Mary RUSHTON

Notes:

Buried:
MARY GREENWOOD nee Rushton

Mary was born on 5th July 1913 to John & Alice Rushton in Oliver St Coventry. She was the eldest child, having three younger brothers – John, Harry and James (Jim). Her parents had come down from Barrow-in-Furness, and her father found work as a skilled machinist. He was also a talented singer, often performing on the stage in his spare time both as a solo singer, and as part of a quartet called “Les Amis”. As the eldest daughter, it fell to her to keep an eye on her three rather unruly brothers, but she also had another role to fulfil – teaching them to dance.
She was very close to her father, and when he fell ill with kidney disease, she would spend hours sitting at his bedside massaging his back to try and relieve the pain he was suffering. She was devastated when he died in 1933 aged only 49.
Mary was a talented sketch artist, and when she was young used to draw film stars of the day from photographs. She also made some pen & ink drawings of old buildings in Coventry, some of which still hang on the wall in the house.
Mary started work at the Coventry Co-operative Society, and then moved to the Council House as a comptometer operator – the forerunner to the computer! When she was new at the job, she came across some letters that read “FO”. When she asked what they meant, she was told “Fined out”. “That’s what I am trying to do!” she said, unaware of the different spelling of “FINED”.
As was usual during the 1930’s Mary used to go to a lot of dances, and a friend of hers introduced her to a nice lad who had recently moved from Wolverhampton to digs in Coventry to work in the Electricity Showrooms. His name was Richard Greenwood, known to all as Dick. They became very close, but unfortunately the spectre of war was approaching, and Dick was drafted into the Royal Navy. They had to endure many periods apart, but managed to get married at St Mark’s Church in Coventry on May 11th 1940. Dick soon had to go back to the Navy, and undertook some hazardous tours of duty on Russian convoys. Whenever he came back to this country he would somehow get word to Mary, and she would travel to be with him – sometimes only for a weekend or so. One Christmas she learnt at short notice that he was coming in to port in Scotland, and took the train up there to meet him, arriving on Christmas Eve. They dined splendidly the next day on a tin of beef stew which she had taken up with her as rationing was the order of the day. Years later, the Coventry Evening Telegraph ran a competition inviting people to describe the best Christmas dinner they had ever had. Mary and Dick won first prize.
Mary stayed in her house in Allesley Old Rd throughout the war, sheltering from Hitler’s might behind the settee in the lounge – even during the Blitz which devastated Coventry in 1940. She was not a person to be trifled with, as some Army personnel found out. They had set up an anti-aircraft battery close to her house, and the noise of the gun was deafening. She went out and remonstrated with them, frightening them to death as they did not realise anyone was still living in the area. They moved the gun further down the road.
Dick returned from the War, and they soon had a baby girl, Jill, born in 1946. However tragedy struck, as Jill was taken ill with leukaemia and died in 1949. A son Ian was born in 1950, then Hugh came along in 1952.
Mary had worked in the Electricity showrooms as a demonstrator for a time before the children came along, and when the boys moved into secondary school, went back part-time to the showrooms in Bedworth, then as a clerk in the main office at Sandy Lane Coventry. When Ian started work at the Electricity Board in 1967, they became an “electric family!”
Since she was in her teens, Mary had always been interested in “Keep Fit”, and for about fifty years ran several classes a week. She was still teaching into her eighties, when she teamed up with a friend who played the keyboard, and they went to care homes to entertain the residents, and to show them how to do simple exercises to keep moving. It did not really occur to her that she was probably older than a lot of the residents she was teaching.
Mary enjoyed travel, and went to Spain and Majorca many times with Dick. Later she went with Ian and Susan to Malta and Cyprus, and in her eighties, went with them for a whistle-stop tour of four US cities in eight days.
As Mary got older her eyesight deteriorated, and Hugh ended up as her carer as he lived with her, although it was never entirely clear who looked after whom as she always had Hugh’s dinner cooked for him when he came home from work!
Her deteriorating eyesight meant that she was unable to continue with one of her great loves, reading. However, with the help of the RNIB’s Talking Book service, she was still able to lose herself in a good book.
She also a fan of Country & Western music, which she and Hugh would listen to on Saga radio on a Tuesday night.
During her last illness, she said that “I have never felt so ill in all my life” and this was probably because, as a fit woman, she had rarely been ill throughout her life.
Her death at the age of 94 is really the end of an era, as she outlived her three younger brothers, and we look back affectionately on a long life filled with love and humour.

