George H. Lawrence died 13th December 1940 Sheffield

I came across this piece of Sheffield History purely by chance. In fact I have had reasons to be grateful to George on many, many occasions in the past with realising it. George started out as a newspaper seller but went on to become one of Sheffield's most successful razor blade manufacturers'. The company's main works were known as the Laurel Works and were situated on Nursery Street in Sheffield (see below)

As far as I can ascertain this used to be the site for the Sheffield Children's Hospital (East End). The hospital started off in The Wicker in 1893 before moving to Nursery Street (between Johnson Lane and Johnson Street) in 1913. It moved again when the building was sold in 1931

As a result of his success in business and his deep religious convictions George became a generous benefactor to many local causes and charities. The list is really endless but here are just a few of his many contributions and donations

1.The open air swimming pool in Longley Park Sheffield. This was almost identical in design to the Hathersage pool (see below) and was opened in September 1938.

2.The open air swimming pool and bowling green in Hathersage, Derbyshire.(1936). In The Guardian dated 16th July 1936 there is a small report of George's gift.

The Derbyshire village of Hathersage is one of the first in the country to have a KING GEORGE V MEMORIAL FIELD. This is the gift of Mr.G.H. Lawrence of Belmont, Hathersage to the village of hiws adoption. In addition to the purchasing of the firld he has laid it out at a cost of £6,000. It is to be handed over to the Parish Council a week on Saturday. The ground has been equipped witha swimming pool, bandstand and 236 chairs, two all weather tennis courts, large paddling pool, sand pit, gymnasium, refreshment room, sun bathing parlour of Vita glass and gardens.

Last year Mr Lawrence a well-known Sheffield business man and a director of Sheffield United Football Club presented the village with a bowling green and grounds which cost £3,000"

Sir Charles Clegg (Sheffield) president of the Football Associaton, declaring open the King George Memorial Field at Hathersage on Saturday sais "I have had opportunities to talk to the late King and I am sure what we are doing today would have had his support". The field has been purchased and laid out at a cost of £6,000 by Mr.G.H. Lawrence of Belmont, Hathersage who started work as a newspaper seller in Sheffield and is now a leading industrialist of that city. The scheme includes a swimming pool, a sun bathing parlour, gymnasium, tennis courts, bandstand, paddling pool, sand pit and gardens."

3. George paid to put the first roof on the kop at Sheffield United's Shoreham Street end - George was a director of Sheffield United Football Club. And that is where I'm grateful to George!

4. Following the 1914- 1918 war Sheffield not only financed the building of twelve houses in Bapaume, (The Somme) for those in need but also the Lawrence School - l'école Lawrence. The school was named after George who had helped finance its construction. One small plaque on the wall commemorates the opening of the school on 9 July 1939 and a second plaque near the door gratefully recognizes the generosity of Mr. Lawrence and the citizens of Sheffield. The building is no longer used as a primary school but a small museum on the first floor contains the Sheffield Roll of Honour and boxed cutlery presented by the Lawrence's to each of the schoolchildren in 1939

5. In her excellent book - Hathersage In The Peak - A History, Barbara A Buxton notes that Mr. and Mrs. Lawrence as residents of the village, had become local benefactors, planning and funding leisure areas near the Memorial Hall. Apart from the open air swimming pool mentioned above, George was responsible for the bowling green that opened in 1934 and replaced an earlier one at the George Inn. Tennis courts were also added. (see above) When a Methodist Chapel was planned Mr Lawrence offered £5,000 to assist the building fund and his wife funded the purchase of a church organ. This was reported in The Guardian dated 9th November 1937 as was a planned gift of £7,500 towards the provision of a hospital in the Hope Valley The Methodist Chapel opened on 30th December 1939 and there is marve1lous photo of the occasion. George and his wife are on the front left

George also played a major role in Sheffield Newspapers War Relief Fund as well as being heavily involved in Millhouses Cricket Week. Soon after the outbreak of the war, he and his wife Elsie made a contribution of half a million francs to pay for canteen facilities for French troops.

