Walter Dack Brelstaff was born, 1903, in the Workhouse which, in the course of time, became the Guisborough General Hospital, where he died in the year 2000. By birth he was a Guisborian, by trade a compositor, by nature a Co-operator, by experience a principled Union man. Had his start in life been more auspicious he would have made good at university. As it was, his feeling for language, literature and typographical design grew day by day through a long, practical life. His first essay in local history, a compilation in typescript from published sources upto 1936, was on Guisborough Priory. A history of the Guisborough Provident Industrial Society (otherwise The Co-op) entitled A Shop up Town was his last. Between the two, there was much reserach in the course of WEA and extra-mural classes, forming his contribution to Guisborough Before 1900.
The Walter Brelstaff Archive consists of his research notes and the images he collected over more than fifty years.
Hi John,
ReplyDeleteDo you have any knowledge in your fathers papers of Henry William Thomas who was involved in the M & G Railway in around 1852. I have a silver tea set award to him in recognition of his help with the railway and I wanted to find out anything I can about him.
My family are from the area and my Grandmother was in Guisborough workhouse around 1890.
Regards
Robert
Robert