Joel Micklethwaite, Head, age 26, Wiredrawer, born Bradfield, Yorks

Sarah A. Micklethwaite, Wife, age 23, born Holmfirth, Yorks

Matilda Micklethwaite, daughter, age 3, born Bradfield, Yorks

Sir,

No doubt you will be surprised to receive this letter from me as I do not know you, neither do you know me.

My name is Joel Micklethwaite, and I was born in New Haywoods on the fourth day of August, 1877. My father was one of the pioneers of the Stocksbridge Works. He lived in the same house as Mr. Fox where he had his meals there as a lad and played marbles with his won William. Mr. Fox wanted my father to become an apprentice to umbrella making, but he said the world would be full before he was 21 years old. He, however, went in for wire drawing with a Mr. Drabble. My father used to tell us about seeing Mr. Samuel Fox on Sunday morning in March returning from Church. It was a very windy morning and very wet and he was carrying one of his umbrellas and he deliberately allowed the wind to turn it inside out many times without the action doing any harm whatever to the umbrella. Later the same afternoon he caught my father examining the umbrella for any signs of damage and said "tha sees Joel it asn't damaged it, so my fortune is made."

One of my brothers, James Aaron was a wire drawer and John Thomas was a gas maker with a man called Billy Barber, and then there was W. H. Micklethwaite - whom you call "Mousie". He was in the Tyre Mill under Mr Bagnall. I saw the photo in the Magazine where he lived and thought it good. I have received several copies of the Magazine from my niece Mrs P. Pickering, daughter of Mrs David Armitage. David was a sample passer in the Siemens up to his death.

I will now say something about myself. I went to work in the Umbrella Department at the age of 10, in the Top Shop at the new end under Mr. Bill Hayward and his son Charlie. My first pay was 1/6d (not much was it?). At the age of 13 I went into the mine and worked there until after I was married. I moved from mine to mine, and was working at Acton Hall Colliery and living at Pontefract when I decided to emigrate to Australia. We set sail from Tilbury Docks on the 12th November, 1927, and landed here on 22nd December, 1927. We had a hard time as we landed during the great Depression, but we got over it. I was accompanied by my wife and one son and daughter. They are both married and I am now living with my son Harold. My daughter married a farmer and I went to their place once for a holiday. It is called Beaumont, and is just over the top of Camberwerra Mountain. Whilst rummaging around an old bar I came across an old umbrella which was a Fox Paragon Frame, and I began to wonder if it was one I had heoped to make, but of course, I shall never know that.

I have a warm place in my heart for Stocksbridge, but I do not suppose I shall ever see it again. I like it out here and am very happy. Woonona is a County Town, on one side the sea - thousands of miles of it, and on the other side bushlands and mountains. We get plenty of good warm weather and plenty of cold as well. We are about 9 miles from Port Kembla where there are some big steelworks which employ about 6,000 people or more.

I will ring off now and hope you get this all right. Goodbye and God bless you; with lots of good wishes for Good Old Stocksbridge.

                                                                                                                 Yours truly

                                                                                                              Joel Micklethwaite

8 Hale Street

Woonona, South Coast,

N.S.W., Australia

4th March 1951

Conversion of Joel Micklethwaite

Joel was one of our first trustees, and was converted under strange circumstances.  It so happened that Joel was near to the preaching room on the day of the opening of the Sportsman's Arms, which stands close by, and boasted that he would have the first pint of beer drawn in the Sportsman; but by someone's influence he was persuaded to attend the prayer meeting, and became converted. - so the first pint was not consumed by Joel.

Joel Micklethwaite, Head, age 36, Wiredrawer, born Bradfield, Yorks

Sarah Micklethwaite, Wife, age 32, born Bradfield, Yorks

Elizabeth Micklethwaite, daughter, age 9, Scholar, born Bradfield, Yorks

Joel Micklethwaite, Head, aged 47, a Wire Drawer, born Onesacre School, Yorks

Jane Ann Micklethwaite, wife, aged 36,  born  Wharncliffe Side, Yorks

John Thomas Micklethwaite, Son,

aged 14, Wire Cutter, born Woodroyd, Yorks

Son,

aged 12, Scholar, born Woodroyd, Yorks

Laura Marsden, stepdaughter, age 11, Scholar, born

Wharncliffe Side, Yorks

Eliza Marsden, stepdaughter, age 8, Scholar, born

Wharncliffe Side, Yorks

Harry Marsden, stepson, age 6, Scholar, born

((...)), Yorks

Son,

aged 3, born Haywoods Park, Yorks

Son,

aged 1, born Haywood Park, Yorks

Joel Micklethwaite, Head, aged 56, a Wire Drawer, born Bradfield, Yorks

Jane Ann Micklethwaite, wife, aged 46,  born  Bradfield, Yorks

aged 22, General Labourer, born Bradfield, Yorks

Eliza Marsden, stepdaughter, age 8, Umbrella Hand, born

Bradfield, Yorks

Son, aged 13, Coal Miner,  born Bradfield, Yorks

Son, aged 11, Scholar,  born Bradfield, Yorks

Arthur Micklethwaite, Son,

aged 9, Scholar, born Bradfield, Yorks

Willie Micklethwaite, Son,

aged 7, Scholar, born Bradfield, Yorks

Ethel Micklethwaite, daughter, age 4, born Bradfield, Yorks

Son, S, aged 21, Coal Miner Hewer, born Yorks, Ecclesfield

Arthur Micklethwaite, Son, S, aged 19, Coal Trammer Below Ground, born Yorks, Ecclesfield

Willie Micklethwaite, Son, S, aged 17, Stationary Engine Cleaner, born Yorks, Ecclesfield

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