On the night of December 13th 1940, George set off from his home in Hathersage, Derbyshire and drove to the works in Nursery Street, Sheffield. He brought with him food hampers and drink for the employees at the factory that night. The air-raid meant that the staff had to make for the shelters in the works. It was whilst in one of the shelters that George and some of his employees died. It received a direct hit from a German bomb. I have been told that such was the force of the explosion, the carbon steel strips that were used in the manufacture of razor blades, were blown across the road and draped the tower of the Holy Trinity Church (nowadays called the New Testament Church of God). It looked as though the church was covered in tinsel.

The following information of the casualties that night is taken from the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website

Name:	LAWRENCE, GEORGE HERBERT
Nationality:	United Kingdom
Rank:	Civilian
Regiment/Service:	Civilian War Dead
Age:	52
Date of Death:	13/12/1940
Additional information:	Husband of Elsie Lawrence, of Belmont, Hathersage, Derbyshire. Died at Laurel Works, Nursery Street.

Initially, I was able to trace four other civilians who died alongside George at the Laurel works that night. They were married couples John and Elsie Beresford, and Arthur and Edith Hussey.

Name:	BERRISFORD, JOHN REDFERN
Regiment/Service:	Civilian War Dead
Age:	33
Date of Death:	13/12/1940
Additional information:	of 83 Southgrove Road, Ecclesall. Son of Mrs. C. Berrisford, of 38 Bradfield Road; husband of Elsie Winifred Berrisford. Died at Laurel Works, Nursery Street.

Name:	BERRISFORD, ELSIE WINIFRED
Regiment/Service:	Civilian War Dead
Age:	33
Date of Death:	13/12/1940
Additional information:	of 83 Southgrove Road, Ecclesall. Daughter of Mrs. Neil, of 6 Findon Street; wife of John Redfern Berrisford. Died at Laurel Works, Nursery Street.

Name:	HESSEY, ARTHUR
Regiment/Service:	Civilian War Dead
Age:	39
Date of Death:	13/12/1940
Additional information:	of Laurel Works, Nursery Street. Son of Arthur Ellis Hessey, and Fanny Hessey, of 25 Horner Road, Abbeydale; husband of Edith Hessey. Died at Laurel Works, Nursery Street.

In April 2007, a local historian kindly supplied me with the FULL list of those who died alongside George at the Laurel Works that night

Berrisford	Elsie Winnifred - 33 yrs - 13 Dec 1940 - Laurel Works Nursery St	Lived 83 Southgrove Rd
Berrisford	John Redfern - 33 yrs - 13 Dec 1940 - Laurel Works Nursery St	Lived 83 Southgrove Rd
Davies	Frederick William - 47 yrs - 12 Dec 1940 - Laurel Works Nursery St	Lived 34 Springhouse Rd, Crookesmoor Injured 12th died 13th Royal Inf y
Green	Madge - 24 yrs - 13 Dec 1940 - Laurel Works Nursery St	Lived 10 Grimesthorpe Rd - Dau of Joseph Henry & Ellen Elizabeth Green,
Hessey	Arthur - 39 yrs - 13 Dec 1940 - Laurel Works Nursery St	Lived 25 Horner Rd
Hessey	Edith - 38 yrs - 13 Dec 1940 - Laurel Works Nursery St	Lived 25 Horner Rd
Kendell	Nora - 23 yrs - 13 Dec 1940 - Laurel Works Nursery St	Lived 20 Belper Rd - Wife of Dennis Kendell
Lawrence	George Herbert - 52yrs - 13 Dec 1940 Laurel Works Nursery St	Lived at "Belmont" Hathersage owned Laurel Works

In May 2009, I received some more information that stated that there was another fatality that night at the Laurel Works.

"Name: COVERLEY, FLORENCE
Nationality: United Kingdom
Rank: Civilian
Regiment/Service: Civilian War Dead
Age: 30
Date of Death: 13/12/1940
Additional information: Wife of G. R. Coverley, of 53 Upwell Street. Died at Laurel Works, Nursery Street.
Reporting Authority: SHEFFIELD, COUNTY BOROUGH."

