Norden, Rochdale The Sixties.

A Memory of Rochdale.

I was born at 60 Moss Row, Norden Rochdale on the 10th February 1954. Moss Row was a terrace of 41 houses following on from Clapgate Road. They were privately owned by a Mrs Milne. Moss Row was demolished for a never to happen by-pass of Norden village, this was a great waste of houses and separated lots of people who had been friends for many years. Myself and two mates, Willy Bird and Rob Crabtree were three terrors to the residents of Moss Row, frequently running from top to bottom of the street each knocking on every third door and just running off. Simple fun to amuse ourselves. I left school in 69 and went to work for a local butcher, Bob Martin. This was a time when Norden was still a small village, not like the sprawling conurbation it is today. Old people like to talk about the days when you could leave your doors unlocked, but on Moss Row, it was like a big community where people did just that.


Added 02 September 2016

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Comments & Feedback

Hello Geoff. My name is Collette and I am doing some research on my family tree and my great great grandfather was William Welburn Metcalfe. He died on 17th June 1954 and is buried at St Paul’s church cemetery in Norden. The parish record shows that he lived at 60 Moss Row when he died. Upon a search for the address I came across your post explaining that you were born at the same address a few months before on 19th February 1954. I am wondering if you are a child or grandchild of William Welburn Metcalf and his wife Fanny?
Hi Collette, yes I am a grandchild of William Metcalf. I had several aunties/uncles and am wondering which one of them is your grand mother/ grand father? I have just spoken to my sister, her memory is better then mine and she has told me a few things I did not know about our family. One is that granddad apparently did not die at Moss Row as due to illness he had moved in with Aunty Annie at Mansfield Road, Bamford as she was the only one who was able to look after him. It is great to hear from you and hopefully I can help with your research into the Metcalf family. Regards Geoff
👋 Hello Geoff, Thanks so much for posting a comment.

I have done some more research and William Welburn Metcalfe born 1875 was actually the brother of my great Grandmother Annie Metcalfe. Annie and and her husband Walter Hornby were my great grandparents. They only had one son, William Walter Hornby who was my grandfather, he lived in Rochdale all his life but sadly passed away 15 yrs ago. I wonder if the aunty Annie you mention who looked after William was my great grandmother?

We have done quite a bit of research into the Metcalf family, if you search for Edward Metcalfe Woodlesford on Google there is a lot of information about them, some of the family lived in Yorkshire as lockkeepers and watermen before moving to Rochdale. William Welburn Metcalfe moved to Rochdale is around 1914 and on 1939 census lived at no 94 Moss Row. What we don’t know is why?

The William Welburn Metcalfe I mention above was born 1875 died 1954. he had two sons, William who died in 1918 in Flanders WWI and Joseph Robert, who was born in 1915. Robert married a lady Called Alice Wheatley in 1938 - are Robert and Alice your parents?

Rob Crabtree you mention in your comment was likely a grandchild of William Welburn Metcalfe’s sister Florence and her husband Charlie Crabtree, who lived at no 64 Moss Row on 1939 census. Think he was your cousin #Small world

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