It is possible, nay, probable, that a past resident of Torver was a victim of the sinking of the Titanic in 1912. I received an email from Anne Hall forwarding an enquiry from Peter Baker, a reporter with the Essex Chronicle based in Chelmsford. He is researching the only person from Chelmsford who was lost on the Titanic and it appears that William Brocklebank (or Brockbank) was raised in Torver at "Dalton Gate Crossing", presumably Pat's house, now called Crossings Cottage. I'll copy in here the record from the 1881 census as sent by Peter Baker with his enquiry: William was born at Torver and according
to the 1881 census when he was eight he was one of nine children as
follows Name: William A Brockbank (sic) Age: 8 Gender: Male Birth Year: 1873 Birthplace: Torver, Lancashire, England Relationship to Head of Household: Son Marital Condition: Single Profession/Occupation: Scholar Address: Dalton Gate Crossing Census Place: Torver, Lancashire, England Disability: Record Type: Household Family History Library Film: 1342023 The National Archives Reference: RG11 Piece/Folio: 4284 / 100 Page Number: 3 Household Gender Age Parent John Brockbank M 48 Parent Hannah Brockbank F 45 Henry Brockbank M 20 Isabella Brockbank F 15 John K Brockbank M 12 Helen H Brockbank F 10 William A Brockbank M 8 Margaret Brockbank F 6 Emily K Brockbank F 4 Betsy D A Brockbank F 2 Edith A Brockbank F 0 I can't distinctly identify him in the 1891 (1881?) census but
reappears in 1901 in essex as a stud groom to the grandson of the builder of
settle to carlisle railway sam woodiwiss. In last thursday's Essex Chroncile we carried as full an article as we could but I neglected to research in cumbria to my regret to see if there are any brocklebank relatives still in torver who may even have family photographs. Sadly the link in chelmsford was broken after the titanic tragedy and the widow moved to Cheltenham where we could only find she died in 1928 although their son william junior became a north atlantic seaman and the daughter married a fireman on the Mauretania, Berengaria and from 1935 to 1954 the Queen mary. Not superstitious apparently. I will send you the double page piece on monday from the office. (I'll add this when it arrives) If you know anyone in South Lakeland who may assist with further details I would be delighted. Down here there is no memorial to him but we are looking into
that. It would be interesting to know if there is anything at Torver
Church
I have copied this to the parish clerk at Torver and county
member Mrs Salisbury. If anyone can help with information about William Brocklebank and/or his family we will try to piece together the story. We do know that there are records of Brocklebanks shown in Thomas Ellwood's Leaves from the Annuls of a Mountain Parish in Lakeland, but these are from the 18th and early 19th centuries: Church Wardens: Thomas Brocklebank - Brocklebank Ground 1717 John Brocklebank - Moor 1735, 1736. John Brocklebank - Moor 1783 Paul Brocklebank - 1785 Paul Brocklebank - 1789 John Brocklebank - Moor 1791 John Brocklebank - for High Style 1792 William Brocklebank - High Torver Park 1813 What we need is information about later Brocklebanks around the time of the 1881 census up to the sinking in 1912. Peter Bakers article in the Essex Chronicle is attached below: |
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