Family history society is marking its 40th year

Sue is among members of Bradford Family History Society - which is 40 years old this year - who have traced relatives through their research.

“Bradford is such a diverse city with people who have come here from all over the world,” she says. “One of my ancestors did the opposite and travelled to Australia in 1862 to make a life there.”

An agricultural labourer and cattle dealer living in Yeadon, George Starkey was Sue’s first cousin five times removed on her paternal grandmother’s side.

Sue Steel alongside a plaque to her relatives who were the first settlers in Mudgeeraba (Image: submitted)

In 1862 he, his wife Amelia Ann (nee Robinson) and their three young sons travelled to Queensland, Australia. At the time settlers in Australia were in demand and were ‘promised’ land.

“It would have been a great opportunity to acquire land for himself and hopefully wealth,” says Sue. “The family travelled on the ship ‘Sultana’ as assisted travellers which meant their passage was subsidised and they travelled on specially chartered ships.”

For the next 20 years George and Amelia lived on the south banks of the Brisbane River in Queensland. They leased and bought land, having a successful cattle rearing business, despite being accused of cattle stealing in 1870 and 1871. “George’s son, Edward Robinson Starkey, aged 19, was found guilty and spent three years in penal servitude,"says Sue.

In 1882, Edward Robinson Starkey and his brother Frederick William Starkey moved inland to Mudgeeraba and were selected for land there.

“If the men lived and improved the land for five years it became their freehold property," Sue explains. "George and Amelia joined them shortly afterwards. The family was one of the first settlers in the area, alongside the families of Laver, Davenport and Rossiter. It was Frederick William Starkey and his younger brother Walter Brook Starkey who improved and expanded the town, whilst Edward Robinson Starkey eventually moved back to Yorkshire and Harrogate.”

In Mudgeeraba there is a park, Elsie Laver Park, which has a memorial wall celebrating the lives of the first settlers including George, Amelia and their three sons.

“I was fortunate to visit the town myself in 2016, as well as spending a few hours in Queensland Archives in the nearby Gold Coast," says Sue. "Local documents, published local history books and articles in Australian newspapers were among the records that helped put together their story so many years after they settled there.”

Over the years Bradford Family History Society has helped and encouraged people in discovering more about their roots.

Run by volunteers with a passion for family and local history, the aim of the society is to promote family history by education, mutual assistance, demonstrations, lectures, excursions and any other means.

The society was founded in 1982 by a small group of individuals attending a course in family history run by the late Philip Rushworth, its first chairman.

From its inception, the group has grown from strength to strength, now having more than 400 members, mainly living locally, but as far afield as Australia, New Zealand, Canada and Europe.

“We hold meetings twice a month, some by Zoom and others a mixture of Zoom and face to face at the Mechanics Institute on Kirkgate, Bradford,” says Sue, who is the group’s chairman.

To celebrate its 40th anniversary the group is holding a weekend of activities at Aldersgate Methodist Church, Low Moor and The Guide Post Hotel, Low Moor, on Saturday October 1 and Sunday 2.

“On October 1 we will be having talks on Bradford from George Sheeran and Peter Higginbotham, both well-known local historians,” says Sue. “George will be talking on the housing for the working people and Peter on the workhouses and children’s homes in Bradford. He has a wonderful website on the subject, workhouses.org.uk . There will be workshops in the afternoon and displays from local history societies to visit during breaks.

On Sunday three local trips are taking place: Undercliffe Cemetery, Saltaire or a tour around Bradford City Centre. Then after lunch there are talks with Janet Senior and Jackie Depelle, again well-known local and family historians. Janet will be speaking on schools in Bradford and Jackie on family history in general.

Society members visiting Undercliffe Cemetery (Image: submitted)

The society is also having a formal dinner on the Saturday evening when Lesley Ellis - who appeared in the BBC TV series ‘Back In Time For Tea’ - will be its after-dinner speaker.

“We will be producing bookmarks celebrating Bradford with information on buildings and people that have made the city great. These will be sent to members in June with the quarterly magazine Bod-Kin,” says Sue.

New members are very welcome to join the society.

Adds Sue: “Carrying out the research on the life story of George and Amelia and seeing the houses they helped to build, such as the general store, has taken me to the other side of the world. Researching family history can be fascinating, as you just never know where you will end up or what you may find."

Full details about Bradford Family History Society, its meetings, membership and events can be found at bradfordfhs.org.uk/projects.