Sheffield, England

John Henry Staniforth

When I first began researching the various Staniforth lines and their connections to various places in Sheffield, I came into contact with Michael Staniforth. Michael was born in 1950 to John Henry Staniforth and Florrie Golby. His parents married in 1927.

John Henry Staniforth was the son of Sydney Herbert Staniforth (1883-1933) and Annie Oldale (1881-1909). He had a brother Sydney Herbert Staniforth that was born in 1907, as well as a sister Anne.

On the 1901 Census, Sydney Herbert Staniforth, then aged 18, lived with his parents John Staniforth (born 1851), his mother Annie Elizabeth (nee Mellows) at 42 Brown Lane, Sheffield. Sydney also had two brothers; George Staniforth born 1892, and John Henry Staniforth born 1886, John would go onto marry Ann Rhodes and have a number of children.

Sydney married Annie Oldale in 1901, however following the two children’s births, Annie passed away in 1909. Her burial took place on January 23rd, 1909 at the City Road Cemetery. With John being left to raise his two sons as a working single parent, it is understandable that he found it hard to manage, and the two sons were sent to different families to be raised. John Henry was sent to Mr and Mrs Kershaw at the Old Queens Head. Sydney was sent to a Drabble family.

Michael found an old document in which his father John Henry describes his early life:

‘John Staniforth born 1903 in River Lane, Sheffield my mother passed away around 1907 and I was adopted by Mr Mrs Kershaw who kept The Old Queens Head at No 40. Pond Hill they were also Hide Skin, fat and bone dealers and I worked on the bonedray horse cart. After I left school did war work, 1st war at thirteen before leaving night school, but before leaving school my job was to clean the spittoons empty them of saw dust put fresh saw dust in and any jobs in the stable or hay chamber.’ Michael also describes how his father was friends with many boxers in Sheffield.

Following his marriage to Florrie Golby in 1927, the couple had 3 sons and 2 daughters, baptised at St Marie’s Catholic Cathedral in Sheffield:

    Gordon Staniforth (born 1934) married Stella John. - He was ran over by a bus on Pond Street which left him with crutches all his life.
  • Michael Staniforth (born 1950)
  • Constance Staniforth (born 1928)
  • Barry Staniforth (born 1944)

He passed away in 1984.

Sydney Herbert Staniforth and wife Elsie

His brother Sydney Herbert Staniforth, raised by the Drabble family married Elsie Marsh in 1932. The couple had three children, both born in Leeds:

  • Barry Staniforth (born 1934) – Passed away in Norfolk.
  • David D Staniforth (born 1939)
  • Jennifer D Staniforth (born 1949)

Jennifer Staniforth (now Jennifer Chambers) contacted me with information in regards to her father Sydney and his brother John, the two would spar together and were both keen boxers, the two brothers discovered each other in school and John took his younger brother under his wing. Unfortunately Sydney suffered from Alzheimer’s late in life however his brother John was able to visit him in hospital.