PHOTOGRAPHS RELATED TO WILLIAM GREENHALGH AND FAMILY

Mr. William Greenhalgh was born in Weaste in 1899. He was the younger of two children, however his sister Jennie (sometimes given as Jeannie) had died a few years before his birth. His father, also William Greenhalgh had a varied career; he was a trained clerk but spent much of his time playing card games, at which he excelled and could often manage to support his family on his winnings. Mr. Greenhalgh snr. drank fairly heavily but this does not seem to have had a detrimental effect on family life. At times he was a bookies clerk and sold cigars, eventually he took permanent employment at the Manchester Pantechnicon Offices which were on Mount St., Manchester.

The donor's mother Margaret nee Crawford was from the Salford area. Her father Robert Crawford was of a Scottish presbyterian family. He and his brothers had sought escape from their strict family background by running away to sea. He met his wife Jeannie in Salford where he worked in a mill, possibly as a fine spinner, after spending some time at sea. Robert Crawford became a publican in Salford; he was renowned in the area for being a well informed racing tipster and a man who would stand no nonsense from gangs of thugs known as "scuttlers". Which, it is renowned, he scared off with the aid of a leather, studded belt.

However, most of the photographs in the collection are of the donor's paternal relations, a family whom the donor described as "gentle folk".

The donor's paternal grandfather John James Greenhalgh was a master jeweller who at, some time before the donor's birth, kept a jeweller's shop in St. Mary's Gate. This was burgled and Mr. J.J. Greenhalgh was not insured. His wife Charlotte was Welsh by birth.

They had 11 children who form the main subjects of this collection. The male children were, in order of birth, Leonard, William (donor's father), Edwin, Frederick, Jack, George, Percy. There were four daughters Louise (Louie), Belle, Florence (Florrie), Phoebe., however the donor is unsure of their status within the family. Phoebe Greenhalgh does not appear in any of the photographs, she died at an early age before the donor's birth. Leonard Greenhalgh married a lady named Dora and was an accountant. He was quite successful. He set up his brother Edwin in a photographic studio in New Mills which failed. Edwin was reputed to be very bright and full of ideas but was quite unlucky and in frequent ill health, he suffered from a weak lung. After the unsuccessful venture into photography he went to America but returned to Britain in the 1920s from which time he was supported by his brother Leonard. His daughter Evelyn is resident in Seattle, U.S.A.

Frederick Greenhalgh was for some time a clerk in the Broughton Copper Works. He left this job to settle on his brother Percy's farm in the Isle of Man. He left at the outbreak of the First World War and went to work in a bank in Leeds. He emigrated to Australia with Percy's family in the 1920s but returned to Britain at the age of 82.

Jack Greenhalgh lived in Old Trafford, he was married to Edith and worked as a clerk in a wholesale chemists. In later life he suffered a nervous breakdown. The couple had no children.

George Greenhalgh was for a time an itinerant photographer touring the local streets looking for business. His first Studio was on Weaste Lane, then on Derby Road. He was never as prolific a photographer as his younger brother Percy and obtained settled premises at a later date. George's work is well represented in the collection as the donor was the executor of his estate.

George Greenhalgh was a very sporty man and maintained links with Salford Harriers until his move from the area following his marriage in the 1917. He also seems to have take a great interest in the local boys clubs travelling with St. Luke's C.L.B. to their various camps and outings. The donor does not know why he gave up photography nor how he met his wife, another Louise (or Louie). She was from St. Annes; at the time of their marriage in 1917 she was working in a creamery and George worked in Boots Chemists in St. Annes. He would have been c.40 years old at this time. They moved to Formby later. Louise died before her husband, her loss was thought to have been a contributory factor to his death in 1950, he was said never to have got over it. He died in unknown circumstances on a railway line, at the inquest into his death an open verdict was recorded.

Percy Greenhalgh, had his first photographic studio in Murray Street, Higher Broughton in the late 1890s; he then moved to premises on Larigworthy Road Eccles New Road which he maintained until they were burgled and shortly afterwards gutted by fire in June 1910. With the insurance settlement he received on these accidents he, his wife Pattie and their two children, Doris and Eric, settled in the Isle of Man. They were accompanied by Frederick Greenhalgh. They had a small farm sometimes known as Ballaughton Farm, but more frequently Saddlestone Lodge which was on Onchon Head, Isle of Man. Their first venture was to tour the Island selling their produce from a van, this was most successful and upon their return to the Island after spending 1914-1918 on the mainland they had both a shop and two greengrocery vans.

During the war Percy joined the Royal Flying Corps utilising his photographic skills in some capacity. He had been a member of the Yeomanry, a type of early Rescue Force whilst living in Weaste. The donor remembers Percy and Pattie as being devoted to each other and to their children, they were great friends and shared a love of fun and a whimsical sense of humour, which, in Percy's photography, borders on the sentimental.

Percy's son Eric was sent to agricultural college on a special scholarship which entitled him, on completion of his course of study, to a plot of land in Australia. His parents, sister Doris and uncle Fred Greenhalgh all settled with him in Australia c.mid 1920s. They all remained except Fred who returned to Britain. Doris Greenhalgh visited the donor in September 1981.

There is little information on the donor's aunts, except for details of their marriages. Louise married Jack Counsell and had two sons Neville and Hubert, they lived on the Isle of Man. Florence married Billy Counsell whose bad conduct towards his wife was reputedly cruel and insensitive. Florence was supposed to have been deeply in love with him and somewhat naive, there are many family anecdotes of his misconduct. The couple died in mysterious circumstances by drowning on Southport beach. Belle's husband Harry Raven became a bank manager.

The donor

Mr. Greenhalgh was born in Weaste in 1899. He first attended a dame-school but then went to Tootal Road School for his primary education and won a scholarship to the Salford Secondary Modern School for boys.

His homes during his childhood and youth were:

(1) Barff Road, Weaste

(2) Tootal Drive, Weaste

(3) Laurel Grove, Weaste

The donor and his mother eventually moved to 27 West Drive, Swinton during the early 1930s and remained there until The Second World War where they felt threatened by the proximity of their home to the Industrial areas of Trafford Park, for this reason they moved to Glossop.

At school, the donor shone at English and composition, he hoped to become a journalist or writer and was often involved in school magazines (see dep. ). However, he left school in 1914 and worked as a clerk in a printing works until 1917 when he joined the army. He was trained as a signaller initially in the Kings Liverpool Regt. but later became librarian in a military library in Germany.

Upon leaving the army the donor became a clerk at the C.W.S., this led to a transfer to the Co-operative Dental Association where Mr. Greenhalgh became Chief clerk in 1936. He remained in this position until retirement.

Mr. Greenhalgh was an enthusiastic member of a local amateur dramatic society "St. Steven's Sunday School Party" known as the "Essessess". They toured unions local societies and concert halls.

Mr. Greenhalgh's first wife Rosa nee Bradshaw was the "Soubrette" in this concert troupe; this is the only information known about her. Mr. Greenhalgh met Alice (nee Eliot) in c.1942.They met whilst regularly taking the same train into work in Manchester. Mrs. Greenhalgh was a clerk, later head-clerk at the Calico Printers Association. They married in 1944.