FRIENDS OF LOXLEY CEMETERY GROUP — GRAVE ISSUES ANNIVERSARY Sheffield Flood 1864 E DITION 11-12 M ARCH 2021 INSIDE THIS ISSUE: The Loxley Cemetery Connection A-Z of Victims 2 The Armitage 2 Family According to reports of the Armitage family of following the event there Malin Bridge perished in The Bates Family 3 were at least twenty-two the Flood but five were victims of the Great listed as unidentified. The The Claims 3 Sheffield Flood of 1864 other seven were buried at buried in Loxley Cemetery. Loxley Cemetery (see Where to find the 4 There is likely to be more article below). Later Flood Victims’ recorded in the burial research by Karen Graves records as a number of Lightowler and Malcolm victims weren’t Nunn indicate twenty-six immediately identified and victims from ten families may have been interred are buried in Loxley sometime later. For Commemorative mug produced Cemetery. example, twelve members following the Flood Death and Destruction Down The Loxley Valley — Mick Drewry When the Dale Dyke and totally unaware of and whole families embankment collapsed what was heading their perished in the lethal close to midnight on 11 way. mass of water, and the March 1864, a huge wall The Flood hurtled down debris it had collected of water careered down the picturesque Loxley along its way. Two of the Loxley valley Valley destroying the village inns, The SPECIAL POINTS OF destroying all in its path; bridges, mills, houses Stag and The Malin INTEREST: buildings on or near the and everything else in its Bridge, were amongst banks of the River path. Huge loss of life the buildings destroyed • All graphics, except group logo and photo of group Loxley were simply was visited upon the and their residents committee members at the washed away as if built village of Malin Bridge perished. Bates family grave, of matchsticks and provided by Mick Drewry. straw. At Lower Flood photos are from his Bradfield, just below book, Inundation, available Dale Dyke, the waters directly from him. Email took the first of many [email protected] human lives; that of a 2 • Karen Lightowler’s day old baby. A little research is available at further down the valley, www.lulu.com the people of Damflask had stayed out of their • Requests for detailed beds and remained information on the vigilant allowing most of cemetery plan and grave them the time to escape identification can be made the oncoming deluge, to Malcolm Nunn. Email but further down river bradfield.history@myposto ffice.co.uk many people were asleep Villagers inspect the damage at Lower Bradfield the morning after S HEFFIELD F LOOD 1864 P AGE 2 A-Z of Victims in Loxley Cemetery – Karen Lightowler For the past 20 years I have been families were Armitage, Bates, Buckley and Proctor who died in researching the victims of what is Bower, Chapman, Crownshaw, the aftermath. still England’s worst man-made Denton, Hudson and Turner plus disaster, the Great Sheffield Flood of 1864 when the embankment of the Dale Dyke Reservoir at Bradfield collapsed, unleashing millions of gallons of water on the unsuspecting valley below. Officially the flood was responsible for the deaths of 240 people although from the research I have carried out I have since discovered many more people died as a direct result of this tragedy and my revised death toll currently stands at 310 people. Of these no less than 26 were buried at Loxley Chapel from a total of ten different families, including two who died in the aftermath of the flood. These The Remains of Chapman’s and Denton’s Tilts The Armitage Family – Karen Lightowler It is a very sad fact that no less in the flood were relatives of the I have actually drawn out a single than 12 people called Armitage Armitage family and Selina Turner family tree that contains no less drowned in the flood, a number was one of the other victims who than 43 people who drowned plus beaten only by the 13 members of was buried at Loxley Chapel. 