| Description | DOB: 1889
DOD: Unknown
Her father left home in Ireland at the age of 12 in 1840, with his two older brothers. He travelled to Liverpool with no possessions, in attempts to find work.
The eldest brother went to America, whilst the two younger brothers began work haymaking at various farms in Lancashire, eventually ending up in Oswaldtwistle.
Catherine’s father, James, lied about his age and joined the army, serving in Afghanistan, for which he was awarded medals.
James eventually came back to work with his brother Michael, and for some time, he worked as a builders labourer before finding work at Bulloughs, an engineering firm.
Christian
Attended a Catholic school
James, the father, married Bridget Doyle, who had also left home at 12 years old, to become a servant at a firm of tailors in Accrington.
They had 6 children, one of whom died in infancy. Inspite of living in poverty, they lived happy lives.
Catherine met her husband at 25 while working at a printing works, and they got married in 1914.
They had three children.
Most cottages had only one room, so when another baby arrived the bed was brought downstairs for a few days.
Father was an alocholic.
She loved studying geography, singing and english at school, and poetry in particular.
When Catherine was 10, her mother died in childbirth at the age of 36 or 38.
Worked part-time in the mill at age 12, but had to stop to ensure her brothers were cared for and look after the house.
Eventually got tired of poverty, so lied about her age to get a job in a printing works.
In summer, she played rounders and skipped in the streets, with a piece of rope from the greengrocer, which would come wrapped round the boxes of bananas.
In winter, she played acting and 'dressing up' at her friends houses, if the parents allowed it.
On Sunday morning those old enough went to mass and came home to the main meal of the week. In the afternoon, her father would take them for a walk around the moors which still surround the area.
Work:
12 year old girls, would go to the mill part-time, from 6am-12:30 to learn how to work. If fully trained by 13, they were allowed to leave school to go full-time.
Catherine stayed at a printing works until the age of 25.
Catherine and her husband bought a shop in whithy street, Bradford Road with a £40 loan from his sister. Which they would open at 6am and close at 12pm.
Re-paid the loan by 1916, six weeks before her first baby was due. They left the shop and bought a small house in paddleton.
By 1918, bought another shop due to poverty, worked from 6am to midnight, seven days a week.
Had two children and had saved enough money to buy a decent house for her family, with a third child.
Family, [Childhood], Relationships, Work [Poverty] |