Fourth Generation Fourth Generation13. Amos Durose (Amelia Ann Finney4, Arthur2, John1) died in 1992.
Amos is recalled to have been thin. He died aged 73 or 74 and had ten children (six girls and four boys).
He lived at 22 Blakelow Road, Abbey Hulton and drank at the Abbey Inn with his cousin Billy Finney. Amos was living at this address in 1979 as listed on his father Amos' death certificate; Amos was the informant on his father's death certificate.
Amos married Mary Connelly .
Mary Connelly was from Liverpool; she died some years before her husband Amos.
Children from this marriage were:
14. Thomas Durose (Amelia Ann Finney4, Arthur2, John1).
Baby Thomas died at around 6 months old and is buried in Bucknall church. The grave just has the Durose name on it, although baby Tom's grandparents Arthur and Caroline Finney are reputed to be buried there too. The plot was for three people, although there was not enough money to put Arthur and Caroline's names on the headstone too.
This implies that Baby Thomas died before his grandparents; they are known to have died in the mid thirties. Baby Thomas is thought to have been born before 1922, the year when one of his sisters was born.
15. Caroline (Carol) Durose (Amelia Ann Finney4, Arthur2, John1) was born in Sep 1919 and died on 24 Nov 2001.
Carol was a ballroom dancing teacher at the Old Majestic in Hanley with her husband Eric Hand. There is an article on p.20 of the Sentinel publication "The Way We Were" #78 Feb.2002 which said:
[photo]
<Caption> 'Eric and Carol Hand, well-remembered dancing teachers at the Majestic Ballroom, Hanley.'
"DANCING QUEEN
I was very saddened to hear of the recent death of Carol Hand who, with her husband Eric, taught ballroom dancing at the old Majestic in Hanley for about 14 years until the hall was destroyed by fire in the 1960s. It is difficult to realise that I first met Carol and Eric at a Saturday morning class 50 years ago when they arrived at the Majestic to teach dancing. I have never forgotten the dressing down Carol gave us on that occasion because we were unhappy about losing our previous instructors.
But gee! how we took to both of them after that. I will always be grateful to Carol and Eric for what they did for a guy with two left feet. They gave me poise, confidence and self-assurance which have subsequently stood me in very good stead.
I made many friends through ballroom dancing. I even met my wife that way. When I stop to reflect on dancing, which has given me so much pleasure over the years, together with the lessons which proved so useful in other spheres of life, I often think of Carol and Eric, but particularly Carol, with great affection and fond memories. I will never forget her and no doubt like many others, I much regret her passing.
CLIVE G?????
Norwich."
Caroline was listed on her mother Amelia's death certificate as being the informant, and was living at Leek Road, Milton at the time (June 1989).
Carol died aged 82.
Caroline married John Glover .
16. Living (Amelia Ann Finney4, Arthur2, John1)
Living married Anthony Henry Rossi . Anthony Henry Rossi died in Dec 1989.
Children from this marriage were:
17. Pearl Durose (Amelia Ann Finney4, Arthur2, John1) died in 1997.
Pearl's first husband Jim went to live in the U.S.A., although she did not follow him there, so they divorced.
Pearl married Jim Leddingham .
Jim went to live in the U.S.A., although his wife Pearl did not follow him there, so they divorced.
Children from this marriage were:
18. Living (Amelia Ann Finney4, Arthur2, John1)
Living married Living
Children from this marriage were:
19. Living (Amelia Ann Finney4, Arthur2, John1)
Living married Living
Children from this marriage were:
20. Phoebe Finney (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1).
Phoebe died as a child.
21. Arthur Finney (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1).
22. Living (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1)
Living married Living
Children from this marriage were:
23. Irene Finney (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1) died in 1994.
Irene married Living
Children from this marriage were:
24. Thomas Richard Finney (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1) was born on 24 Jul 1925 in Northwood, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire and died on 28 Oct 1993.
Tommy Finney was born in Keelings Road, Northwood and was named after his uncles (Thomas and Richard) who were killed in the First World War. He had naturally curly blonde hair and was around 5'8" in height. He used to be one of the lino selling gang with his cousin Billy Finney and Tommy Reagan - this was known as "hawking putty".
Tommy was in the Second World War and served in the Far East with the RSCA.
He lived off Dividy Road in Bentilee for a while. Tommy went self-employed as a welder working on building sites, then worked on Bullers Pot Bank (where some of his cousin Billy's sons also worked) on number eight kiln, where he repaired the large doors on the kiln.
Around 1968, Tommy moved to Berry Hill. There was a field between the house and Trent Tavern pub on Dividy Road where Tommy kept horses. Tommy had a couple of dobermans. Sometime around the early 1970s, Tommy went to the south of England with his brother Arthur and bought some council pre-fabs which were being dismantled and sold them on as garages and work units. He made up the railings at the front of his cousin Billy Finney's house in Abbots Road, Abbey Hulton.
