Back to Oral Taping Menu
T09 Frank Galpin
Memories of Ramsbottom
Recorded 1988
Length 01:45:50
- Discussion about a Catholic marriage around 1928, prior to the Great Depression.
- Speaker reminisces about attending St. Joseph's school with 120 pupils.
- Mentions unemployment issues and a failed investment in bleachworks.
- Describes family visits to a shabby street in Bolton and the decline of big houses.
- Reflects on personal experiences during the Second World War and working in textile warehouses.
- Touches on social issues, including means testing and family dynamics during tough times.
Overview
This is an oral history interview with Francis Young Galpin, born 31 October 1913 in Ramsbottom, Lancashire. He recounts his childhood, education, work life, and local history, offering vivid detail on community life, industry, and social change in the early to mid-20th century.
Early Life and Family
- Born on Ramsbottom Lane, near the Wesleyan Chapel and council offices. The area once had rows of grant-built houses, coal yards, and places like the “lodge” where the modern baths now stand.
- Family connected to Stubbins and Holcombe, with relatives such as Aunt Margaret, who won a local beauty contest.
- His family lived modestly, with memories of cellar houses and close-knit neighbours.
Childhood Memories and Local Landmarks
- Describes Ramsbottom landmarks: White Lion Pub, Pebble Beach (a cobbled street), and the docks at Stubbins (actually part of a coal yard).
- Vivid recollection of Zeppelin bombings during World War I — likely 1916 — which blew out windows in their house and damaged buildings near Holcombe.
- His Aunt Sarah Jane’s home was hit; the post office at Holcombe still shows shrapnel marks.
Education
- Attended St. Joseph’s Catholic School, starting around 1918.
- Describes the small classrooms, two grades per teacher, and teachers such as Miss Murphy, Mrs Ryan, Miss Durston, and Mr Isaacs.
- Won a scholarship to Haslingden Secondary School, but his parents couldn’t afford the costs after his father lost work.
- No school sports facilities — tiny playgrounds, no organised games, and mostly female teachers.
- Occasional performances, such as a scene from Uncle Tom’s Cabin.
Work and the Great Depression
- Began work at age 14 (1927–28) in Glasgow & Baker Mill on shift work (day and evening).
- Later joined Turnbull & Stockdale, a major Ramsbottom textile firm considered “a job for life.”
- Lost his job in the Great Depression (1930s) along with over 100 others — both older men and boys about to earn higher wages.
- Remembers the Labour Exchange queues, the means test, and doing odd jobs like shoe repair and labouring work.
- Unemployment lasted six years, during which he walked long distances seeking work (even to Burnley).
Return to Work and the Second World War
- Eventually rehired at the Flan (Flannelette) Works, later the Vessel Dyers’ Works, during the build-up to WWII.
- Tried to enlist in the Royal Navy with his friend Sydney Betch but failed the medical due to stomach problems and repeated illnesses.
- Declared unfit for military service—even barred from civil defence roles.
- Took over a newsagent business on Bridge Street during the war years.
Life and Leisure
- Describes holidays, family baking, and home life — his mother baking a “sack of flour a week.”
- Entertainment came from simple pleasures: watching mills, collecting wooden boxes from the Co-op warehouse, or visiting local smithies on Smithy Brow.
- Early life dominated by manual labour, church, and close family ties.
Holcombe Village Life
- Holcombe once a busy, self-contained village with shops, a post office, blacksmith, and local characters; now many houses are weekend homes.
- Recounts “rows” (terraces) like Merchant’s Row, Printer’s Row, and Band Row, each with its own story or nickname origin.
- Describes colourful villagers, including his Aunt Annie, an Irish immigrant who worked as a domestic servant and washerwoman.
- Vivid anecdotes of tramps being fed breakfast by his aunt, her generosity, and local pub stories.
Religious and Community Life
- Early Catholic worship took place in private rooms before St. Joseph’s Church existed.
- Mentions Father Keating, who travelled on horseback from Blackburn to say Mass once a month, and Father de Motherway, the first resident priest.
Key Themes
- Transformation of Ramsbottom and Holcombe: from working villages with mills and chapels to quieter commuter areas.
- Poverty and resilience: memories of hunger, self-reliance, and strong family bonds.
- Industrial and social history: the cotton industry, paper mills, and the Depression’s deep impact on working families.
- Religion and morality: the centrality of Catholic life, community support, and moral values.
Tone and Style
Francis speaks in a reflective, anecdotal, and nostalgic manner — rich in place names, local dialect, and humour. The transcript serves as a firsthand historical account of early 20th-century Lancashire working-class life.
Back to Oral Taping Menu