Later that year in September I received an e-mail that was even more significant

"I was interested to find your web page about the air raids on Sheffield. My Grandmother lived in Sheffield during that time and i have a letter sent to my father Dec 1940, his cousin and her husband were killed with George Lawrence in the Laurel Factory. John and his wife Elsie Berrisford.
Extract from letter--
There was a a young lady at the funeral that was in the shelter when it was struck, she was lucky to be alive .
She told us as best she could as follows, when the sirens sounded they all put their coats on and made for the shelters, some went into a new shelter and several in the caretakers shelter. Elsie and John the caretakers wife electrician and many more were in the caretakers shelter, when the bombs were dropping the electrician suggested them all going in the new shelter, they joined hands made a chain and rushed for it.
Mt Lawrence had gone home before the raid he tried to phone the firm but found he was cut off, so he got his wife to pack up sandwiches and he took them in his car, on the way he picked up a soldier and two civilians that were wounded and took them to hospital. He went into the new shelter with the sandwiches and shortly after Elsie suggested they should kneel down and she offered a prayer, and told the others to which many did. And it was then the bomb made a direct hit; this girl got a knock on her head and she lost her glasses but apart from the shock she had a lucky escape. Thirteen were in the shelter and four escaped.
I hope you find this interesting."

The last sentence is a bit of an understatement. It is also extremely poignant that several of those who died were kneeling and praying when the fatal explosion occurred

As a side-note, there is a point that arises from this information. Two trade directories that were published during the inter-war years gave the following information on George

"George Herbert LAWRENCE Manufacturer 85 Southgrove Road White's 1919
George Herbert LAWRENCE Cutlery manufacturer 32 Eyre Street; h. 85 South Grove Road Kelly's 1925"

It seems as though John and Elsie Berrisford may well have been George and Elsie's next door neighbours at one time - they are listed in the Roll of Honour as living at 83 Southgrove Rd. Sheffield

The same historian who supplied me with the information on Florence Coverley also gave me a more detailed account of what happened that night at the Laurel Works

"... It could be said he had no right to have been in Sheffield that night. He was out at his Hathersage home when the air raid started and he became concerned for his staff, who were working late that evening, so he decided he should go and be with them.
He called in at the Scotsman's Pack Inn on the way and the locals there tried to persuade him not to go. But he insisted that he must and he bought four bottles of whisky to take with him along with food he had brought from his home.
The Hathersage village policemen had already stopped him and advised him not to go. Then again the Sheffield police at Dore Moor Inn stopped him, but he still insisted on going down.
It was estimated that about 300 German aircraft were used. Incendiary Firebombs were dropped first (mainly to provide fires as beacons for later waves of bombers carrying high explosives). These had already set alight a wood-yard next door to his factory.
When he arrived he went to the work's air raid shelter, which was in the basement. Sometime much later he, Fred Davies, (the works electrician) and the caretaker, had come out of the air raid shelter, up the staircase looking out of the despatch doorway to see what was happening and they were on their way back down when the fateful bomb landed.
Fred Davies, the electrician, was half way up the staircase. He was got out alive on the Friday but died later in Sheffield Royal Infirmary. GHL was lower down and was not discovered and dug out until the Sunday, but the caretaker was not found until a fortnight later.
The Roll of Honour compiled by the Imperial War Graves Commission gives the names of all eight who died in his factory that night; GHL, Fred Davies, two men with both of their wives; Arthur & Edith Hessey and John & Elsie Berrisford and two girls ; Florence Coverley and Norah Kendal.
A visitor remembered seeing the completely ruined factory shortly afterwards, when it and the adjacent Church were festooned with shiny silver razor blade strip and commenting; "that with it being so near to Christmas it made a very macabre memorial to a man with a heart of gold".

After the tragedy, I have been told that George's wife Elsie immediately took over her husband's mantle and in spite of her devastating loss, she first made sure, as George had always done, that the poor people in Hathersage were not forgotten that Christmas. An old Hathersage inhabitant had remarked that up to that time, Christmas had always been a wonderful time due to Mr Lawrence's generosity.
She became Chairman of G H Lawrence Ltd., which she had owned jointly with her husband and in which she had taken a prominent part from the beginning. Elsie not only had the problems associated with her bereavement, but also of taking over responsibility for re-locating the works, its staff and equipment to Green Lane, near Kelham Island and resuming production, after which practically all the output was despatched to service personnel.
Some three years after his death, on 27th Dec 1943, Elsie added a beautiful stained glass window of 'The Good Shepherd' to Hathersage Methodist Church, in his memory. She also endowed a bed at each of Royal, Royal Infirmary and Children's Hospitals 'in perpetuity'.
In Jan 1945, she re-married to Percy Bradley, who had been a departmental manager at GHL Ltd and a good friend of George and who was also well known in Sheffield sports circles.
He was himself a widower and was originally Percy Bradley 'Johnson', but changed his name to 'Lawrence'. It is said on her insistence, before she would marry him. He became a director of the company and it was he who rebuilt Nursery Street works in 1948, still the "Laurel Works".

