One fine day at the end of September 2020, between the various Covid pandemic lockdowns, just before Phoebe headed off to Liverpool University to continue her history studies, she and I set out to our Spence & Blacker heartlands to explore our roots, a chance for me to share my research findings and hopefully spark the interest to continue it in another generation.
Our first stop was the library at Goole, where I’d previously obtained a library card to borrow books. Our main purpose, before me borrowing some local history books, was to take a look at their little museum, containing many photos of Goole gone by, some of which I have included in the Old Photos section.
Next stop was the old Goole School. There were 2 entrances to the school, one on Percy Street and one on Cottingham Street. The latter entrance, the one which my father remembers, was demolished a few years ago. The Percy Street building looks like its heading the same way, but we got there in time to see it still standing.
We then walked round the corner to Morley Street to see Phoebe’s grandfather’s childhood house, and then searched for Wesley House on Couper Street, which we now know has been demolished. We then had a walk up Moorlands Road, through the allotments to Couper Farm, or at least the gate to it.
Next stop was Swinefleet, lunch on the river bank and then a walk around, past the primary school where my grandparents John & Lilian met, and down to the graveyard. Here we took a look at our ancestors graves, in particular Joseph and Ada Blacker Phoebe’s 2x great grandparents.
Next stop Rawcliffe, where we laid a flower on the grave 3x great grandparents John & Sarah Blacker of Dobella farm.
And finally to Knottingley cemetery, where we read the sad grave of Edward Spence, son of Phoebe’s 5x great grandparents Edward & Mary. Their son Edward was decapitated on the railway line at Rawcliffe in 1868, just one year after his son, also an Edward, drowned in the river Thames. So much tragedy.
Despite the slightly macabre end to our our day out, it was great day out and lovely to share our Yorkshire family stories with Phoebe.