MA GUYS

[ludlow]

HI, I HAVE TRIED BEFORE AND NO ONE ACKNOWLEDGED, SO I AM TRYING AGAIN,IWENT TO GATEACRE C.OF.E. SCHOOL. LIVED IN THE PREFABS, AND MY GRAN HAD THE THE SHOP IN THE DAIRY ON BELLE VALE RD, WHO EVERYONE CALLED MA GUY. ANYONE INTRESTED??

[jacko]

hi ludlow,the only son of your grans that i knew was arthur guy, he sometimes worked in the shop with your gran, was he your dad? he was a bit older than me, and it was around 1963, he used to run after me and my friend, especially when we,d give a bit of cheek, but it was all good fun, oh happy days.

[ken]

Hi Ludlow,
I know the feeling! I must have missed your last message, or I certainly would have replied. Thanks for getting in touch; good idea to start a separate thread for such an evocative subject. I think all of us who were around about 1960 remember "Old Ma Guy's" shop, but I never gave a thought as to whether she had a family, so it's good to hear from a family member.
You must have a fascinating local family history, as the Guys crop up a few times in the old street directories and census returns, and must have been well known around 100 years ago. It would be nice to hear more about you and your gran, and any stories you have would be most appreciated,

Regards,
Ken

[ludlow]

Jun 14, 2008 4:17:11 GMT -5 ken said:

Hi Ludlow,
I know the feeling! I must have missed your last message, or I certainly would have replied. Thanks for getting in touch; good idea to start a separate thread for such an evocative subject. I think all of us who were around about 1960 remember "Old Ma Guy's" shop, but I never gave a thought as to whether she had a family, so it's good to hear from a family member.
You must have a fascinating local family history, as the Guys crop up a few times in the old street directories and census returns, and must have been well known around 100 years ago. It would be nice to hear more about you and your gran, and any stories you have would be most appreciated,

Regards,
Ken

[ludlow]

IT WAS GOOD TO GET A RESPONSE AT LAST, THE ARTHUR GUY WHO USED TO WORK IN GRANS SHOP, WAS MY UNCLE, AND SOMETIMES MY MUM WOULD HELP ON A SUNDAY, AND I WOULD GET A BAG OF SWEETS IF I HELPED. BEFORE SHE HAD HER SHOP THE TWO FRONT ROOMS AT THE FRONT WHERE A DOCS SURGERY.ELLENBOGEN I THINK HIS NAME WAS. I USED TO LIVE WITH MY MUM AND DAD IN ONE OF THE ROOMS UPSTAIRS,FOR AWHILE WHEN I WAS A BABY, SHE USED TO RENT ANOTHER ROOM TO A TOM & EMMA,CAN NOT REMEMBER MUCH ABOUT THEM,SHE ALWAYS KNEW HOW TO MAKE A FEW BOB,SHE EVEN USED TO HAVE DAY OLD CHICKS IN ANOTHER ROOM UPSTAIRS!!WHEN I WAS FIVE WE GOT A PREFAB IN SPEKE WHERE I STARTED SCHOOL.
WE DID NOT LIKE IT THERE SO WE GOT A EXCHANGE TO GATEACRE PREFABS,AND LIVED IN CHARLWOOD RD TILL THEY WHERE DEMOLISHED,I WENT TO GATEACRE C.O.E.IN THE VILLAGE.
MORE ANOTHER TIME BYE LUDLOW

[ken]

Hi Ludlow,
It must have been quite a wrench moving to Speke, you were lucky to get back to Gateacre with its family ties. Your memories recall a completely different way of life, when people were self-reliant and the family was at the centre of things. Imagine what the 'Elf & Safety police would have to say about the day-old chicks!
Pity I only knew Ma Guy as an old lady behind the counter - she must have had some great stories to tell.
It would be interesting to trace all the Guys back on the old directories and census returns, I know the name crops up regularly when I'm looking for something else.
Hope to hear more,

Regards,
Ken

[ludlow]

HI KEN, YOU SEEM TO HAVE A GREAT INTREST IN FINDING OUT STUFF. I WOULD BE GRATEFUL IF YOU COULD FIND OUT SOME INFO ON MY GRANDAD I KNOW VERY LITTLE ABOUT HIM I HAVE NEVER EVEN SEEN A PHOTO OF HIM.ALL I KNOW IS HIS NAME WAS ALBERT BIRCH GUY,HE HAD A BROTHER WHO LIVED IN GRANGE LANE WHO I THINK WAS A FARMER, I DONT KNOW WHAT YEAR HE DIED, OR EVEN WHEN HE MARRIED MY GRAN, THERE IS NO RECORD IN ST STEPHENS, OR AS FAR AS I KNOW IN ST PETERS.GRAN SAID SHE WAS BROUGHT UP IN A ORPHANAGE SHE SAID IT WAS SOMEWHERE UP GATEACRE BROW, WHICH I HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO TRACE,AND WAS IN SERVICE IN ONE OF THE BIG HOUSES UP THERE,SO I HAVE NOT THE FOGGIST IDEA WHERE SHE CAME FROM ,HER MAIDEN NAME WAS ETHEL FRANCIS HESKETH PREHAPS YOU COULD HELP ON THIS ONE TO? IF I HAVE MISREAD YOU, I APOLOGISE. BYE FOR NOW LUDLOW

[ken]

Hi Ludlow,
I've been researching family history for many years, and it's like an ongoing hobby now. It becomes addictive!!
Thanks for the names; nice to know "Ma Guy" was really Ethel.

