or the reservoir, but knew that the house had been demolished, and had no idea who had lived there – and did not know the layout of the estate.
 
I arrived at what I presumed were some of the house ruins. There were some steps/platform of stone or brick, bits of wall etc. I dimly remember what might have been a covering over steps going into an old basement or similar. I can’t remember what else, but when standing on the “platform” with my back to the walls there was a path going from in front of the house or wherever I was, up a lane path to somewhere.
 
With me there was a small family of father and a couple of children. The children were talking cheerfully and quite loudly while jumping off the wall or the platform edge to the ground, and coming back up again to jump down once more. 
 
I turned back to the path side. 
 
Suddenly all the children’s noise stopped. Everything went quiet.
 
About 15 or 20 yards in front of me to my left was a farm cart with slotted wooden sides. 
(I have just looked in google and found this
click on Welsh Long Cart)
 
What I saw was very similar – I don’t remember the design of the front of the cart but there was a horse between the shafts. I don’t know whether there was a means of closing the back of the cart. I also have a feeling that the side “panels” had horizontal, rather than upright bars. It was this type of general farm vehicle that I saw. I am also not sure of the wheel size.  It was a cart, and not a wagon.
 
There was something in the cart. I couldn’t see clearly because behind the cart there were two or possibly three woman. Holding the bridle/reins of the horse at the front of the cart were two men. One on each side of the horses head. The man holding the horse’s bridle was looking towards me – he had dark hair and a hat, the other who was smaller was looking away – he wore a cap. They were wearing reasonably tidy darkish jackets and trousers, I can’t remember what they had on their feet.
 
The women were wearing what I know now to be late 19th early 20th century dress. The womans dress I saw clearly – she was wearing a black long skirt (not fashion conscious – and it came down close to the ground I think, she must have had petticoats underneath because the skirt was quite full) - possibly I saw boots. This woman who I saw clearly had her back to me and had a short black cape type over jacket on – not sleeved. One of those that can be buttoned down the front, and only comes down to the waist. This was black as well. The women wore hats with brims – not fussy or posh, what I would call “Sunday go to meeting hats”. I think this woman might have been in her fifties or so. She was quite plump. Her companion I did not see clearly, as she was on the furthest side of the cart, but was younger and thinner I think. There might have been another youngish woman with her as well.
 
I thought… “Where have these people come from so suddenly?”
 
And just as suddenly they had gone and the noise of the children playing came back to my ears. I looked round to see if the other people had seen anything, but clearly they hadn’t and were still chatting to each other. I am not sure how long I was looking at them. Not long – perhaps 8 secs or so, less than 10 secs. They didn’t move or speak as far as I remember.  They just appeared.
 
After a few minutes I thought I would walk up the lane/path that the cart was clearly going to go up - to see what was up there. I was very surprised to find a small graveyard. One grave stood out for me, and this was the grave of Irma Niorthe. I had a vague memory that her gravestone mentioned the word governess. But perhaps I was imagining this – on the 1881 census her occupation is given as Ladies Maid:- Class: RG11; Piece: 3490; Folio: 65; Page: 11 [only looked at this today - and there were no children in the house in 1881].
 
Having gone up the path and found the graveyard I wondered whether what the cart was carrying was a coffin. I was not conscious of seeing a coffin shape, but remember seeing something through the sides of the cart. The posture of the people suggested that it was not a standard household occasion.
 
Naturally I have no idea who the deceased person was, maybe not Miss Niorthe at all.
 
Also, I was not frightened at all. There was no reason to be. At the time these people suddenly appeared I may have been wondering about what the old house might have been like, and who had lived there… so perhaps I just tuned in to somewhere else for a few seconds. 
 
I am now 71, and hadn’t thought of this adventure for years now, but I think I have written here what happened that day. Unfortunately I have never been back to Errwood.
 
If it suits anybody to use this material please help yourselves, but name me. I research local history where I live and it is not very helpful to have to quote stories without naming the primary source !   At the time of this little adventure I was living in Macclesfield and working for James Loughran / Halle in Alderley Edge.  Happy Days!
 
Jen
 
jencairns  
#186 Posted : 04 March 2012 20:59:11(UTC)
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Curious wrote:

I've done a bit more digging on Irma Niorthe mentioned in Jen's previous post.  Could she have been called Tima Mary Niorthe?  If so, I think she died age 27 - her death certificate is available from Macclesfield Registry Office - see info at:

http://www.cheshirebmd.org.uk/cgi/pda.cgi?date=1882&county=cheshire&reference=CE%3ARAI%2F6%2F66&file=N&pos=8737&area=CE

Thanks Mrs C. I may eventually send for the certificate, just curious about the cause of death .

