Interesting forebears

We’ve been having trouble identifying the parents of one of the Volunteers, Harry Pollard. He was brought up by Binns Hartley and his wife Sophia Annie (nee Pollard). That Harry was some close relation of Sophia’s is almost certain, but quite what their precise kinship was is eluding us at present. What we do know is that Sophia Annie had a brother with the name Feargus O’Connor Pollard. Very unusual, I’m sure you’ll agree.

It gets even more unusual when you find out that the Volunteer William Birch Holmes had a great-uncle called Feargus O’Connor Holmes.

What is it with Feargus O’Connor you may be thinking. For the answer to this and why we’ve come to the conclusion that the Pollard and Holmes families shared the same radical political views, take a look at the articles on Chartism on the Farnhill and Kildwick History Group site.

If you would like to help us research the lives of all 68 of the Farnhill WW1 Volunteers, please email us.