Mary married Richard GREENWOOD on 11 May 1940. Richard was born on 21 Oct 1910 in Wolverhampton; died on 4 Feb 1986. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

1. Jill GREENWOOD was born on 4 Jun 1945; died in Jan 1949.
2. Ian GREENWOOD was born on 12 Nov 1950.
3. Hugh GREENWOOD was born on 7 May 1952.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1901, 7, Melampus Street, Barrow in Furness
• Address: 1908; Address:
  2, Kitchener Street, Barrow-in-Furness
• Occupation: 1933; a machine miller in an engineering works

Notes:

Census:
Description: Shaping Machinist

Died:
Description: Hypernephroma of kidney

Buried:
Grave space number 45 in Square number 64

John married Alice PROCTER on 17 Oct 1908 in Walney Parish Church, Barrow-in-Furness. Alice (daughter of James Thomas PROCTER and Elizabeth Jane CRABTREE) was born on 1 Jun 1887 in 91, Windermere Road, Lancaster; died on 16 Jul 1961 in Coventry. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Address: 1908; Address:
  65 Powerful Street, Barrow-In-Furness
• Address: 1939; Address:
  10, Thornhill Road, Coventry

Notes:

Birth:
Jun Q 1887 8e 769 Lancaster

Notes:

Moved to Coventry from Barrow on the recommendation of his father who had moved in 1911

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1871, 22 Hursthill Street, Stafford
• Occupation: 1881; calendarer
• Occupation: 1884; a shipyard labourer
• Occupation: 1891; Shipyard Machine Driller
• Occupation: 1901; Slot Driller Marine work
• Occupation: 1911, Ordnance Factory, Red Lane, Coventry

Notes:

Died:
Jun Q 1930 8e 906 Barrow F - not proven

Henry married Mary WOOD about 1879 in Barrow in Furness. Mary (daughter of WOOD and Elizabeth ?) was born about 1861 in Hulme, Manchester; died in 1945 in Barrow in Furness. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1881; a shirtmaker

Notes:

Occupation:
FreeFormatDate:census

Died:
Sep Q 1945 8e 816 - Barrow F - not proven

Notes:

FreeFormatDate:census

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1887; a machine fitter
• Census: 1901, 5, Puddlers Row. Consett, Durham

Notes:

Birth:
Sept Q 1860 8c 565 Lancaster

Census:
Description: Iron Works Engine Fitter

Died:
Description: Broncho-pneumonia and Bronchitis

Buried:
Grave space numbered 45 in Square number 64

James married Elizabeth Jane CRABTREE on 25 Dec 1884 in Christ Church, Lancaster. Elizabeth (daughter of William CRABTREE and Alice LAWSON) was born on 21 May 1862 in Springfield Road, Habergham Eaves, Burnley, Lancs.; died on 22 Apr 1924 in Lancaster; was buried on 26 Apr 1924 in Coventry Cemetery. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
Jun Q 1862 8e 212 Burnley

Buried:
Grave space number 45 in Square number 64

Notes:

Married:
Description: by Rev P Bartlett

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1858; Carpenter (Journeyman)
• Census: 1861, Claverley, Shropshire
• Census: 1871, 22 Hurst Hill Street, Stafford
• Census: 1881, 34 Parker Street, Barrow in Furness
• Census: 1891, 5, Ainslie Street, Barrow in Furness
• Census: 1901, 99, Ainslie Street, Barrow In Furness

Notes:

