ANDREW PURCELL BARKER

A ndrew did not become a wood turner but staying loyal to wood became a French polisher.  This involved him in travelling to polish the woodwork of banks and public buildings and he used to stay in lodgings when he was away apparently having a number of nice little widows that he used to stay with.  (Kathleen Houghton).  He was very argumentative.  His daughter Edith said that they used to ignore him at home when he went on but his grandson Jack used to argue with him. (Kathleen Houghton)  He had the gift of the gab. (K H)  When he and his second wife (Cora Ibbetson married 1944) went to stay at 219.  K H thought that Cora was out of her depth with Andrew. Enid Rone-Clark said there was a lot of stuff in the Leighton Lane house – perhaps suggesting luxury items – including the attic. Andrew was a friend of the Yorkshire Post’s cartoonist. Andrew used to do the cooking when he was at home and the girls washed up.

He was a member of the 2nd West Yorkshire Engineer Volunteers at the turn of the century and perhaps beyond.  The volunteer forces became the Territorial Force in 1908.  The fact that Andrew was in France by April 1915 suggests that he remained a member of this force.  He was part of the Army Service Corps and the T before his service number indicates that he was involved with horse transport.  Horses were essential for transporting men, amunition, supplies etc.

Andrew went out to Canada to stay with his sister Rosamond and her husband John Greenwood with a view to emigrating as well.  There was plenty of work for French polishers with all the public buildings but Elizabeth would not go.