I knew little about my great-aunt Lillian, born 140 years ago today, and to be honest, still don’t really know anything beyond the bare research, which underlines the need to talk to family about family, and more importantly, to listen when they talk!

I recall my dad and mum kept in touch with Lillian’s daughter Barbara over the years, though mainly via the Christmas card letter as I don’t recall ever meeting her. My dad would talk fondly of Barbara, who was effectively a generation older than he and had lived away from the Halifax area all her life.

Lillian was born on 1 December 1883 to Rachel (née Heptinstall) and James Normington Mills, a plumber and glazier. Lillian had 7 older sisters and an older brother, Edgar (another brother, Thomas, had died as an infant in 1871.) She would be joined by two more, younger sisters in the next 5 years, Annie Beatrice (known as Beattie, I think) and Amy Florence, my grandmother. The family was living at 36 Gibbet St, Halifax at this time. The house has gone but here’s number 38.

It seems the house might have been a victim of James’ bankruptcy in early summer 1883. By 1891 the family has moved to 63 North Parade. Lillian’s 4 eldest sisters are all in various sewing jobs – dressmaker, tailoress and two sewing machinists – a genetic talent I seem to have missed out on!

1901 sees Lillian and 5 sisters at 14 Villiers Street. Lillian has bucked the sewing trend and is a cashier among the remaining carpet-sewers or winders and undie-stitchers.

On 18 December 1904 Lillian marries newsagent James Butterworth Blackett in Halifax. There is an announcement on p8 of the Halifax Guardian on 24 December. Their first child, Herbert, is born in 1905.

Less happily, on 6th March 1906 Lillian’s mum Rachel has a operation for gallstones. Sadly, she died on 15th March, aged 59, with cause of death given as cholelithisasis exhaustion following the operation.

Lillian and James’ second child, Barbara, arrives on 5 December 1909 and both children are christened on 16 January 1910 at St Mary’s, Halifax. Lillian’s family are living at 7 Villiers Street, (just down the road from her parental home at no 14) and they are still there in the 1911 census. Two more sons, Norman and Laurence arrive in 1911 and 1915.

The family has moved to Chester by 1921 and James is now a foreman working for W H Smith (Liverpool) . At least one more move takes them to 31 Hillcrest Avenue in Northampton, by this time, just James, Lillian and Barbara. James is a branch manager and Lillian listed in the usual format ‘Domestic duties’. Barbara is a clerk.

Lillian lives long enough to see peace return, but dies at home in Northampton on 20 December, 1945, survived by James (d.1959).