Last February I wrote a small profile on Frank and his involvement with the Rossendale Group. The news of his death on November 27th came as a complete shock to us all. He died at home aged 74 and was cremated at Rochdale crematorium on December 9th. There were over twenty members of the society at the service and two members of Rawtenstall library staff. Frank was first introduced to project work and family history when he spotted society members transcribing stones at Holcombe and came to investigate what was happening. In his working life he had been an engineer. He had now stumbled upon the perfect occupation for his retirement. He brought to his project work a meticulous care for accuracy and detail. He was the Rossendale Group Project Organiser until his resignation in April 1997. He certainly did his stint for the group over many years. He transcribed the stones outside this building, Longholme Methodist Chapel and single handedly worked on the stones at Bank Street Unitarian Church. He was also involved in the work done in transcribing the Unitarian graveyard at Newchurch and St. John’s in the Wilderness at Shuttleworth. This latter churchyard was a joint project with the Bury Group. Frank also supervised a small group of volunteers who were responsible for all the transcript work done at the library. These transcripts are mostly to be found in the society’s library, either in hard copy or microfiche. Frank Hargreaves’ project work will be a lasting memorial.

Until fairly recently Frank could often be found in Bury and Rawtenstall libraries pursuing his own ancestors. His Hargreaves family originated in Barley in Pendle. They moved to Lumb Carr in Holcombe Brook in the late 1800s. His Gorge and Jolley families were amongst the large number of families who came to this area from East Anglia. The Gorge family were from Cambridgeshire and the Jolleys originated in Huntingdon. His immediate family consisted of his brother Bill, sister in law Maureen and nephews Richard and Jordan. His brother has asked for donations to be made to the LFHHS, to be shared between the Rossendale and Bury Groups. If you would like to contribute, give your donation to Terry Walsh or myself. I suggest that we buy indexes in Frank’s name for use by the Society.

Coming Events. Talks, Conferences, Exhibitions.

Saturday 17th April 1999. NW Group of Family History Societies. 22nd Annual Conference hosted by Liverpool & SW Lancashire FHS at the Western Rooms, Liverpool Anglican Cathedral St. James’ Mount, Liverpool. Fee £13.50 to include all lectures, coffee on arrival, buffet lunch and afternoon tea. Send to David Guiver, 11 Bushys Lane, Formby, Liverpool, L37 2DX. Bookings to arrive by 27th March.

Saturday 24 April 1999. Computers in Family History Conference. The Society of Genealogists and the Manchester & Lancashire Society will be hosting a one day conference in the Chapman Building of the University of Salford.

Saturday 1 May and Sunday 2 May 1999 Society of Genealogists. Annual Fair, London.

Recent addition to our library.

Edenfield Parish Church. Monumental Inscriptions compiled by Frank Phoenix. South side of church, Lych Gate to Gallery Door, North Side of Church. (West side not yet transcribed.) This project has been passed on to us by the Bury Group. Apparently it was transcribed several years ago. I do not know why it is unfinished. It is also unindexed.

Library Boxes. Several years ago we had a system whereby the journals of other societies were sent to branches for 6 month periods and then were exchanged for others. This was especially useful for members with ancestors outside Lancashire.

I have been asked to find out whether you would like this system revived. I would like to have your views.

Ancestry Rose. A blooming scandal?

I received a Christmas card from the Chairman of the Federation. It contained the pedigree of the new Ancestry rose.

Little Darling     Yellow Magic           Little Darling           New Penny

     1956                  1970                          1956                     1962

            |__________|                                  |_____________|  

                         |                                                            |

               Rise `n’ Shine                                       Sheri Ann

                       1977                                                  1973

                           |__________________________|

                                                           |

                                                  Party Girl

                                                     1979

                                                          |

                                                  Ancestry

My daughter examined it with interest and then asked if I had noticed that Party Girl was a single parent. "It must have been some party" she said. "Or perhaps" she mused "Ancestry was the product of three in a rose bed?" She hadn’t noticed that Little Darling also seemed to have shared a bed with both Yellow Magic and New Penny.

*********************** HAPPY NEW YEAR *********************