During the First World War the Sheffield Works Societies
had a Convalescent Home in Starkholmes[1],
in a property that was next to the White Lion and opposite the
Starkholmes War Memorial[2].
The chairman of the Sheffield Works Societies' Association was,
in 1914, Mr. Arthur Balfour who was also a master cutler. In a
letter to The Times, written from their headquarters in
Cutlers' Hall, he explained that when the National Insurance Act
(1911) had come into force it was felt that it would destroy the
yard and sickness clubs that had been in force in Sheffield for
a great number of years. These clubs were managed by the men and
their committees was made up of volunteers. Mr. Balfour added that
it had been decided to form work societies under the Act, and 33
of the large works in Sheffield had adopted the scheme. In 1914
there were over 10,000 members and the societies were in a good
and financially sound position[3].
The sender of the top card was a Mr. Oswald Ward,
a Tramway Motor Man who lived in Sheffield with his wife and daughter[4].
He was recuperating at the Convalescent Home. In the image itself
are several males. Nearest the gate in the wall is a white bearded
gentleman wearing a boater who appears to be reading, another man
is standing beside the deck chairs to the left of the front door
and on the far right is man standing on a side lawn. At
the corner of the house is another man with a young child who is
talking to someone sitting in a wheelchair.
All the men in the photograph below, or most of them, were
also convalescing in Derbyshire having after paid into the scheme.
Miss G. Watts, the woman standing behind the third deck chair
from the right, was the matron and G. Slack was the secretary[1].
 |
Before it became a Convalescent Home the property was known as Chindras
House and had been the home of Mr. John Fisher, who died on the
20th June, 1904, aged 82[5].
He had built Chindras in 1882[6].
An obituary notice said the " Deceased,
who was a native of Starkholmes, owned property in the neighbourhood,
where for 20 years he has lived in retirement. His life had been
a most adventurous one. Whist working at the Liverpool Docks in
his early days he invented a screw propeller, one of the first
of its kind, and it was put upon her Majesty's ship, Fairy. But
Mr. Fisher was a poor man, and unable to find the money to float
his invention, he accepted an offer to go out on a ship as an engineer
to the East Indian Islands. Most of his life was spent in Singapore,
where he had an engineer's shop, and the Malay Peninsular. He was
the first engineer out in Singapore, and on one occasion repaired
the Alabama"[7].
He had lived with Margaret Amelia Skinner, who was one of the Executors
of his Will[8]. Miss Skinner
was still living at Chindras House in 1911[9] but
by the beginning of 1912 Chindras House was advertised as being
available to let. It was described as being a suitable for residence
for a company house, with about 11 acres of land and modern conveniences[10].
Whilst it is not known quite when the Convalescent Home opened, it
can be assumed that it perhaps opened in 1912. By 1919 some 670
patients had benefited from the care provided[11].
In 1921 the Chindras House Home was proving too small for the Association's
needs and, as it was going to be too expensive to enlarge[12],
the property was offered for sale[13].
The Convalescent Home moved to Stubbin Edge Hall at Ashover, opening
there in 1922[12].
Miss Watts, the matron shown in the second image, passed away in
1929[14].
John Joseph Lynch of Hy-Brasail, a retired Customs and Excise Officer,
bought the house in 1926[15].
It was divided into at least two flats and in 1939 Francis D Ford,
an ARP Warden, and Frances Rose Ford were in one part of the property
whilst Sarah A Hardy was in another part[16].
Chindras Cottage was then occupied by James Smith and family[17].
The Lynch family sold the house in 2007[6];
it has been demolished in recent years.
Photographed in 2006, the year before the house
was sold by the Lynch family.
|