Dave Henrys Photography

Click on a thumbnail below and right to view larger photograph (the quality has been slightly reduced for web use). See below for a bit of family history and old photos and documents available online about the Hargreaves family that links many us. I've still got a bit of a gap in the family tree if anyone can help (and more photos will be most welcome). I will update whenever I get new information. You can download my scribbled efforts to date by clicking here (adobe acrobat pdf format).

William Hargreaves (1864-1907) was my great grandfather. He married Elizabeth Monks (1863-1939) in 1899 and they had 5 children. The eldest was Amelia (known as Millie) who was my grandmother - born 1890. Then came Eliza Alice (known as Lila) - born 1892, then William (1896), Elizabeth Ellen (known as Nelly) 1903 and finally George - born 1905. Their father William died when they were all very young leaving Elizabeth to bring up 5 children on her own. They are all together living in Laverack Street in North Manchester in 1911 when the census was taken that year, along with her widower brother John Monks and two of his children.

Amelia married Alfred Ernest Meredith in 1927 at the age of 36, quickly producing two girls Marjorie (1928) and Elsie (my mum - 1929). Sadly they both died of TB in quick succession (Alfred 1936, Amelia 1937) leaving the girls orphaned. They went to a children's home in Cheadle until Marjorie was school leaving age at which time she had to leave. Fortunately, their mother's cousin Margaret Bradshaw and her husband Walter Reeves, who had no children themselves, took them both into their home in Heaton Moor. Marjorie never married (died 2009) but Elsie married Frank Henrys in Heaton Mersey in 1956 where they lived until moving to north Wales in 1976. Unable to have children of their own, they had adopted me (b.1962) and a sister Diane (b.1964) as babies. Elsie died in 1990, Frank in 2006.

Eliza Alice (Lila) married Alfred Bamford (1891-1957) in Collyhurst in 1918. A copy of the marriage record is shown below. Note that one of the witnesses is the afore-mentioned cousin's husband Walter Reeves (the families were obviously close as the Hargreaves girls were all bridesmaids at Walter's wedding - photos also below). They had three children, Mildred (1920-1993), Joan (1922- ) and Roy (1932-1993). Mildred married Frank Oswald Parkes (1921-1974) and had daughters Barbara (b.1947) and Lorraine (b.1952). Joan married George A. Shaw (b. ?) and had two children, Sandra (b. 1947 and Allan (b.1952). Roy married Lesley Leathem (b.1939) and had two children, Ian David (b.1967) and Julie Karen (b.1973). Lila passed away in 1974.

The third sister, Nelly, was younger by a few years. She married Edward (Ted) Butterworth (1898-1967) in Collyhurst in 1928 and they had a daughter Joyce in 1929, then much later two sons, Trevor (1938) and Ian (1943). Joyce, who had been a bridesmaid for her cousin Elsie (my mum) at her wedding, married Alan Hackett and had Graham (1962) and Janine (1965). Joyce died in 1989 at the age of 60, the same age my mum was when she passed away. Trevor never married, but Ian married Kathie ? in ?

The photographs above are from the wedding of Walter Reeves and Margaret Bradshaw in 1915. Margaret was the daughter of Ellen Hargreaves, one of great grandfather William's five siblings. The picture on the left shows the happy couple with from left Nelly and Amelia and with Lila next to the bride. I don't know who the two on the right are. Nelly would have been about 11 or 12 at the time. The picture on the right shows the extended wedding party which could include either of the brothers William and George about whom I know very little. It definitely shows Margaret's parents though, Ellen Bradshaw (nee Hargreaves) is seated with her husband on her daughter's left separated by Lila.

Margaret died in 1959 before I was born. However, I just about remember Walter in the role of stand-in grandfather when I was very young (we called him "Poppa"). He remarried in 1960 but sadly died in 1967.

Above left is one of several old photos I have of my grandmother Amelia. Next along is a young Nelly (Butterworth) and then Lila and Alfred Bamford (their marriage record is shown below) taken at my mum & dad's wedding in 1956 (see also below). The final one is in the same style as the one of Nelly and is very likely to have been produced at the same session and could well be her younger brother George. I hope to add other photos of the siblings if anyone can send them to me.

The photos above are taken at my mum & dad's wedding in Heaton Mersey in 1956. Both sets of parents having died long before, the first picture shows them with a collection of aunts and uncles, including from the left Ted Butterworth and Alfred Bamford. Their wives, Lila and Nelly are fourth and third from the right respectively. The second photo is of their wedding party, with Joyce Butterworth and Marjorie Meredith the two bridesmaids and (third from right) groomsman, Roy Bamford. The bridesmaids are pictured together in the next one.

The photos above top start with the wedding of Roy Bamford and Lesley Leathem in 1962, with Lila and son-in-law Frank Parkes on the right. The next one shows bridesmaid Barbara Parkes with Elsie Henrys, Lila and Marjorie Meredith. Then above right, taken in 1963 is Marjorie, Roy, Lila, Lesley and Elsie. The rather chubby baby that Lesley is holding is me! Above left is Frank & Elsie Henrys and Marjorie Meredith on one of her famous scooters. After that, much more recent photos of me and my family, wife Alison, son Colin and daughters Sophie and Jessica either side of me. The last one is of me and my sister Diane taken at a party to mark the silver wedding of Alison & myself in 2010.

As I said, I hope to expand this gallery as I get more media, particularly those who couldn't make it to Lesley's party. Keep in touch everybody!

All original images on this site are copyright of Dave Henrys Photography

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