A hard life - in Dodworth Bottom

This is about Silver Street in Dodworth Bottom.

Incidentally my researches have shown that Dodworth Bottom was a separate community to the rest of Dodworth as far back as the 1600's - when it was 'given' as a wedding gift.

Amongst the many stories which I have gathered over the years is a recollection told me by my grandmother who lived in Silver Street - the story is regarding the purchase of meat.

In those far off days they were to say the least 'poor'. So poor in fact that on a Saturday night she and her husband; my grandfather, used to walk to Barnsley to buy the cheapest cuts of meat and bring them back home, to feed the enormous family they looked after. Their purchases would fill 4 shopping bags, and with 2 bags each they would walk back to Silver Street.

She said the butchers were selling the meat 'cheap' at that time as it would not keep well over the remainder of the weekend.

The butchers were on market stalls which at the time were at the upper end of 'Market Hill'.

The 'enormous' family that they looked after included 5 children; from 2 families, whom they had 'taken in' when their parents died or were killed - they had 3 children of their own.

For anyone interested - the events above took place in the 1920's

The Editor