My Mum's Memories Of Galgate
A Memory of Galgate.
My mother's name was Alice Margaret Ellen Davis who was born 6 January 1915. Her mother died when my mum was just three years old on Christmas Day 1918. She was buried in the churchyard in Galgate. Her father went to work in Preston and her older brother was sent to work on a farm, while my mother was brought up by a couple who lived in the village of Galgate in a lovely cottage called "Woodbine Cottage". Their names were Josh and Mary (I don't know their suranames) but they were brother and sister. They wanted to adopt my mother but her father wouldn't allow it. She told me she was so very happy living in the village, the lovely long garden full of tomatoes and flowers and all the railway embankments full of primroses and daisies. The next move in her life was an unhappy one as her father re-married and the lady he married already had a child. She was moved away from all the friends and people she loved in Galgate and went to live in Preston with her new family. My mother felt unwanted and unloved and started to develop Asthma through stress. She hardly ever saw her brother but when he did visit he took her back to see the people in Galgate and to visit Woodbine Cottage. She spoke about living in Galgate as the happiest time of her life as her childhood after that was quite unhappy.
If anyone knows if Woodbine Cottage is still there or anyone has any memories from this time, please let me know. Thank you. Sue
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I visited galgate some time ago and the school is now a private house. The farm I lived at is now covered by Lancaster university. David Wolstenholme
Since I posted the comments about my mother's time in Galgate, a number of people have contacted me and also shared their memories.
The lady who now lives in Woodbine Cottage told me that Woodbine Cottage was one of the Mechanics houses. She also told me that the brother and sister who my mother went to live with were the WEBSTERS.
I discovered that Bill Kitchen lived in Mainstone House, and that is where my mother and her parents lived up until my mum's mother died. As her father was a Chauffuer/Mechanic, I did wonder what kind of work he did in Galgate, as I can't imagine him being a Chauffuer to anyone there, but he may have been a mechanic to Bill Kitchen. What year do you think that would have been when Bill Kitchen lived there?
Can you remember the name of the school you went to in Galgate, as my mother went to school there up until the time she moved to Preston? My mum's best friend was Gwen Mashiter who lived with her gran in the Co-operative Houses in Galgate. I guess Gwen's father was Robert Mashiter who was 22 in 1911. His two sisters were Isabella and Ethel, and he had a younger brother named Thomas. Did you know of this family while you were there? .
Kind Regards
Sue
At that time Bill Kitchen had a garage on the main road to Lancaster. The garage then was a wooden shed on the railway side of the road. It figures that as Captain of the Belle Vue Speedway Riders, he would have good knowledge of engines. I used to visit my sister at his farm and one of the fields was all churned up where he practised his skills.
As to the school, there was only one at Galgate and the other was at Glasson Dock, where I also spent some time at a later stage in my time as an evacuee. The actual time I spent as an evacuee was from 1939 to late 1942. As to names, I still have few in memory, but they are of the children that I went to school with as you would expect. I spoke on the phone about a month ago to the headmistress at Glasson dock as I am interested in going back and I was invited to go and talk to the children about how it was then. There were good days and bad days. I am a collector of "wise sayings". one of my favourites is " If you have never experienced sadness, how can you know what happiness is" !
Here's to the good ones. All the best, David.