Tommy started up a fruit and vegetable business called Eaton Park Stores with his daughter. Tommy and his cousin Billy used to drink at Christmas in the Sea Lion in Bucknall, and some of Billy's sons used to go along.
In 1986, Tommy is named as being present at the death of his mother Adeline, and was living at Daventry Close, Eaton Park, Stoke-on-Trent.
Tommy was cremated at Carmountside Cemetery, Abbey Hulton, Stoke-on-Trent.
Thomas married Helen Henderson on 6 Mar 1945. Helen was born on 24 Jul 1925 in Aberdeen, Scotland and died on 5 Apr 2001.
Helen was cremated at Carmountside, Abbey Hulton in 2001.
Children from this marriage were:
25. Living (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1)
Living married Living
Children from this marriage were:
26. Living (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1)
27. Connie Finney (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1).
Connie married Holmes .
Children from this marriage were:
28. Arthur Finney (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1) was born in 1937 and died in Jan 2004 in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire.
Arthur married Living
Children from this marriage were:
29. Living (Arthur5, Arthur2, John1)
Living married Living
Children from this marriage were:
30. Living (Caroline Finney7, Arthur2, John1)
31. Living (Caroline Finney7, Arthur2, John1)
32. Living (Caroline Finney7, Arthur2, John1)
33. Living (Caroline Finney7, Arthur2, John1)
34. Irene Finney (Bill8, Arthur2, John1) was born in 1922 in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire and died in 1922 in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire.
Died as a baby.
35. Rowland Finney (Bill8, Arthur2, John1) was born in 1923 in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire and died in 1923 in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire.
Died as a baby.
36. Billy Finney (Bill8, Arthur2, John1) was born on 13 Feb 1925 in Hanley, Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire and died on 18 Apr 1999 in Stoke-On-Trent, Staffordshire.
William Vernon Finney was known as Billy and was born in 1925. His birth certificate has the family living at 48 Victoria Street, Hanley. He was the eldest of the surviving children and went to school at Sacred Heart School in Jasper Street, Hanley.
Sometime around 1936, Billy's mother Margaret Bagnall died while giving birth - they were living at Dale Street at the time. The street was next to the old Port Vale ground in Hanley; Billy had mentioned the Vale ground when talking about his youth. After the death of his mother, Billy was put into a Dr. Barnardo's home in Liverpool with his mate Tommy Reagan. He had a fondness for Everton Football Club which stemmed from this time.
According to his cousin, Billy kept an owl and a kestrel in an air-raid shelter in the garden at 71 Priory Road where he lived with his father.
A resident of the Abbey at the time remembers that Billy and his dad "were both characters... young Bill was a devil and his father was even more so". She recalls that "they were either fighting the world or each other". "As soon as it was over then to bed only to return together to the local pub (at that time I believe they used the Priory or the Suburban Club) everything forgotten about the trouble they had argued about. At that time it was a great source of entertainment to us kids who were used to it, and sometimes we would want young Bill to win and sometimes old Bill."
When Billy had his first job, he took his sister Joan to Hanley and bought her a pair of mittons and her first pair of boots with his wages. At this time, Billy used to wear kid gloves and a silk scarf when he was going out.
Billy married Irene Hankey at the age of 17, and they lived as lodgers with the Staton family before moving to 71 Priory Road. Two Redcaps turned up at 71 Priory Road when Billy went A.W.O.L. from the army and his sister let the dog off the lead to hinder them. Sometime around 1947/48, Billy and Irene moved into 47 Abbots Road.
In 1950, Billy's sister Margaret Mary was killed, and his sister Joan was sent to Hanley by her father to tell him. Billy was in The Angel Hotel in Hanley with Tommy Reagan and was singing "My Heart and I" before hearing the terrible news.
When Billy had fallen out with his Irene, he used to sing "Irene, Goodnight Irene" to her.
Billy's funeral service was at the Catholic church in Jasper Street, Hanley. The Church of the Sacred Heart, Jasper Street, Hanley is a Roman Catholic church built in 1891.
Billy married Irene Hankey , daughter of Unknown and Alice Hankey , in 1942. Irene was born on 8 Jun 1925 in 11 Arlington Street, Hanley and died in Jul 1993 in Douglas Macmillian Home, Stoke-On-Trent.
Irene was also known as Reeny by her friends. She had beautiful long auburn hair. In 1942 she married Billy. Irene brought up a family of nine children.
A girl who grew up in the Abbey remembers Reenee as having lovely long curly red hair and recalls that she was "a very placid lady who was wrapped up in her family especially her kids".
