Jump to content

Mr Clarke owned a firewood business


Thorntons girl

Recommended Posts

Hi everyone

I have some information and then a question

Mr Clarke lived on Monmouth street Sheffield in the 1930s

He ran a firewood business and his Son lived nest door to him.

Every day logs would be delivered by truck down Monmouth Lane and they would go in to his workshop, Mr Clarke would then use a machine to saw the logs down into chunks where they would then be chopped with an axe into firewood size sticks, a machine then bound the sticks up with wire, ready for sale.

What was amazing about Mr Clarke was that he was totally blind and did all the above work unaided!!

My elderly neighbour was friends with George Clarke, Mr Clarkes Grandson and one day he went round to his workshop and he was amazed to find Mr Clarke's premises were totally in the dark and Mr Clarke was busy chopping sticks!!

How amazing!! Totally awe inspiring.

Now for the questions, could anyone help with information on how Mr Clarke became blind? Was it the war,illness etc?

Has anyone got access to the census or Sheffield directories to show his business and his family?

I would be grateful for any information, documents, maps or photos of the area.

Thanks in advance.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I think this cutting from 1939 should answer your questions.  It was under the heading "SLIP WOULD BE DANGEROUS", which was a masterpiece of understatement....

597704f62990a_ClarkeFirewood1939_1.png.b91645375ee4bb0bfdc134b27f32df6f.png

597704facc628_ClarkeFirewood1939_2.png.57d107cc13a37805cfcb68bb86a88c90.png

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Edmund beat me to it with the newspaper article.

1911 census - 26 Fitzwilliam Street, Sheffield.

John William Clarke, 34yrs, head, mar, House Carpenter (joinery works), born Nottingham.

Sarah Jane Clarke, 38yrs, wife, born Sheffield.

Children: Lilian 12, Harry 11, William 8, Olive 3 and Albert 1, all born Sheffield.

 

On the 1939 register, John is at 14 Clarke Street and his date of birth is 4 June 1876.  Firewood bundler (blind), widowed.

He is with his widowed mother Ann, her date of birth is 28 April 1855.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow this is amazing research Edmund and Skelton, thank you so much.

He really was an amazing man!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...