The Stories from the Stones 4 - By Steve Lavender

'Stories from the Stones'
Please visit the Contents Page for this section, where you will find other 'Stories from the Stones.'

These same stories are also published on Penistone Archive Group's Facebook page, their Journal and in 'The Bridge' magazine issued by St John's church, Penistone. Many thanks to their tireless author, Mr Steve Lavender, for his worthy contributions to local history and this website. - JB.

Story 4 - William Wainwright, 1801 - 1869, and Martha Wainwright (nee Birkenshaw), 1802 - 1868
When I was a lad living in Sheffield I loved to spend my Sundays out on the moors walking with my Dad. It might be Hope; Edale or further north to Ladybower; Bleaklow and Langsett. At half term we would venture further afield usually to the Lake District. I first went there during the early 1960s and one of the delights was to buy one of the new series of books which was in the process of being published called ‘A pictorial guide to the Lakeland Fells’ written by an A. Wainwright.

At the time, the series was of seven books and two of the series were still in preparation. I loved those guides – I took them everywhere with me and as you can see from the photo they have been used almost to destruction. Recently I received an enquiry regarding the Wainwright family of Thurlstone and Penistone in respect of the burial ground project – only to find that there are no fewer than 40 Wainwrights buried in St John’s Churchyard. I knew that Alfred Wainwright (AW) was born in Blackburn – but could I find a link back to the burial ground?

It was with a great surprise that I was quickly able to establish that his father Albert was indeed born in Penistone – he married Emily Woodcock and they lived for some of their time here at Prospect House up Rockside. All AW’s siblings were born here before they moved up to Blackburn. Whilst this was a great find, there would obviously be no link to the graveyard – so I looked back another generation – AW’s Grandfather John, who married Sarah Ibberson, were from around here but not buried at the church. Not to be undaunted I tried one further generation – AW’s great grandfather - William and his wife Martha Birkenshaw and there they are – the link to AW I was looking for.

The 1851 census shows William and Martha living at 2 Bank, Thurlstone; William and his sons George and John are all recorded as quarrymen. William and Martha are buried together in the east of the burial ground. I thought I would take a quick look at the maternal side of his family and sure enough we are led to the Woodcocks; the Armitages and the Vaughtons and their family graves are here too. A rich heritage and lots of stories for the families to explore.

It seems only right and proper to leave the last words of this story to AW himself – whilst he has produced many, many books – not only of the Lakes but of the Pennine Way; The Coast to Coast; The Dales and Scotland to name just a few – my favourites will always be his Pictorial Guides and the 'Story behind the Guides – Fellwanderer.' From that last reference he writes:

‘Here was quietness, not noise. Here were flowers, not weeds.
We could stand and admire the heights from the valley, or we could climb and be part of the scene.
And there was carefree exhilaration, and beauty that brought tears.’

We will remember William and Martha Wainwright and their family. The photos are of part my AW book collection. Steve Lavender, Chair Friends of St John’s Church Penistone. January 2021.

As a footnote, this story made it into the Wainwright Society's autumn newsletter, 'Footsteps.'