Children from this marriage were:
37. Margaret Mary Finney (Bill8, Arthur2, John1) was born on 19 Sep 1927 and died on 8 Jul 1950 in Huntingdon.
Margaret Mary Finney was the second oldest of the surviving children and was known as Dottie. She went to school at Birches Head R.C. School, Hanley. She first worked at Ash Hall Hotel on Ash Bank, Werrington as a chambermaid and nearly died when she fell through a window. She also suffered from a bad appendix which nearly killed her. She later became a nursing sister, looking after people with tropical diseases. She also worked at the Dunlop Tyre Company, Etruria before joining the forces.
Sergeant Margaret Mary Finney (Sergeant Number 2158076) was knocked down at a roundabout by two youths in a stolen car outside the camp where she was stationed in Brampton, Huntingdon. She was only 22 and died on the way to hospital. Margaret Mary was dressed in white at the time and was at a park fete where she was looking after two children of a colonel. She was taking them back to their parents at the time. This happened on a Saturday, and Margaret Mary was due to visit Stoke the next day. Her body was brought from Huntington back to Stoke on an express train; the coffin said "Sergeant Margaret Mary Finney" and was draped with a Union Jack. She was due to leave the forces three weeks later and was going to become a nun. There was an article on page 5 of The Sentinel on 12th July 1950 entitled "Air Woman In Road Fatality".
According to the military records, Margaret Mary made the following movements between military units:
31 October 1945: to Chester E.O.
1 November 1945: from Chester E.O. to Reserve
15 November 1945: from Reserve to 31 R.C.
12 December 1945: to 4MT.Coy. St. John's Wood
21 March 1946: to MT??D
7 June 1946: to Hospital Wroughton
22 July 1947: to Hornchurch
8 January 1948: to RAF ???? Manor
Discharged from the WAAF on Completion Emergency Engagement on 4.3.48
Enrolled in WAAF under Comd(?) of AMO A926/46 for 2 Yrs Air Force ?? ?? 5.3.48
16 June 1948: ??62???
24 August 1948: S PDC
21 September 1948: M East
7 October 1948: El Hamra/? 3 RAF Hos
11 August 1949: El Hamra (S)
18 August 1949: H E
21 August 1949: M.Y.E.+D.
30 September 1949: HQ T.T.C.
8 July 1950: Died at County Hosp Huntingdon
The following entries are made in Margaret Mary's military records, relating to her rank:
31/12/46 Rank: ACW1 Character: VG Trade: NO Proficiency A: ??
31/12/47 Rank: ? Character: VG Trade: N/Ord Proficiency A: ??
31/12/48 Rank: CPL Character: VG Trade: N/ORD Proficiency A: SUPR Proficiency B: SUPR
31/12/49 Rank: CPL Character: VG Trade: N/ORD Proficiency A: SUPR Proficiency B: SUPR
Presumably the trade refers to that of a nursing orderly.
Margaret's service was held at Abbey Hulton Catholic Church on 13 July 1950 and she was buried in Hanley Cemetery (Grave 32421 - Block 177 Row 4 Grave 5 - plot adjacent to Newcastle Road). We have found the plot, although there is no gravestone there - at present, we are not sure whether there was ever a stone placed there or not. Margaret's brother Billy kept one of her shoes for years after this to remember her by.
38. Living (Bill8, Arthur2, John1)
Living married Living
Children from this marriage were:
39. Living (Bill8, Arthur2, John1)
Living married Barry Brindley .
Children from this marriage were:
40. Bernard Finney (Bill8, Arthur2, John1) was born in Aug 1935 and died on 18 Feb 1999.
Bernard pushed his sister in the canal by the drawbridge near Limekiln Bank off Leek Road when they were young! He was known as "Vertigo Bert" as he worked at heights as a Steelworker. Bernard was 64 when he died and he is buried as per his wish with his parents in Hanley Cemetery.
Bernard married Living
Children from this marriage were:
41. Baby Finney (Bill8, Arthur2, John1) was born in 1936 and died in 1936.
The baby which Margaret died giving birth to also died, and was buried with her.
42. Living (Bill8, Arthur2, John1)
43. Living (Bill8, Arthur2, John1)
44. Derek Rowley (Bill8, Arthur2, John1) died in 2001.
45. Living (Frank9, Arthur2, John1)
46. Living (Frank9, Arthur2, John1)
47. Living (Frank9, Arthur2, John1)
48. Living (Frank9, Arthur2, John1)
49. Living (Lydia Finney10, Arthur2, John1)
Living married (name unknown).
Children from this marriage were:
50. Edward Smallwood (Emily Finney11, Arthur2, John1).
51. Robert Smallwood (Emily Finney11, Arthur2, John1).
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