Census:
Description: carpenter

Census:
Description: carpenter

1871 Census shows
RUSHTON - William a Carpenter aged 50
- Hannah (his Wife) aged 46
Their Children
William 18 years Farm worker
Mary Ann 15 years Scholar (Polly)
Henry 12 years Scholar
Alfred 10 years Scholar

Of
22 Hurst Hill Street
Sedgeley (Sedgley ??)
In the County of Stafford

Info from Aunt Hilda Hetherington

Census:
Description: Joiner

1881 Census shows
William RUSHTON, a Joiner aged 60 of Claverly, Shropshire
Esther RUSHTON, Wife aged 60 of Minsell, Stafford
Alfred RUSHTON, General Labourer aged 20 of Hurst Hill, Stafford
All living at 34 Parker Street, Barrow in Furness

NB. Other children shown on the 1871 Census (William, Mary Ann & Henry)
also married and living in Barrow in Furness

Census:
Description: Shipyard labourer

Census:
FreeFormatDate:Census

Description: Retired House Carpenter/Joiner

Living with his son William & family and son Alfred J

Died:
Death Cert ref - Barrow - 1903 - 4th qtr - 8e - 585

Index to Death Duty Register IR27-603-392 Page or folio -246
Folio 77016/17
23rd July 1904
Administrator - William Rushton

William married Hannah GRAINGER in 1852 in Wolverhampton. Hannah (daughter of John GRAINGER and Sarah DEAKIN) was born in 1823 in Sedgley, Stafford; was christened on 13 Jul 1823 in Sedgley, Stafford; died in 1876 in Ulverston, Lancashire. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Christened:
International Genealogical Index.
Parish Registers & Bishop's transcripts of C of E Parish Church, Sedgeley, Staffs.
Records in the Staffordshire Record Office.

Died:
Death cert ref - Ulverston - 1876 - 1st qtr - 8e - 599

Notes:

Married:
Married Wolverhampton District - 1852 - 4th quarter - vol 6b - page 886

+ Elizabeth ?. Elizabeth was born about 1825 in Driffield, Yorkshire; and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Apprenticed: 1 Feb 1842, Lancaster; To John Gibson, Hatter, of Lancaster
• Occupation: 1852; Hatter
• Occupation: 1861 , Lancaster; A labourer; Address:
  18, Factory Hill, Lancaster
• Occupation: 1871, Lancaster; Iron Dresser; Address:
  18, Factory Hill, Lancaster
• Occupation: 1881; Iron Dresser; Address:
  40, Windermere Road, Lancaster
• Occupation: 1891; Iron Dresser; Address:
  40, Windermere Road, Lancaster

Notes:

About 6 years ago I met one of his last surviving g.grandchildren (Clara Howarth aged 90 -who has since died). At the time her memory was still good and amongst the things she told me was that John Procter had been forced to give up his skilled occupation as a hatter due to his contracting asthma from inhaling the chemicals used in the trade (this was in fact a known hazard of the occupation - the same chemicals could also affect brain function, hence the expression 'Mad as a Hatter'). When this happened John was too old to train for another skilled job, so he was reduced to becoming a labourer in the Phoenix Iron Works in Lancaster.

Dorothy Phillips nee Parker - Apr 2006

John married Agnes TOPPING on 7 Feb 1852 in Lancaster Parish Church. Agnes (daughter of Thomas TOPPING and Nancy SPEDDING) was born on 10 Sep 1829 in Lancaster, Lancashire,; was christened on 27 Sep 1829 in St Mary's, Lancaster; died on 18 Dec 1902 in 79, Windermere Road, Lancaster; was buried on 22 Dec 1902 in Lancaster Cemetery (Plot 633 N/A). [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1851, 17, Factory Hill, Lancaster
• Address: 1852; Address:
  Leonard Gate, Lancaster

Notes:

Agnes could not write - she placed her Mark on the Birth Certificate of James Thomas.

Census:
Description: Cotton Weaver

Died:
Dec Q 1902 8e 512 Lancaster

Notes:

Description: at the time of James Thomas's birth.

FreeFormatDate:census

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: 1862; Cotton Mule Spinner

William + Alice LAWSON. Alice and died. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]