Priest uncovers more history about Formby family past

• Tags:
• Formby

Posted by Cliff Birchall on July 31, 2008 10:47 AM

TIMES Past is plunging in to the Middle Ages this week, with Father Geoghegan of Herbert House.

Parishioners of St Luke's Church in Formby will be familiar with the headstone of Richard Formby, which lies in the entrance to the church.

It arrived in 1840, after it was damaged in a fire at York Minster.

Father Geoghegan, who is a retired missionary priest, was sufficiently interested in it to visit York Minster last summer.

He searched for the original grave, and plou ghed through the Minster's formidable archive, to find out a little more about Richard Formby.

Richard was famous for being an armourer to King Henry IV.

Father Geoghegan established that he died on September 26, 1407, of the plague. It also seems that Richard was something of a celebrity, and famed for his height, strength and fighting ability.

In 2003 a poem was written in tribute to Richard by David Davies, as part of the Formby Hall Project. The final three stanzas read:

"When he died, Henry honoured his famous 'armiger',

And buried him with all ceremony in famous York Minster.

But his tomb-stone was cracked in the great Minster fire,

And now rests in Saint Luke's church not far from the choir.

And if ever you go there on a warm summer's night

When bats wing the air and owls give a fright

You may glimpse a dark figure among the tall trees

And hear a faint chuckle borne aloft on the breeze

Tis the ghost of our Richard walking forth in the pines

And thinking of King Henry in those far distant times.

So be not afraid when you see him pass by

He'll just give you a wink and a long drawn-out sigh."

Have you ever done any research on this headstone or know of other details about it? Or have you any more modern memories about Formby and its churches? Contact Tom Duffy at Times Past by phoning 872237, writing to Times Past, Formby Times, 17 Elbow Lane, Formby L37 4AD, or emailing newsdesk@formbytimes.co.uk

• add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit

Life on Park Farm

• Tags:
• Formby
• Park Farm

Posted by Cliff Birchall on July 24, 2008 3:28 PM

THE old photograph of Park Farm, which featured in Times Past on July 3, has unearthed some wonderful memories of Formby's farming past.
Mr S G McLardy has provided a rather touching account of the Suttons' life in Formby, after the demolition of the old farm off Ravenmeols Lane.
He remembers Ted, Tom and Dorothy Sutton. Ted Sutton had a farmhouse in Moss Side, where he was famous for his chickens and eggs.
Tom Sutton's farmhouse was off Kew Road, where he also kept poultry as well as cattle. In fact, Mr McLardy remembers seeing Tom manually plucking farm fowl, so he obviously took a hands-on approach.
During the 1980s he grazed cattle on land off Range Lane, which is today a National Nature Reserve.
Mr McLardy also stumbled across remnants of the Suttons' time in Formby while rambling on the dunes. He came across the two old milk bottles, both marked Sutton's - Park Farm.
The first bottle was in the sand of Ravenmeols Local Nature Reserve, and the second was discovered in a ditch by old St Luke's Church.
If you have any more information about either of these pictures, or about life in general in Formby in yesteryear, call Tom Duffy on 872237 or write to Times Past at Formby Times, 17 Elbow Lane, Formby L37 4AD or email newsdesk@formby times.co.uk

The Sutton family were tenants at Park Farm off Ravenmeols Lane Code NA

• add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit

Putting names to young faces

• Tags:
• Formby
• Freshfield
• St Peter's

Posted by Cliff Birchall on July 17, 2008 3:58 PM

Pupils at Freshfield County Primary
MANY thanks to Tricia Barrett, who recognised a Times Past school days snap.
Tricia is well placed to describe the photograph, because she is in it!
We now know it was taken during the 1968-9 academic year at Freshfield County Primary, which is a little earlier than Times Past estimated.
There are still one or two faces she could not name but the line-up is (front row, from the left) ? ? Tricia Stead (now Barrett), ?, Kim Crossweight, ?, Lyne White, Linda Spencer, Lesley Kinsella, Jill True, Andrew Grayson.
Middle row: ?, Sheena McCollam, ?, ?, Jeffrey Short, Jacqueline Wright, Barbara Shaw, ?, Elizabeth Bradbury, Debra Owens, ?, Victoria Sharp.
Back row: Adrian Rowe, Ian Wood, Paul Rigby, Jeffrey ?, Helen Kitis, Martin Hope.
This week's photograph comes via Cape Town. John Linaker, who now lives in South Africa, was visiting friends and family in Formby, and kindly popped in with the snap below of St Peter's first XI football team.
Back row, from the left; McDonald, R Bradshaw, headmaster Russell Brown, Jimmy Tyrer, Joe Maguire, Brian Whitaker.
Middle row from the left; David Lovelady, Derrick Houghton, Roy Kellet, Bernard Proudlock and Frank Dickison.
Front row Roger Gardiner, John Livesly and Richard Sherman
If you have any additional information about either of these photographs, contact Tom Duffy at Times Past, Formby Times, 17 Elbow Lane, Formby L37 4AD, phone 872237 or email newsdesk@formbytimes.co.uk

• add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit

Formby Mill and St Luke's School

Posted by Cliff Birchall on July 3, 2008 1:48 PM

TIMES Past is plunging back into Victorian England this week, with a photograph captured in 1878.
The snap shows the old mill, which was in Mill Lane in Formby. And if you look closely you can see the owner sitting in front of it. If you think your house now occupies the site, please get in touch.
And finally, some light has now been shed on last week’s ‘sepia snap shrouded in mystery,’ thanks to Mrs Beryl Carr.
Beryl has dated the picture to 1937, and put names to several of the faces. The front row from the left is Maureen Murphy, Betty Kirby and possibly Dillis Edwards.The middle row, from the left is Hilda Grimes, Kathleen Murphy and Olwen Aindow.
Beryl told Times Past that the photograph was taken at St Luke’s School in Jubilee road, and that Maureen and Kathleen Murphy went on to enjoy successful nursing careers.
l If you can provide any more information about these pictures, or have some interesting memories about old Formby or photographs, get in touch with Tom Duffy at Times Past, Formby Times, 17 Elbow Lane, Formby L37 4AD, phone 872237 or email newsdesk@formbytimes.co.uk

• add or read comments (0) | TrackBacks (0)

• Post to:
•  del.icio.us
•  Digg
•  Newsvine
•  Nowpublic
•  Reddit