"When I find a Salford story, I get a buzz..."
Local historian James Bancroft has unearthed lost Salford stories of heroism and tragedy, from the Anglo-Zulu War to the Titanic.
In this week’s newsletter, we look at the story of a local historian who has uncovered lost Salford stories from famous historical moments.
We also look at the travel disruptions that are expected in Salford this August, Weaste Pride raising over £2,000 for the Albert Kennedy Trust and Eccles group raising more than £2,750 from Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge.
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The local historian who has uncovered lost Salford stories
Whether you’re standing, sitting or resting in Salford, there is history all around you. Whether major or minor, an event of significance has happened in that spot. It is very rare for us to find out about those behind the historical moments, with memories often getting lost in history. A fear for many is being forgotten, which is why you see in cultures around the world people aiming to prevent that. This belief has been reflected in cultures such as Mexico. In tradition, the "second death" on the Day of the Dead refers to the belief that a person truly dies when they are forgotten by the living.
However, in this newsletter we are taking a much more community-based approach, as there is one member of the Salford community who is finding names and uncovering stories of those from the city, with a great deal of patience too.
James Bancroft is a local historian and author of many historical books, writing in the former house of Coronation Street star Eileen Derbyshire’s uncle. He has been able to retell stories and accounts across history and has even been able to uncover names from Salford too.
In the five decades James has been writing, he has produced over a hundred books and articles. The subjects reflect his varied interests, including military history and holders of gallantry medals, the history of sport, the Olympic Games, the Titanic disaster and American history including the Battle of the Alamo.
When I was greeted at his front door, I was welcomed into his home, which had his own books resting on the shelves, something I kept saying to him was “one of the coolest things I have ever seen.”
Growing up in Brindle Heath as a young child, before moving to Irlam as a teen, it seemed that his fascination with uncovering history started after watching a certain 1964 British epic historical drama film depicting the 1879 Battle of Rorke's Drift, Zulu.
“I went to Ford Lane, to the Scala Cinema, where the pictures used to be. I went to see the film The Magnificent Sevenfirst and thought to myself that all the heroes of the world are American.
“But then I saw Zulu, and the British Army on the screen, and I don’t know what happened, but it stuck with me from then.”
With a love of British military history, he began to delve into it much more. However, this wasn’t without his other interests also being involved.
“This all happened at the same time that I got in a band, and believe it or not, I was in a band called Blondie. They were massive in the 70s.”
I stood amazed for a second, until he joked: “We weren’t that band with the same name, but we were not them. We even had a girl with blonde hair in the band.
“They came over from America just as we were making a name for ourselves,” he added. “They came over in 1977, but I say that to people and they always ask if I was in that band, and I just laugh and say ‘no’.”
Despite his musical talents, he reaffirmed that he has always had a fascination with British military history. Getting up from the sofa, he walked over to his array of books and started telling me the stories of people from the City of Salford, including those in the Zulu War.
He opened the first book he had to show me, Defender of Rorke’s Drift 1879, by James Bancroft. He continued: “This book took me three years to complete. It took time, but I also wanted to do something that was a bit different. I wanted to use eye-witness accounts from the war.
“It was a challenge, as there were only previously five accounts, and I was able to find thirty, so I wrote it from that.”
But this book was also very nearly not published at all, as James recalled that it had been sent to ten publishing companies.
“One day my eldest son was having a serious asthma attack, and we were trying to settle him down, but at the same time three letters came through the door. I knew what they were.
“Obviously, at that point the letters from the publishers weren’t important. My focus was on my son, so we were taking him to Salford Royal, and I picked the letters up and put them in my coat pocket for a later date, as I assumed they were all ‘no, no and no’.”
With his son settled in hospital, he remembered the letters and decided to open them. Having already been rejected ten times, he thought nothing of it.
“So, the first two said no, and I was told they couldn’t imagine sales of over 1,000. But the thirteenth letter accepted it, and I was able to republish the book seven more times.”
His writing and publishing also featured a sweet moment of romance towards his wife, Tracey, as he showed me the small gesture he had included in the book, which he said was “so old it has got brown stain marks on the pages.” Good luck to anyone who works out the tribute, we laughed.
“When the book was released, we got six free copies. And when it was first delivered, I asked her to open the book and she looked for a while,” he chuckled.
Finding these stories and people is not without patience and time, as he added: “Some of the research process took a lot of time,” as he stood up once again to show me another collection of his own books.
He pointed at a book and told me about the time and effort it took to collate all the names in just one of his books about Rorke’s Drift. He added: “It took me 45 years to put all those names together, and closer to 50 years.”
This included the name William Beckett, who he was able to find through his own knowledge about Salford and Manchester barracks and infantry.
James said: “The documents said he had signed up for the army in Manchester, but he couldn’t have done, as he signed up as an infantryman, which was in Salford, and that led me to check.
“He was signed to Duncan Street, and there is only one Duncan Street in the North West, and it is in Salford. That took me to Salford local history, and I was able to find his family history.