10 more who died in the aftermath the Spooner family. Many Selina’s maiden name was of the flood who are all connected contemporary accounts of the Marples and I do know that Eliza through a complicated series of flood mention this family as so Armitage’s daughter Harriet marriages and I can also include many people died and it is well married William Marples but I over 150 people who I am in known that Eliza Armitage née have not yet confirmed the actual touch with, who are descended Burgan was licensed Victualler at family connection to Selina. Yet from those who died. The Stag Inn at Malin Bridge the Armitage family can be linked, living there with her son William through a series of marriages, to Armitage and his family. William numerous other people who died was married to Ann Armitage née in the flood Eliza Armitage née Burgan Hawson and they died with their 5 children Charles, Henry, Samuel, Ann Armitage née Hawson’s sister was licensed Victualler at William and Maria. Eliza’s other Maria Hawson married John Shaw The Stag Inn at Malin son Greaves Armitage lived in a and the witnesses at their wedding cottage nearby and he also died were William Armitage and Ann Bridge with his wife Maria Armitage née Hawson who both later drowned in Cooper and 2 children Mary and the flood. John Shaw’s sister Sarah Elizabeth. Also in the inn that A Shaw married John Kay and the The Armitage family were buried night were a servant named witnesses at their wedding were on the terrace at the rear of Lox- Elizabeth Crownshaw (who was his sister Elizabeth Trickett née ley Chapel although the bodies of also buried at Loxley Chapel), Kay and her husband James Henry aged 9, Samuel aged 7, Henry Hall who was a guest there Trickett who also later drowned in Maria aged 2, Mary aged 3 and 4 for the night and a lodger named the flood. Five of James and month old Elizabeth were never James Frith. It was also recorded at Elizabeth Trickett’s children also found or identified. the time that the 4 members of the drowned along with Elizabeth’s Turner family who also drowned father Thomas Kay. S HEFFIELD F LOOD 1864 P AGE 3 The Bates Family – Karen Lightowler The first flood grave I ever found Thomas William at Loxley Chapel was that of the Malin was born in Bates family, alongside the main 1868 and he drive in front of the chapel. The married Margaret headstone shows that Thomas Ellen Dagger, Bates drowned along with his wife George Frederick Harriet Bates née Snape and their Malin was born in 3 children George, Walter and 1870 and he Tom. The Bates family also appear married Elizabeth on the large family tree mentioned Ann Leach, Annie previously and Harriet was sister Malin was born in to George Snape who drowned 1872 and she with his wife Mary Snape née married Anthony Gilford. Theophilus Niemysei, Henry Thomas Bates and his family lived Malin was born in in a cottage at the back of The Stag 1874, Walter 2020 Flood Anniversary. Management Committee members at the grave of the Bates family. Left to right: Trisha Childs, Jane Platts, Inn so they were neighbours in life Malin was born in Malcolm Nunn, Sue Fisher and Lynda Barnett (Photo courtesy of with the Armitage family in Malin 1875 and he The Star) Bridge and neighbours in death at married Harriet Loxley Chapel. The sole surviving Clover, Peter Malin was born in member of this family was 1877 and he married Dorothy daughter Annie Bates who was Elizabeth Smith and secondly away from home on the night of Sarah Ann Davison, Emily Malin ‘The sole surviving the flood. She went on to marry was born in 1881 and Ethel Malin member of this family was William Malin and I believe they was born in 1888. It is hard to had 9 children, the first two being imagine how Annie coped after daughter Annie Bates’ Harriet and Thomas, clearly named losing her entire family in the in memory of Annie’s parents: flood but at least she went on to Harriet Malin was born in 1866 find happiness with her husband and she married Harry Hodgson, and large family. The Claims—Mick Drewry Of all twelve members of the wife Jane submitted claims for the included work related tools and Armitage family, only the life of loss of the lives of Thomas and equipment, furniture and clothing 64 year-old landlady of the Stag Harriet Bates on behalf of their but the single most valuable item Inn, Eliza, was claimed for to the daughter Annie, Jane being was a cured pig at £7 14s. Flood Claims Commission. This administratrix. The claim for the was submitted by Arthur Green, life of table blade grinder Thomas forgesmith, and his wife Fanny, Bates was for £500, which was £7 14s and steel melter John Banham and withdrawn. The claim for the loss his wife Margaret; Fanny and of Harriet Bates was for £300 and Margaret being Eliza’s daughters this was assessed and and listed as administratrixes. The agreed by the claim was for £250 and the record Commission, who states that this was withdrawn, awarded £67 2s, probably due to the daughters including costs. A being married and not dependent further, extensive upon Eliza. No claims were made claim listing property for Armitage property lost in the lost by the Bates Flood.