Page 3

Three sons of John and Hannah BERTWISTLE, of Higher Slade Farm, Padiham, came to live in Blackburn, for reasons which are not recorded.  The eldest, Thomas was a solicitor, the youngest James worked as an architect.  He was one of Miller‘s “Worthies of Blackburn“ and, as well as design work for Blackburn Railway station, he excavated at Ribchester and designed golf courses.  The middle son John continued the Padiham Bertwistle tradition by working as a joiner and cabinet maker. 

John BERTWISTLE married Mary WILKINSON in 1846 and their only son, John Thomas BERTWISTLE, born 1852, married Eliza DAWSON in 1875.  Five children were born, all of whom survived infancy and married, viz: Albert 1877, Mary Alice 1881, Ernest 1883, Harry 1886 and William (“Billy”) Dawson 189*.  The family are recorded at 67 Moss Street, Blackburn in the 1891 census.  

Ernest (Grandpa) BERTWISTLE, after basic schooling at St Michael’s Infants, and a part time apprenticeship in his father’s joinery business from 1896, volunteered in 1898 for the East Lancashire Regiment and subsequently served as a boy bugler in the South African War.  For this he was awarded the Campaign Medal 1900/01 and received a citation from the Mayor of Blackburn.

According to the East Lancs. Regimental History, the 30th, 40th and 47th were separately engaged in the first phase of the South African War: the 30th in General “Bob” Roberts’ march on Pretoria; the 40th at Spion Cop and the Relief of Ladysmith and the 47th in the defence of Kimberley.  Subsequently, after the flight of Kruger and the transfer of British command from Roberts to Kitchener in November 1900, all three Regiments were involved in the arduous guerrilla campaign which lasted until the Treaty of Vereening in May 1902.

Ernest BERTWISTLE was discharged on 24 July 1902, with the 1902 Orange Free State & Cape Colony clasp on his South African Star, and later became part of the Bugle Band of the East Lancs Territorials - he is the one leading the band on the occasion of the visit of Princess Louise to Blackburn in 1905 (picture 92 in Blackburn in Old Picture Postcards).

On 1 October 1908: Ernest BERTWISTLE, joiner of 6 Eastwood Street, Blackburn, married Elizabeth, daughter of John DOBSON, overlooker of 15 Cedar Street, Blackburn.  By 1912 Ernest & “Lizzie” BERTWISTLE were living at 10 Maple Street, next to his in-laws; one of three terraced houses left to his children by John DOBSON.  When his Mother used to boast that “Our Ernest has his own house,” she had to be tactfully reminded that it had been bought with Dobson money.

A daughter Mary (Mum) was born 9 July 1913.

On the outbreak of the Great War the East Lancs Territorials volunteered for overseas service, in order to release regular troops for the front line in France.  This measure took Ernest BERTWISTLE to Cairo for garrison duties and later to guard the Suez Canal when the Ottoman Turks allied themselves with Germany.  

In 1915 they were called on to support the military campaign in Gallipoli – a hair-brained attempt to win the war by attacking the soft-underbelly of Europe!  Fortunately the Territorials were not part of the initial landings and Ernest survived, although the experience permanently impaired his health and he was forever after a martyr to bronchitus.

During the war Lizzie kept up a steady stream of letters, and parcels of comforts, to Ernest.  Many of her letters, and some of his replies, as well as his War Diary, survive.  Despite sometimes not knowing if her “soldier laddie” was still alive to read her letters, thanks to wild rumours which arose on the streets of Blackburn, she gave him cheerful and encouraging reports from home.  Baby (Mum) had not forgotten her Daddy, Lizzie still loved him - and she reassures him by saying that there are, in any case, no decent men left in Blackburn because of conscription.  

There are flashes of her wicked sense of humour in comments about her mother-in-law’s propriety feelings towards Baby - your ma was told Baby looked just like me, which didn’t go down very well as you might imagine.  She records the apprehension of his brother Billy BERTWISTLE at the prospect of being called up and the equal apprehension his disabled brother Harry BERTWISTLE had of telling his possessive mother that he wanted to get married.  There is however pride when little Jimmy, son of Albert (who “disappeared“ to Australia), is called up.

Her own brothers were in the throes of developing “their invention” - the Dobson Reacher - and Jimmy DOBSON’s wife is said to be “all swank” and talking about having a lobby installed.  

Her own mother helps in the house but causes great consternation by loosing her glasses - eventually found to have dropped in the gruel!  

The letters from abroad, and the War Diary which Ernest BERTWISTLE kept, are sparse on details; he finds Cairo an exotic place, but reassures his wife that he is not taking advantage of the night life.  At the Dardanelles he is “living like a rabbit, and firing at Johnny Turk in the front line.  But despite the hardships, dangers and loss of close friends; there is no intimation that he ever had any doubts about the war itself, or what he was called upon to do.

Ernest BERTWISTLE left the Dardanelles at the end of December 1915 and, after service at the Suez Canal, where he was faced with controlling camels, he was discharged in April 1916, and arrived home on the 30th.  The rest of the war was spent as a Quartermaster Sergeant at Ripon, being deemed unfit for further active service.

A daughter Doris BERTWISTLE (Aunty Bertie) was born 12 February 1917.

After the war Ernest BERTWISTLE found employment with the Co-op Undertaking Department.  I remember seeing him with tears of laughter rolling down his face as he listened to the gramophone record of Leslie Sarony singing “Ain’t it grand to be bloomin’ well dead.”

His father died in 1919 and his Mother lived until 1932.  They are remembered as a close family with boisterous parties, particularly at New Year when they observed the custom of first footing - there is also a memory of the brothers juggling while washing up and a distraught Aunty Alice (Billy’s wife) wailing, “Oh mi pots!” to no avail.

But Harry BERTWISTLE died young in 1927 of influenza and the family parties were said to never be the same again.  Harry had been born with a turned foot, which his Mother refused to allow being operated on, in case it proved fatal.  She reportedly said when he died that she had fulfilled her promise to be always there for him.  Quite what his widow May made of that remark is not recalled.

Ernest BERTWISTLE was much in demand locally as a bass baritone, performing as a soloist in the Messiah, as well as party pieces at Masonics and other functions.  His​ repertoire featured songs made famous by Peter Dawson.  Ernest was himself a mason.  There is a story of him dealing with the Chief Constable of Blackburn in his professional capacity as an undertaker, and finding him a bit difficult, “until I gave him the handshake.”  He enjoyed his drink and his daughters soon realised that “Going out to check the time by Bastwell Clock” of “Having a word with the policeman on point duty” were euphemisms for the pub or club.  He was among friends who would carry him back to his doorstep if the need arose.