I've done some digging and found that Alfred Birch Guy married Ethel Francis Hesketh in 1918 in West Derby District. They had a daughter Betty in 1920; she became Betty Ives.

Alfred Birch Guy was born in Gateacre in 1883, son of James (a farmer) and Frances Guy. This has enabled me to trace the family right back to the 1841 Census.

James was born in Gateacre in 1854, son of Thomas (a tailor) and Margaret Guy.
Thomas was born in the county (Lancs) c.1831, son of Thomas (a labourer) & Emma Guy.
Thomas Guy was born c.1806, also in the county.

I have a possible Ethel Hesketh born in Prescot in 1897, but I would have to get the marriage cert to see if it's the right one.

The 1911 Gore's shows your great-grandfather James Guy & son, farmers, next to the Railway Station. Also Arthur Guy (Alfred's brother) as a cowkeeper at Thornside Dairy, Grange Lane.

The 1938 Kelly's shows Mrs. Ethel Guy, Belle Vale Road (she must have been Alfred's widow by then). Also Mrs. Sarah Guy (widow of Arthur?), cowkeeper, Thornside Dairy, Grange Lane.

Also I believe that Aymestrey Court in Acrefield Road, not far from the top of Gateacre Brow, was at one time a childrens' home.

Obviously this is just scratching the surface; I have all the Census details, and the birth & marriage ref. nos., depending on how far you want to go with all this. Let me know what you think,

Regards,
Ken

[ludlow]

HI KEN,
I COULD NOT BELIEVE WHAT YOU FOUND OUT WITH THE BIT OF INFO I GAVE YOU, FANTASTIC.I WOULD LOVE TO CARRY ON, ANY EXPENSES YOU INCUR ON MY BEHALF I WILL OF COURSE REIMBURSE, THE BIT OF INFO I HAVE ON GRAN IS SHE WAS BORN 1892 AND DIED 1965.I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION SHE HAD, HAD 4 CHILDREN, I KNOW ARTHUR CAME ALONG WHEN ALBERT HAD DIED,HAVE YOU ANY INFO ON A CHILD BORN AROUND 1916 NAMED FRANCIS TESS GUY, SHE WAS MY MOTHERS OLDER SISTER,YOU ONLY MENTIONED BETTY WHO WAS MY MUM, THEN THERE WAS A GEFFREY GUY WHO ALSO WAS MY UNCLE, BUT WAS YOUNGER THAN MUM,GRAN ALSO HAD A BROTHER A JAMES GUY, SHE SAID HE WAS HER TWIN, I MET HIM A FEW TIMES AND I CAN RECOLLECT THAT THEY LOOKED ALIKE. YOU SAID THAT AYMESTREY COURT WAS ONCE A CHILDRENS HOME, COULD YOU FIND OUT WHAT YEAR THAT WAS,? AND IF IT FITS WOULD THERE BE A LIST OF THE CHILDREN ? THANK YOU VERY MUCH FOR WHAT YOU HAVE FOUND OUT UP TO NOW, AND LETS HOPE THERE IS LOTS MORE TO COME, MUM USED TO SAY GRAN WAS FAR FROM BEING A ANGEL SO I WILL NOT BE SURPRISED IF SOME SKELTONS POP OUT OF THE CUPBOARD,AS THE SAYING GOES. BYE FOR NOW LUDLOW

[ken]

Hi Ludlow,
I've found plenty of skeletons falling out of closets during my years of research, I can tell you!
I've also developed an annoying taste for "red herrings", and I'm afraid Aymestrey Court is one of them. It turns out that it wasn't a children's home/special school until after WWII, and the same applies to Oakfield, up Grange Lane. I don't know of any others in the Gateacre Brow area, I'm afraid.

Anyway I've got some more results on the Guy family, and I've already sent off for some certs. But I think it would be easier to communicate by e-mail, so I'm sending you an e-mail with my latest findings,

Regards,
Ken

[tippo]

Hi, Ludlow,
With regards to the Guy's, if it is the Guy's who had the smallholding
on the opposit side of the railway station I went to school with arthur
"Wizzy" Guy and I went with him to the small holding once or twice
when the apples where ready he was a bit of a scallywag but so was the
rest of us orchards where fair game those days ,but there was no vandlism
like these days. its great when you click on to these sites and all the memories
come streaming back, thanks .

Cheer's,

Tippo.

[ludlow]

Hi Tippo, I was wondering if you knew geoffrey Guy wizzys brother also his sisters, Betty & Tess Guy? Regards Ludlow