Mexborough and Swinton Times July 29, 1938

Wombwell Murder Recalled
Grand Old Aldham Couple

Mr John Stephenson of 56, Aldham Cottages, Barnsley Road Wombwell, and his wife Millicent, have made a notable contribution to, posterity in that they have ten children living, numerous grand-children and have just become the head, of four generations. They nothing to regret because they will tell you that there is much joy than trouble in having children, and that there is much more happiness in a large family than a small one.

“I love them all,” said Mrs. Stephenson, alluding to her children, grand-children and grandchildren, “and could not spare one of them”.

Mrs. Stephenson’s “babies” ages now total 325 years. The oldest, Miriam (Mrs. Morley, 38, jowett Street, Thornton Road, Bradford) is 45 and the youngest, George, is 18. George is the only one not married. Not one of their children has been lost in infancy, and there has only been one break in the family chain, that was when one of their daughters died after marriage. They wonder if there is another family in Wombwell with a better record. “We have had our little squabbles like all other people with a large family”, said Mrs. Stephenson,” but they have soon blown over”. Mr. and Mrs. Stephenson are not of the romantic novelette type, but they agree that they have had a happy-married-life and have much to be thankful for. “We have always pulled together”, she said simply. Mr. Stephenson, who never before had experienced the novelty of being interviewed by a newspaper reporter, looked on with a puzzled expression and said it was true what Millicent said.

Mrs. Stephenson, a motherly type who agrees with the old fashioned idea of a mother’s place in the household, gently rocked a cradle with her foot. In it, was the baby of her 23 years old daughter

The cradle is nearly fifty years old and  all her children from the oldest to the youngest have been “reared” in it. She said her children had often told her to have it chopped np for fire-wood but she had never been able to bring herself to do it. She thinks cradles are much more comfortable for small babies than either cots or prams

Mr. Stephenson had a hard life as a boy. He was born “somewhere in Scotland.  ” He was brought to West Yorkshire as a child started working in the mine, moved to Wombwell were there was more money to be earned. It was there he met Mrs Stephenson, who was the daughter of William Godley of Broomhill. As a girl Mrs Stephenson went round the district was the basket selling greengrocers.

The couple have lived all their married life in Aldham cottages, variously known as Spion Kop, and “Flying Poker Road.”

The incident by which came to get its unenviable lame as well recalled by them because they figured in it. Mrs Swann,  one of the residents struck a neighbour on the nose with a poker with such force that she was almost killed. Mr Stephenson rush to the aid of the injured woman and Mrs Stephenson held a bucket to catch the blood, fainting in the road as she did so. This recalls the Gallagher and Swan murder stop

Mrs Swann and Gallagher the latter were shortly afterwards hanged for murder Mr Swann – the first last time a woman and man have hanged under such circumstances

“Flying Poker Road” has persisted to the present day, though now it is an eminently respectable neighbourhood

Mr Stephenson started work at eight years of age when he retired through no fault of his own – at 65 have been employed at Mitchell Main without break for 45 years. He has always taken a glass of beer but never taken too much.

Having become great-grandparents they are now looking forward to their next wedding is not too far ahead