Jen

Norm  
#187 Posted : 04 March 2012 21:05:41(UTC)
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jencairns wrote:

If it suits anybody to use this material please help yourselves, but name me. I research local history where I live and it is not very helpful to have to quote stories without naming the primary source !   At the time of this little adventure I was living in Macclesfield and working for James Loughran / Halle in Alderley Edge.  Happy Days!
 
Jen

Great  story for the website. I presume you name is Jen Cairns, forum names can be anything.

Norm

jencairns  
#188 Posted : 05 March 2012 15:13:36(UTC)
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Hi Norm,

Yes, its my "real" name - Jennifer Cairns in full !

Jen

 

 

Cobweb22  
#189 Posted : 15 July 2012 12:14:42(UTC)
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I have just discovered this very informative website and its excellent coverage of Errwood Hall.  I must admit too that I have only recently heard of Errwood Hall, but now its ruins are on my "must visit" list.

The reason for my recent interest is that , whilst researching my family tree, I have found that my 3xgt. aunt, Alice Barrow,  was employed at Errwood Hall. She is listed in the 1861 Census as cook & housekeeper. I do not know how long she was at Errwood Hall, although she was employed elsewhere in 1851 and 1871. I wonder if any staff records/archives or even photos exist which might provide more information about Alice's employment and life at Errwood Hall ? Is anyone able to help please ?

(In 1851 Alice Barrow was the household servant of John Hall, Catholic priest of St. Alban's Church, Macclesfield. John Hall baptised Samuel Grimshawe's daughter at St. Alban's Church in 1852. In 1871 Alice Barrow was at Radholme Laund, Browsholme, Forest of Bowland, again a housekeeper, but I have not yet established the identity of her employer in the latter instance.)

 

Since posting the above I have discovered that in 1871 Alice Barrow was employed by Matthew Brown, well known brewer of Preston, who also owned a farming estate at Radholme Laund.

Edited by user 17 July 2012 09:30:45(UTC)  | Reason: Not specified

Norm  
#190 Posted : 16 July 2012 17:30:19(UTC)
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Some work done on this forum is appreciated.

http://goyt-valley.org.uk/errwood-hall-reconstructed/

Well done David.

Norm

Ferni  
#191 Posted : 30 June 2013 15:23:14(UTC)
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Originally Posted by: R. Stephenson-Smythe Go to Quoted Post
This is a description of the Hall from 1883, I don’t know if it is of use to you or not.
I have not had time to copy the Architect’s drawing yet but will do as soon as I can.
    -- In a gilded frame, and in old Spanish tapestry work, is a finely-executed picture of St. Francis from the collection of the Brazilian Minister in Rome ;

 a fine portrait of Pope Innocent, by Velasquez : 

portrait of "Catherine, Queen of Cyprus," by H. Moro ;

 "St. Mary Magdalene," by Guido "Justice and Peace," by Battoni ;

 marble statue of the Immaculate Conception (the woman shown with her foot on the serpent's head), by Benzoni.   .........


 ...; a fine portrait of a Spanish lady by Velasquez,

and a most exquisitely worked marble bust of Pope Pius IX, by Benzoni; every feature in the face of His Holiness seems to have been drawn out with life-like effect.


 
.......... a portrait of one of the Leane family, by Michael Angelo Correggio ;

 large landscape and sea piece, by William Vanderville ;

 portrait of Pope Gregory the Great, by Titian ;

 two landscapes, by Rosa de Tivoli ; 

two views of Venice (Canaletto) ; Adoration of the Magi, by Pietro di Cortona.  


what fun googling for these. yet even more saddened  at the loss and end of such a short 'empire'.
Benzoni's bust of Pope Pius XIV ...://www.christies.com/lotfinder/sculptures-statues-figures/an-italian-white-marble-bust-emblematic-of-5042385-details.aspx

Pope Innocent by Vasquez  http://www.abcgallery.com/V/velazquez/velazquez46.html

Adoration of the Maji by Cortona  http://www.mutualart.com/Artwork/The-Adoration-of-the-Magi/F57EF1C06E8844B0

Pope/Saint Gregory by Titian  http://www.titian-tizianovecellio.org/St-Gregory-the-Great.html

Mary Magdelene by Guido http://magdalhnh.blogspot.co.uk/2009/06/magdalenes-by-guido-reni.html

Quite a few of the many - and other- listed above are not visible on the net ( yet) - but just these few alone can give us an idea of the vast wealth and tastes of the Grimshawe family

Utterly fascinating. There has to be a catalogue still in existence  of the sale of the House's goods ( it was an auctioneers in Macclesfield I believe ) I'd love to see that catalgue and drift off into reverie of the whereabouts of the jewels of the Hall.




 


Speak your truth quietly and clearly, and listen to others -even to the dull and the ignorant; they too have their story.
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