The Yorkshire Nightingale

[ajinoz]

Gooday all, I'm almost an expat as my parents and families came from Sheffield and as a youngster in the 50's and 60's I spent a bit of time in the city. My uncle worked in the wholesale fruit and veg market so I used to go in with him at 4am or whatever some mornings. I have been in OZ (100kms north of Brisbane) since 1972 and on a recent trip out west to Charleville came across some info in the local historic house refering to a Nellie Jeffery from Attercliffe. She completed musical studies and was a singer with the above name. She became Mrs Connelly at some point and after the second world war came to Australia and settled in Charleville which would have been quite an adventure even then. I met a couple of elderly guys who can remember her giving singing lessons in the 50's and 60's in one of the church halls. Can anyone throw some light on this lady. I am some what interested as I am researching the family tree and have a number of missing people and maybe she could be one of them. Who knows!!!

[xenia]

A friend of mine is over 90 and was a landlady of pubs in the Attercliffe area during and after the war. She remembers Nellie who worked with her as an auxiliary nurse at what is now the Northern General Hospital.

 

Apparently Nellie had a lovely metzo soprano voice and could sing both classical and popular songs. Apparently one of her parents was killed in the blitz and after the war she married and as you state moved to Australia.

[ajinoz]

Hi Xenia Re Nellie could your friend give me an idea of when Nellie married then I'll have an idea of what dates to look up for the marriage. Also anything else she can remember about Nellie would be good. Where did she live and was she still at her parents place or anything like that. I will dig out the pictures I took of the info at Charleville and see if there is anything else that might help. Thanks Alan J

[HughW]

This might be her birth:

 

GRO Births MAR Qtr 1917

JEFFERY Nellie G (mother's maiden name: COOK*)

Sheffield 9c 1032

 

*the FreeBMD index says '****' but it is clearly COOK on the original.

 

One possible sibling for this Nellie;

 

GRO Births MAR Qtr 1914

JEFFERY Ada J (mmn COOK)

Sheffield 9c 1224

 

And this is likely to be their parents' marriage:

 

GRO Marriages SEP Qtr 1913

COOK Fanny (Jeffery) Sheffield 9c 1279

JEFFERY John C (Cook) Sheffield 9c 1279

 

There are no JEFFERYs in the published list of victims of the Sheffield blitz.

 

Hugh

[xenia]

The date of birth given by HughW sounds about right, my friend (90) says that Nelly was a little older than her.

 

The only other information I have is that although they worked together until about 1943 after that one of them took another job and they saw less of each other. Certainly there was no contact once Nelly moved to Australia.

 

I am a bit concerned that it seems a bit early to have erected a plaque to a woman who given reasonable health could only recently have died and whose contemporaries are in fine health. I hope we have the right woman.

[ajinoz]

HI All Have done a bit more research by looking closely at the photo's I took at Charleville in the historic house. One shows the Diploma from The London College of Music and the date is 14th December 1923. I would think she could have been around the 20 years old at that time. She was a Mrs Connelly by 26/4/1927 as there is a calling card with that date on it. Also another card showing an address of 132 Aleandra Rd, Heeley, Sheffield 2. I think Hugh's birth that he found may be a little on the late side and that her birth may have been around 1900 to 1905? But I could be on the wrong track. I look forward to your replies and Thanks Alan J in Oz

[xenia]

Clearly we have the wrong lady, the woman you identify cannot be the one that my friend thought was Mrs Connelly.

[esistsehrkal]

Hello,

 

Are you still looking for information regarding Nellie Connelly nee Jeffery?

I have further information / picture if you are interested, she was a good friend of my Mother and lived at Alexadra Road at the time we knew her before leaving for Australia. We kept in touch after that.

 

Regards,

 

J H

[ajinoz]

Hi JH Yes I am still looking for info re Nellie Connelly nee Jeffery. I have been overseas for three months hence my lack of reply earlier to you. I'm now back in the research mode again so any thing you have on Nellie would be much appreciated. Thanks in advance. Alan J

[retep]

1925 Dir.

Jeffery Miss Nellie- teacher of music- 47 Sturge Street. H.