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A fine photograph taken of Mayfield House, Belgrave Street, Ossett of a family in their Sunday best. The photograph is thought to have been taken circa 1897/98 judging by the ages of some of the people in the picture. Note the position of the dog underneath the carriage. Belgrave Street was one of the more up-market addresses in Ossett at that time. Behind and to the right can be seen The Gables on Station Road.

My thanks to Richard Broomhead who has contacted me to say that the people in the picture were his family. The man on the pavement is Richard's great-great grandfather Rufus Firth; the lady in the carriage is the wife of Rufus, Jane Firth; the man by the front window is Rufus' father, Charles Firth, Richard's great-great-great grandfather; the boy in the carriage is George Firth, Richard's great grandfather. The young girl in the carriage sitting between her mother Jane Firth and elder brother George Firth is thought to be Ethel Firth who was born in 1896. She eventually married Henry Glover in 1919 at the Wesleyan Chapel in Ossett. Alas, nothing is known about the dog!

Charles Firth, the patriarch in this picture was born in 1845 in Earlsheaton and married Mary Ann Micklethwaite in 1865. Charles Firth was a mungo manufacturer and by 1911, he had left Ossett to live in retirement at Wetherby Lane, Harrogate. Charles Firth died on the 23rd July 1924 and is buried in a family grave with his first wife Mary Ann, second wife Emma and a number of children at Holy Trinity in Ossett

Rufus Firth, who was living at Mayfield House in 1897 was one of nine children and was born in Thornhill in 1868. It is thought that he was a mungo manufacturer like his father. Rufus married 23 year-old Jane Gleghorn on the 19th June 1890 at Holy Trinity, Ossett. Jane was the daughter of Thomas Gleghorn, a pit manager.

When Rufus Firth died in 1922, aged just 54, probate was granted to his wife and son George in the sum of £2,750 17s 8d. Rufus' will states that he was living at Mayfield House and died there on the 6th September 1922. His widow Jane stayed at Mayfield House for the rest of her life, but she died intestate on the 24th March 1949, aged 82 years and was buried at Holy Trinity in Ossett later that month. Because there was no will, it took her son George Firth two years to sort out his mothers affairs and eventually in January 1951, letters of administration were granted. Mayfield House was then sold to William John Battye and his wife Annie for the sum of £1,400 in February 1951.

George Firth was born on the 31st January 1893 and married Gertrude Ramsden in September 1922. It seems that George married well because Gertrude's father, Sydney Ramsden built two houses in Park Square, Ossett as wedding presents for his two daughters Gertrude and Eva. George Firth carried on business in Ossett as a grocer and died in 1960 in Horbury.

Much of the information about the Firth family is courtesy of Helen Bickerdike who now lives at Mayfield House, Belgrave Street. Helen has done a detailed study of the previous occupants of her house and in particular the Firth family. I've only included details of those Firths in the picture, but Helen has done a lot more work and my sincere thanks to her for sharing her work and allowing me to reproduce some of it here.