Introduction

Well this is where it started Barnsley, Yorkshire, 1958. That's me Patricia Jane Cecilia Ward, being held by Mrs. Rogerson our next door neighbour for 32 years. Ice cream van must have just been my sister Rosemary and my Mam both have one. I think my two brothers Philip and Gregory must be somewhere eating theirs, I can't imagine Gregory missing out on that.

My Mam Rose Brocklebank (born in Egremont, Cumberland) married Harry Ward (born Barnsley, Yorkshire.)  they met during WW2.  Dad was in the Navy. Mam in the WAAF. Married 1947

I started researching into my family history quite by chance. My cousin, Mary Baker, told me about a knight in full armour who had been found buried at St. Bees in Cumbria. Out of curiosity I started to look on the web for any info on the knight. I searched everywhere but could not find a thing but came across a site called Genuki. On it at the time was Malcolm Hills surname site. I posted one name MURPHY and another BROCKLEBANK (my Grandmother’s and my mother’s maiden name) and bingo (!!) I got a reply the only one ever on Murphy from a Laurie Fowers. It appeared that Laurie’s Great-Grandmother and my Grandmother were sisters. Laurie gave me lots of information and photos I did not have (hopefully I will have a page just about Mary Murphy her Great-Grandmother, she had a very interesting life) so I am very grateful to her for all her help and friendship. I had a reply on my Brocklebank's from a Gail Smith in Michigan, USA. her BrockELbank's are from London, no connection to my BrockLEbank's (note spelling) but a great friendship as formed, Gail came over to the UK in 2001 and hopefully is visiting this year 2005.  Also I am not connected to the Brocklebank's of the famous shipping line. (so far)

 I still consider my self a novice in family history, and this site is my work so far. The Brocklebank’s are still in Egremont. My Grand father Henry was born in Drigg, he married Catherine Murphy of Egremont in 1914. The Murphy’s are also still in Egremont.

WARD and STATHER are my father’s family. The Ward’s were from Barnsley in South Yorkshire and the Stather’s from North Cave near Beverley in East Yorkshire although my Grandmother was possibly born in Hartlepool. Why this was so I don’t know, her mother was a Barnsley lass so all I can gather from my research is that her father was a painter and got work there for a while. A lot of my Ward research was done and kindly shared with me by Beverley Sierpina she has done all the hard work, her Emma Ward and my ALVINZI Ward (yes that’s correct, I can just see his mother shouting him in for his tea on that Barnsley door step, he also had a brother called Napoleon!) were siblings, Alvinzi was my great Grandfather. The Stather’s are a work in progress, as they all seem to be called John Stather in North Cave!!

© 2003

Contact: Patricia Clews