Church Party

The paper party hats of two people, suggest the photograph is of an older generation’s event, the clergy man in the middle means a Church do. But who, what and where; we ask for help to identify and to date: Sheila Harris (nee Potts) tells us: ” The clergyman is the Rev. G. Simpson, Anglican Rector of Loftus. The lady standing on the right next to the tall white-haired man is Alice Cowen, my grandmother’s aunt. She lived at 3, Chapel Row, Loftus.” Jennifer Housam tells us: ”The lady fourth from the right, second row from the back, just peeping through is my grandma; Mary Jane McLean. I know my grandma used to talk about going to the ’Bright Hour’. She died age 92 in 1970.” Eric Trembath tells us: ”The gentleman bottom row on left in dark suit is my great-grandfather William Arthur Trembath; a Cornish tin miner born 1851 in St Buryan Cornwall, the lady second row third from left looking over his shoulder is his wife Martha Ann Stainthorpe, a Loftus lass who he married in 1897 at Guisborough. They had five children, I always remember my grandad telling me he was very strict and they always refer to him as pa.” Whilst Steven Henderson advises: “Alice Cowen is my great grandmother her son William (Bill) was my grandad.”

Image courtesy of Pat Bennison and thanks to Sheila Harris, Jennifer Housam, Eric Trembath and Steven Henderson for the updates.