ALAN WHALLEY'S WORLD

DO any Parr greybeards remember Jimmy Hall the blacksmith?

If so, a descendant who is attempting to build-up his family history would be grateful for any details (apparently a rather shy student of family-tree matters, he asks me to withhold his identity).

But the young fellow, who hails from Sutton Oak, says: "I would be grateful if any of your readers could help with information, no matter how small."

And he supplies the following clues. James Hall (to give him his Sunday name) had a smithy in Newton Road, Parr, and also worked at Ashton's Green Colliery as a blacksmith.

James, who died in 1949, had two brothers. Richard Hall (died 1948) kept a shop in College Street, St Helens with wife Charlotte; and George Hall is believed to have lived in Greenfield Road.

ANYONE able to hammer out a fact or two about that old-time anvil man?

Converted for the new archive on 14 July 2000. Some images and formatting may have been lost in the conversion.