This looks like a ”Front Side Crew”; with iron furnace in the background and the gentleman in the centre seems to be standing over the sow channel for the molten iron. Far right hand side possibly foreman. Don’t think it’s No. 5 which was an altogether larger affair and tipped into ladles, not pig-beds, so it must be one of the earlier bank of 5 furnaces which have adorned quite a few postcards, but which furnace and why the occasion for a photograph?
It couldn’t be a steel furnace, because Skinningrove furnaces were Siemens-Martin Basic Open Hearth furnaces and they all tilted back to tap (and forwards to tip slag). The problem is that there are the right number of men to crew a steel furnace (and that seems to be the progression from right to left, foreman (The gent on the right is wearing a fob watch which would suggest pre-1918), then 1st hand through to 4th hand – this one is a real enigma – anybody out there who can shed some light on the situation? Ann Robinson tells the Archive: “The man on the far right is my grandad William Atkinson.”
Image courtesy of several sources, information courtesy of Eric Johnson; thanks to Ann Robinson for the update.
THE MAN ON FAR RIGHT IS MY GRANDAD. WILLIAM ATKINSON.
Hi Ann,
Is your Grandad William any relation to Alfred Atkinson my Grandad who also worked on the Blast Furnaces at Skinningrove. The name William runs in our family as it it my fathers name who also worked at Skinninggrove before emigrating to Rhodesia to work on a Steelworks there. My brother and my son’s middle name is also William. Alfred had two daughters Ethel and Mavis and two sons William (Bill) and Donald.
Hi Ann,
Is your Grandad William any relation to Alfred Atkinson my Grandad who also worked on the Blast Furnaces at Skinningrove. The name William runs in our family as it it my fathers name who also worked at Skinninggrove before emigrating to Rhodesia to work on a Steelworks there. My brother and my son’s middle name is also William.
Hi Tony
Alf Atkinson was my uncle and so Ethel and Mavis my cousins. My Mam was Alf’s sister. I remember my Mam telling me they had emigrated . was it a different name first.? Alf’s brother Jack and family also went just after Alf’s family. When they all came home we kept in touch with both families. My Mam was from a large family so i had quite a few Aunts and Uncles and cousins. Happy Memories. It’s a small world isn’t it. ?
Hi Ann,
Good to hear from you again and thanks for the info. really appreciate it. You are my only source to get obtain some family history. Jack and Madge lived on the same road as Alf very close to the steelworks. As far as i can remember Jack & Madge had one Daughter Eunice who married a manager on the Steelplant, and they had a daughter Lindsay who now lives in Leeds.I am not sure if you know the wherabouts of Jack & Ethel Taylor’s son who still lives in the Staithes area as far as i know. I am trying to get a copy of Alf’s army photo that used to hang on the dining room wall at 35 Seaton Cres, I would like to send it to Bill Danby who runs the 1/4th Batt. Yorkshire Regt. Website. Not sure if you know the whereabouts of Mavis Pope’s daughter also Mavis. Keep Well, Tony
You’ve definitely given me something to think about Tony!
Leave it with me and Ill get back to you as soon as possible, via your email address.
Ann
Hi Tony
Just wondering if you received my email with further information?
Ann