ALFRED BIRKHEAD (1904 - 1978)
Occasionally I treat myself to a subscription for the British Newspaper Archive but only when it at a discounted rate. About a year ago I did subscribe and put the term "Old Park Avenue" into the search engine. The reason being is that where I lived with my family from 1954 - 1967.
I was drawn immediately to a report on 7th January 1955 which details the appearance in the Sheffield Bankruptcy Court of 51 year old Mr. Alfred Birkhead.
I was surprised for I remembered Mr. Birkhead vividly and I never knew that in his earlier life he was a goalkeeper for Rotherham United and later Denaby United. Bach in the early 1960's you could still play football in the streets providing you were not too boisterous. And I remember Mr Birkhead walking down the road and he was always well-dressed - "booted and suited as they say". He just smiled when he saw us kicking a ball about and now I know why. he never spoke to us and until I read the article I did not know his Christian name was Alfred.
1911 Census
The 1921 Census has the following entry for Alfred
Name Alfred Birkhead
Gender Male Nationality British
Marital Status Single
Age 17 Years 5 Months
Relation to Head Son Estimated Birth Year 1904 Birth Place Hunshelf, Yorkshire, England
Residence Date 1921 Residence Street Address 277 Manchester Rd, Deepcar Residence Place Stocksbridge, Yorkshire (West Riding), England
Occupation Steel Worker Billet Loader Occupation Code 278/6 Employer S Fox F Co Ltd Iron & Steel Worker
Employer Code 112 Place of Work Rail Mill, Stocksbridge
Parliamentary Division West Riding of Yorkshire Pc, Penistone Div.Registration district Wortley
Registration District Number 508b Sub registration district Bradfield Sub Registration District Number 3
Enumeration District Name Stocksbridge Ud Enumeration District 15 Schedule 56 Schedule Type Code E
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Mrs Ellen Birkhead 51 Years 7 Months Head
Herbert Birkhead 24 Years 9 Months Son
Hector Birkhead 20 Years 2 Months Son
Alfred Birkhead 17 Years 5 Months Son
Jack Birkhead 15 Years 8 Months Son
Gladys Dransfield 22 Years 6 Months Daughter
John Dransfield 24 Years 5 Months Son-in-law
Rex Dransfield 1 Year 1 Month Grandson
But I was in for a further surprise when Alfred Birkhead appeared at an Inquest into the death of Dominic Mannion in September 1926. He appeared as a witness who informed the court that the motor cyclist Harry Tomlinson was driving too fast at the time of the incident.
MANNION, DOMINIC (buried St Patrick's section, age 52yr). Died at STOCKSBRIDGE; Buried on September 26, 1926 in Roman Catholic ground; Grave Number 253, Section Q of St Michaels RC Cemetery, Rivelin. Plot Owner: ~ ~ of ~. Page No 15537
And Mr Birkhead appeared in the local press on 28th January 1928 when it painted a a favourable picture of his career to date, and stated that he had a "promising future"
1939 National Register
Sources
Sheffield Indexers
Ancestry - UK Census
This page was last updated on 18/11/24 14:57