Update August 2009  With reference to the photograph of Mr Staniforth's Class, I believe that the year was 1948-49. I am standing 3rd from the left in the back row. Other that I can remember are Trevor Brookshaw (rear row centre) John Wadsworth (rear row third from right) and Brian Tonks (rear row second from the right). I also think that on the front row seated are Les Haythorne (third from right) and Harry Pearson (right end). I can remember the entire list of boys names in the class but (sorry girls) can only remember Avril Smith, Pam Smith, Rosemary Godber and Margot Charity. The full list of boys in the class was Trev Brookshaw, Bill Corney, Alan Hawkins, Les Haythorne, Stan James, Brian Lawrence, Howard Moxon, Neil Murgatroyd, Harry Pearson, ? Phillips, Brian Pikett, ? Skinner, Brian Tonks, Barry Tucker, John Wadsworth, Terry(?) Whitfield and John Wright. Hope this might jog a few more memories and help identify the others  - Brian Lawrence

UPDATE May 2010: " Good day, I was amazed when Googling for Alan Hawkins to come across the MSG photo, I am rear row 3rd from right.  I was able to recognise Alan Hawkins, Brian Tonks and Trevor Brookshaw. I left England for S Africa early in the school year 1951, and am now retired in Cape Town. If anyone would like to chat, my email address is johnwads@telkomsa.net   Congratulations on your website, extremely enjoyable.  John Wadsworth

MAJOR UPDATE

Former Mexborough Grammar School student Rodney Shaw has added to our photo collection with the addition of four form photographs - namely Form 1a 1948/9; Form 1c 1948/9; Form 6A (Arts) 1953/4 and Form 6B (Science) 1953/4. To avoid this thread lengthening too much, we have put Rodney's contribution on a new page, which you can see by clicking here.

BELOW: A photograph of the Mexborough Grammar School teachers from the late 1940's. The only name I think I remember is a Mr Siddall seated bottom right. Maybe some one can put more names to faces . John Wright (Mexborough Grammar 1947-52)

UPDATE - May 1 2008: Mr Brian Wright got in touch with the following..  I can remember some of the staff who were still at MGS in the 1950s when I started. Back row: 4 gents on the left Mr Orme (geog), Mr Kitching (music), Mr Roberts (geog), Mr Gethin( English), 4th from right Mr Fisher (English). Middle row; 2nd from left Mrs Roberts( DSc), 4th from right Mrs Booth (French), 2nd from right Mrs Morris (secretary). Front row left Mr Hadkins (Deputy &g eog) Mr Osborne(physics) centre Mr Watkinson (head), 4th from right Miss Clitheroe (history), 3rd from right Miss Ginn (English and speech). The gent seated on left could be a young Mr Staniforth( see John Wright's photo above) he taught me physics in my first year 1950/51.

Editor's note: if you have any memories, please email the Society. We are always happy to share pictures and reminiscences.

UPDATE August 2008 : from John Badham - I have just seen the MGS staff photograph of 1949. I attended the school from September 1946 (just after it had changed its name from Mexborough Secondary School) to July 1951. With some help from a contemporary class- mate, I can fill in a few gaps in Brian Wright's list.
Standing 3rd from the right in the back row is Mr. Barrell. In the middle row, 3rd and 4th from the left are are Mrs. Moran (Latin) and Miss Carnelly, 5th from right is Miss Clapham (Maths) and at the right hand end of the row is Mrs. Kitching.
Seated 3rd, 4th and 5th from the left in the front row are Mr. Bedford, Mr. Milnthorpe (Physics) and Mr. Way; Miss Holt, Miss Cave (Maths) and Miss Crowther are seated 6th, 5th and 2nd from the right hand end. Kneeling in front, 1st and 2nd from the left are Mr. Staniforth and Miss Paley; Mr. Siddall (PT and Sports) is at the right hand end.
I have also looked at the form "late forties" form 1B photograph. I do not think it is 1946-47 as this was the year I was in form 1B and I do not recognise myself.
John Badham

David J. Butler writes:
 I was pleased to discover your web page today. Sometime in the past, about twelve years ago, I was in touch with the Society, concerning the presence in Mexborough of many of my family, the Butlers on my father's side and the Cramps on my mother's : for years both sides of the family lived in Lower Church Street. It was upon discovering the website and reading through it that I realised a photograph I have here will be of interest so I now attach it for your use.



The subject is the staff of flour mills which I believe were called The Don Roller Mills and owned by James White. Mr White is sitting in the middle, and on his left, wearing a bowler hat,is my grandfather Samuel Arthur Cramp ( 1875 - 1937 ) who started there as bookkeeper and later became traveller and then, when the Barnsley Co-operative Society bought the mills in 1912, S.A.Cramp left them and obtained agencies from various other mills in the district, for example Thomas Hanley and Sons in Doncaster, Hudson Ward and Company in Goole and Joseph Rank Ltd.in Hull and set up as their sales agent. Others who are identified by a note with the photograph are Ben Binch, wearing a cap, to the right of James White and the young man who is sitting on the ground and wearing a suit was probably Harry Chambers. Incidentally, several of the Butler side of my family appear on the group photograph of those helping at the Rainbow Bazaar which was organised to raise funds at Easter 1893 and I see you have reproduced it as no. 6 in your series " Buying and Selling - Commerce ". I have a fairly complete list of those on that photo and I know my list is at variance with the list published in " The South Yorkshire Times " in 1949 ( when the photo, long forgotten, came to light ) as it was painstakingly put together by my grandmother ( Mrs Charlotte Butler , 1861 - 1954 ) at my request when she mentioned to me that some of the names were incorrect in the newspaper article.


BELOW: This group photograph, taken in Mexborough, shows what appears to be a farewell party and presentation to a departing Minister. On the back of the original photograph is the inscription: 'J Drummond, Minister, August 1906'. It was found among the personal effects of Edna Alexander (nee Butler) after her death in 1995.
Included on the front row: Mrs Tom Adey, Mr William Butler, Miss Ada Jackson (later Mrs Percy Butler), Mrs William Butler. On the ground, among the children are: Wilfred Butler, Phyllis Butler (later Mrs H Crookes) and John H Butler (aged 1yr 11months); also on the front row, is Mrs John Jackson.

From Chris Dixon, Australia

Greetings from the Australian outback. My mum left Mexborough when she was 15 in WW2 because she was orphaned. I returned in 1997 and was impressed by the 90% of my very extended family who made me welcome.I love the site - loads of photos, pity we don't have names of people in them. I attach a photo of my great-granparents' family - I have all the names - Joseph and Louisa Severn. He was big in the Methodist Church, where the Lindsay Centre is now.  In the photo - L-R - Joseph, Ada (my grandmother married EVANS), Ted, Joe Junior, Jack (at top), Myra (below married SCHOLEY), Louisa (above married VENABLES), Albert (below) and Louisa.

Cheers
Chris Dixon, Katherine, Northern Territory, Australia