A Medley of Old Greetings Cards - RAF 454 Squadron Christmas Dinner Menu 1943

Musical composition by Alex Khaskin, entitled 'Moving Forward'

The cards shown above range from 1904 to the 1940s. One is a Christmas postcard from 1904 and another is from a Spenborough group in 1917. Another card is from a member of the Prince of Wales Regiment and there are two personal birthday cards complete with dried flowers, sent from Palestine in the 1940s, as well as a 454 Squadron Christmas Dinner card from 1943. In addition to this, the collection includes an RAF Christmas card from the 1940's.

All are personal to the family, but at the same time give an historical view of greetings cards, especially in climes of war, although the 1904 postcard was sent in peacetime.

Arthur Barraclough, father of Peter Barraclough and his siblings, served with the RAF (RAAF) 454 Squadron of the Royal Australian Air Force. He also trained at RAF Compton Bassett.

No. 454 Squadron RAAF

RAF Compton Bassett

Charles Frederick Walker - Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes

Charles Frederick Walker, son of Elizabeth Mary Walker, nee Hornshaw and Frederick Walker, also cousin of Frederick Walker Gomersall and nephew of Sarah Ellen Gomersall nee Walker, was an initiated member of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes, as this certificate shows.

Charlie Walker was apparently a member of Lodge Number 217, the name of which is shown above, in Bradford, West Yorkshire.  The date on the certificate is February 1909.

Charles Walker was the grandfather of Peter Vivian Barraclough and his siblings.

Read more on the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes

Doctor Dorothy Parkin, Cousin Of Arthur Barraclough, As A Young Child

Dorothy Parkin was the daughter of Arthur Barraclough's 'Aunty Louie.' As Arthur's cousin, she was also Peter Barraclough's cousin once removed.

When Arthur Barraclough had left Cleckheaton, West Yorkshire, with his mother, Mary, a war widow, they briefly had lodgings at a house in Grosvenor Road, Manningham.  The pair were obviously living there in September 1923, when this postcard was sent from Mary's sister, Louise to her nephew.

Dorothy grew up to be a doctor who specialised in blood disorders, however in this photo, those days were still far away as she plays happily on the beach at Great Yarmouth.

Read a brief history of the International Blood Group Reference Laboratory

Walkers of Goldsborough - More Relatives

These minature pictures are from the photo album of Sarah Ellen Walker, who became on marriage, Sarah Ellen Gomersall, the great great aunt of Peter Barraclough.

There is even a cute little dog in one of the photos!

RAF Habbaniya - Iraq - 1940's

Arthur Barraclough, father of Peter Barraclough served at RAF Habbaniya, in Iraq. He took the above photo of which the writer has the original copy. The link below gives further information about the base.

Read about RAF Habbaniya

Richard Hornshaw, Lister's Mill Director

Richard Hornshaw was the brother of Elizabeth Walker (nee Hornshaw) and the brother-in-law of Frederick Walker of Athol Road, Manningham Bradford, formerly of High House Farm Goldsborough, near Knaresborough North Yorkshire.

Richard Hornshaw  himself married the daughter of Goldsborough school teachers, who ran the schoolhouse there.  When Richard died in September 1918 he lived at a house called Woodbrow in Heaton, that he had extended, as plans from the time show and was a director of the then famous Lister's Mill, also known as Manningham Mills, a large mill complex with a chimney that was so wide at the top a horse and cart could be driven round it, so the story went.

Richard Hornshaw was originally a silk salesman, who became manager of the Lister's Silk Mill and then finally he was appointed a director of the entire Lister group.  His nephew Charles Walker (Frederick's son) later became manager of the Lister's Mill dye house.

Peter Barraclough's great great grandfather, John Hornshaw, who was also Richard and Elizabeth's father, attended Sanuel Cunliffe Lister's funeral.  Mr Lister was by that time known as Lord Masham. as he has been knighted.

The above motion book shows historical extracts taken directly from 'The Lister Letters', including one which is a copy of the original.  These show life at the mill in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and also frequently mention Richard Hornshaw and his colleagues.  The hand written letter is from the pen of Jose Reixach, who's son Reginald was a friend of Richard Hornshaw.

Manningham Mills as it stands today, refurbished to provide residential accommodation

Walker Hornshaw Makepeace Nolan Craven Connection

The sildeshow above contains rare photographs which include the Walkers of Goldsborough, North Yorkshire, including Hornshaws from Thorpe Arch, Louisa Makepeace from Huntingdon, London and Thorpe Arch, North Yorkshire, Doris Craven Richardson from the Nolan family of Bradford and the Nolan clan, of County Wicklow, Ireland and Bradford.

We see John Walker, a Hussar and his wife in Goldsborough,mid 19th century, Robert Walker of High House Farm Goldsborough, his daughter Sarah Ellen Gomersall, nee Walker, Frederick Walker, his son, both of Goldsborough and Bradford, Elizabeth Walker, nee Hornshaw - the Hornshaws were farmers at Whynns Farm (various spellings) Thorpe Arch, the Walkers as a couple in their 40s of Manningham Bradford, Louisa Makepeace Hornshaw as an 84 year old, with baby Geoffrey Hornshaw of Manningham Bradford, Doris Craven Richardson of Heaton and Manningham, Bradford, the Nolans, Bridget, Johannah, Doris Walker and Sheila Walker (later Barraclough) as a child, photo taken either in West Bowling or Great Horton, Bradford around 1924.

The photos range from the mid 19th century up to around 1924. Both the Walkers and the Hornshaws were farming families and they also had a farm at Tickhill near Knaresborough, in fact the families had been farmers for many years.

Some family members did not wish to farm and instead took other jobs or learned other trades, coming to Bradford in West Yorkshire and living in Manningham and Heaton districts. They were all close relatives of Peter Barrraclough, after whom this blog is named and their history is an interesting tapestry of intermingled events,many with connections to Bradford.