“So now I check all the soldiers signed into Manchester, and it keeps me checking. A lot of people send me information too, which is helpful. But when I find that Salford reference and uncover a Salford story, I get a bit of a buzz and excitement.”
But this ability to find information from one event in British history wasn’t limited to just one subject, as he got up from the chair once again to show me another interest he has delved into – the Titanic.
He showed me the index of the book, with pages and pages linked to the city of Salford and the maiden voyage of the Titanic. He was even kind enough to share a story about Salford-born Arthur Gee, from his book Titanic: The Manchester Connections.
Arthur boarded the new luxury liner RMS Titanic on 10 April 1912 for a business trip to Mexico on its maiden voyage. On the night of 14 April 1912, the ship collided with an iceberg in the North Atlantic Ocean and sank about three hours later, with the loss of over 2,000 lives, including Arthur.
Arthur was born on 21 March 1865 at 25 Bolton Road, Irlams o’ th’ Height, Pendleton, Salford, the son of Giles Gee, who was a calico print dyer, and his wife Amelia (formerly Crosby). He studied at Manchester Grammar School and attended the United Methodist Sunday School in Pendleton. He was also a member of the chapel choir.
It is recorded that when he was leaving to board the doomed ship, his dog acted strangely, as if it detected danger and tried to stop him from going. During the voyage he kept a diary in the form of an eight-page letter, which recorded the daily mileage of the ship, details about the food and the people he met.
Arthur was reported to be a strong swimmer, but he drowned in the sinking. His body was recovered and was one of the very few to be repatriated. His funeral took place on 18 May at St John’s Church on the Height in Salford, and he was buried in the grave next to his father. The gravestone stood for some time but has now been removed and the area has been grassed over.
As he continues his work in semi-retirement, he shared what motivates him. James said: “I do get excited by finding the historical moments and people when doing my research. The only way I can explain what I do is like fishing. How does fishing affect someone else’s life?
“It is a hobby, but my hobby of writing and playing music I have been able to turn into a lengthy career. Although they aren’t interested in the history research, my family have been involved.”
Pointing to the window, he added: “I have watched the world change through the window.” And despite his semi-retirement, he continues to keep one eye on the past and one eye on the future. It will be interesting to see who and what he finds next.
Eccles group raises more than £2,750 from Yorkshire Three Peaks challenge
A group of men from Eccles has completed the Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, raising more than £2,750 for a local mental health charity.
The 11 men completed the challenge on Saturday July 12 in under 10 hours.
The fundraiser was in aid of Eccles charity Cleaner and Dryer (CAD), set up following the death of much-loved father, Chris Drysdale who took his own life due to depression. Read more here.
Eight-year-old from Eccles raises £1,500 for St Ann’s Hospice selling loom bands
An eight-year-old from Eccles has been putting in a tireless effort to make and sell hundreds of loom bands for £1 in aid of St Ann’s Hospice.
The schoolboy, Kai Spencer, has been making the bands and supporting the hospice as his dad, Craig, spent the last seven weeks of his life at St Ann’s in Little Hulton. Read more here.
Travel disruptions expected for Salford residents this August
Travel disruptions on the tram network expected for Salford residents as essential engineering works are set to take place this August.
Disruptions will be expected, as essential engineering works will also take place at Pomona and on the Eccles line between Saturday 2 and Sunday 10 August. Read more here.
Quadrophenia fever hits Salford as the cast of the show visit the iconic Salford Lads Club
Quadrophenia fever has hit the city as the cast of the show visited the iconic Salford Lads Club while performing at the Lowry this July.
The cast visited the world-recognised Salford building, a clash of pop culture as they performed Quadrophenia: A Mod Ballet at the Lowry – a story inspired by guitar-smashing rock genius Pete Townshend’s song Quadrophenia. Read more here.
What’s On in Salford this week
🖼️ A new free family exhibition celebrating the work of one of Britain’s most popular writers and illustrators, Quentin Blake, is to open at Lowry this summer. Hosted from Saturday 19 July until the Saturday 4 January, the exhibition will allow guests to be immersed in Blake’s magical world being offered fun interactives, and games to play. Find out more here.
💃 Dance Yourself Dizzy - Ladies of Salford are being encouraged to polish their dancing shoes, and dance till they’re dizzy. Hosted on Friday, the dance night will be hosted from 7:30pm till 11:30pm. Find out more here.
🏉 Salford Red Devils will travel to Yorkshire, as they are set to take on Leeds Rhinos this Friday night, as they look to maintain their winning form after securing their second win of the campaign. Find out more here.
Our photo of the week: Old Bulls Head - Greengate 1891
The "Old Bulls Head" in Salford has a rich history, particularly during the 1800s. Originally built around 1590, it served as a pub until its demolition in the late 1930s.
During the 19th century, the pub was a prominent fixture on Greengate.
The licence was held by the Gregory family for over 60 years until 1893. In the late 1800s, it was acquired by Threlfalls and subsequently replaced by a larger building due to the growing town.
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