G'day from Australia!
Have already introduced myself & explained that my mother, who'll be 90 this year, was born in Burnley, but emigrated to Sydney, Australia, in 1923 at the age of 6. Her birth name was Brenda Dugdale & she had a younger sister, Florence. Her parents were Tom & Lizzie Dugdale, Tom being born in Brierfield, the youngest son of James Dugdale & Elizabeth Landless, & Lizzie being born in Rawtenstall, the elder daughter of Charlie & Eliza Guest (nee Howarth), who at the time of my mother's birth, had a fish & chip shop on the Briercliffe Road.
I'm wondering if we still have relatives living in the Burnley area, who'd like to make contact.
Tom's father & grandfather (William Dugdale) were both born in the Roughlee area, but all his siblings were born in Brierfield, as was his mother.
Tom had one sister, Sarah Leonora (ka Nora), & 6 brothers - Ralph, who died at 28 of pneumomia, William, who died as a child, Fernie, who, with sons Eric & Lesley, had property out at Thursden, Jim & Jack, who both died in the last months of WW1, & Samuel (ka George), who was a draper in Colne. He was the last with whom we had contact, but George & Sally had 3 daughters - Gladys, Muriel & Joyce (we think!). Where did they get to - does anyone know? Jack also had a daughter, Eva, who married someone by the name of Coates, we believe. What happened to THEM? Jim's wife was Clara & THEY had 3 children. Nora's husband was John Bates & THEY had 7 children, as far as we can tell. Where are their descendants? If you have any info. at all, I'd really be grateful!
Tom's wife, Lizzie, went to work in a mill (could have been the Queen St Mill - has it been rebuilt after the fire?) at the age of 12 for 1d a day & by the time they left England she was working 4 looms at a time (unusual for a woman & she was only 5ft tall!).
Really hoping I can make some connections! Cheers from Oz, Val.