The business continued until the early 1970's. However the business may have been in a decline for a long time before it ceased trading. Cheaper imports from abroad and the increasing use of electric shavers would certainly have taken their toll. In 1972, the Laurel Works were occupied by not only Geo H Lawrence Ltd, but by I Grunwerg, cutlery manufacturers and Wm Nodder. and Co, cutlers. Two years later the only occupants were I Grunwerg, cutlery manufacturers.

The above photograph was taken early on 3rd June 2007 and shows the now derelict works. I believe that a planning application has been submitted that will no doubt involve the demolition of the works and with it, another piece of Sheffield's heritage. The second photograph was taken at the same time and shows Johnson Street. It looks as though the planners and politicians of Sheffield City Council are finishing off what the Luftwaffe started sixty five years ago!

On 23rd December 2007 I made an unplanned visit to the Parish Church at Hathersage, where I was amazed to find the following memorial grave in the churchyard.

Elsie died at 'Belmont', less than two years into her second marriage, and is buried with George, in Hathersage Churchyard. After legacies to her second husband and to her extended family and favourite Charities, Elsie left the majority of her possessions in trust for good causes.
When her second husband Percy Bradley Lawrence died in 1977, he also left a legacy of £1,000 to Hathersage Methodist Church

If you can supply any further information on George and his family please contact me.

1. The same person who gave me the additional information on the casualties also informed me that at some time in 2006 there was a small exhibition at Sheffield Town Hall devoted to George.

2. Hathersage Open Air Heated Swimming Pool, Oddfellows Road, Hathersage, Hope Valley, Derbyshire S30 1BU Tel: 01433 650843

A 33m x 10m heated open air swimming pool is situated next door to Rock Lea outdoor centre. Usually the water temperature is around 82-84 deg F. The pool surround has changed little since being built in 1936 and still has the original veranda and bandstand with a beautiful grass lawn to sunbathe on. Open April to September

3. George was the son of John and Martha Jane Lawrence nee Thompson They were married in the June quarter of 1888
Lawrence John Francis - Thompson Martha Jane Sheffield Volume 9c Page 706

Civil Parish: Ecclesall Bierlow Ecclesiastical parish: Eldon Street County/Island: Yorkshire Country: England

Registration district: Ecclesall Bierlow Sub registration district: Ecclesall Bierlow ED, institution, or vessel: 7

Household Members:
Name Age
Beatrice E Lawrence 6/12
George H Lawrence 2 (Born 5th October 1888)
John F Lawrence 24
Martha J Lawrence 21

Household:

Source Information: Dwelling 8 Cleveland Place Census Place Nether Hallam, York, England
Family History Library Film 1342116 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece / Folio 4622 / 106 Page Number 36

Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Robert THOMPSON Head M Male 43 Sheffield, York, England Stove Grate Grinder (Ironmgr) (Others 21.8)
Mary I. THOMPSON Wife M Female 43 Manchester, Lancashire, England
Herbert THOMPSON Son U Male 18 Sheffield, York, England Stove Grate Grinder (Others 21.8) (Ironmgr)
Lilly E. THOMPSON Daughter U Female 13 Sheffield, York, England Scholar
Martha J. THOMPSON Daughter U Female 10 Sheffield, York, England Scholar
Gertrude THOMPSON Daughter U Female 8 Sheffield, York, England Scholar
Rose A. THOMPSON Daughter U Female 3 Sheffield, York, England
Beatrice THOMPSON Daughter U Female 1 Sheffield, York, England

4. George's obituary in The Sheffield Telegraph and Independent dated Monday 16th December 1940

The Guardian dated 16th July 1936 The Guardian dated 27th July 1936 The Guardian dated 9th November 1937