St Ives Photo Album - St Ives people 1920 to 1939

Photo Album - St Ives people 1920 to 1939

John Skeeles, 1920s.

John's great grandfather started his builder's business in St Ives in 1782 or earlier. Four generations later the Skeeles were still building in St Ives, with John head of the firm. He started writing about St Ives and its residents in 1930, aged 77 years. John's manuscript was based on his own and his family's knowledge of St Ives, backed up by business documents dating from 1796. To read about John's life and to read his manuscript, click John Skeeles.

John Harrison & Sons, osier growers, 1920s.

In the above image is John Harrison and probably his four sons Charles, John, George and Ronald plus one grandchild.

John Harrison grew osiers, a type of willow used for basket-making, on Holt Island. He inherited a basket-making business from his father William. John lived in Filbert's Walk. The osiers were softened and worked on in the field over St Ives bridge, running parallel to London Road. The long channels used to soak osier wands can still be seen in the field.

Susan Mary Ann Famely (née Cox), 1927.

Susan is pictured sitting at the end of Filbert's Walk, the New Bridges in the background.

John 'Baggy' Reynolds, 1934.

John, known as 'Baggy', described himself as an 'all-round farm labourer' about the time the above image was taken. He worked on Westwood Farm. John was originally a fowl dresser, preparing chickens and the like for sale and consumption.

John & Sarah Hodge (née Day), 1935.

John Hodge, a farm labourer, married Sarah Day in 1875. The above image was published in the Hunts Post on their 60th wedding anniversary in 1935. John and Sarah had eight children. All four of their sons fought in WWI. The family suffered a heavy toll. Two sons returned wounded. The other two are named on the St Ives War Memorial. To read their life stories click John & David Hodge.

John William Foreman (known as William), c1937.

Originally from Kings Lynn, William moved to St Ives after answering a job advert to help repair the parish church steeple, damaged in 1918. Initially, William left behind his wife, Carrie, and their three children, Peter, Muriel and Evelyn. They moved into 18 North Road, St Ives, and had a fourth child, Margaret. William worked as manager of a local stonemasons. The stone in the photo is fixed to a house wall in Hemingford Grey

The Anderson family cricket team, c1938.
Back row left to right: Edward, Gerald, Alfred, Jeffrey, Paul, Robert.
Front row: William, Dennis, Harold (captain), Thomas, Peter.

Harry Anderson farmed Westwood Farm, taking over from his parents in the early 1900s. In 1938 the extended Anderson family challenged St Ives Town Cricket Club to a match played on Slepe Hall Playing Field. The Andersons were victorious.