Reader Story
Pam Corps knew little of her father’s life or his family, but has discovered an astonishing story of master craftsmen who braved great peril on an overseas adventure. By Gail Dixon
Pam Corps has uncovered an astonishing tale of master craftsmen who braved danger on an overseas adventure
Gunfire had broken out around Holy Trinity Cathedral in Shanghai. It was 1925, and oppressed workers had risen up to shake an angry fist at the Chinese establishment. Two British craftsmen inside the cathedral kept their heads down and carried on working, despite the grave danger.
The men dodging the bullets were very close relatives of Pam Corps, who knew almost nothing of this drama until she began researching her tree. Why was such an intriguing story not spoken of around the kitchen table? As is so often the case, a family schism was to blame.
“My father Austin Jones deserted my mother when I was a baby, and didn’t have anything more to do with us,” explains Pam, who lives in Northenden, Manchester. “I was born in 1944, and it wasn’t unusual to be without a father then. So many men were away fighting, or had died in the war.
Paternal Mystery
“When I was about 10 years old I realised that there were no wedding photographs or pictures of Dad in the house. I felt curious, but I knew that Mum wouldn’t want to speak about him. My maternal aunt and grandmother lived nearby, and I got snippets of information from them.”
Pam’s mother was called Muriel Edwina Porter, and she married Austin Jones in 1934. The family lived in Prestwich in Manchester.
“My parents’ split was acrimonious, and life was tough for Mum. She had no formal qualifications, and was left on her own with two young children to support. She picked herself up, and managed to buy a small house in Heaton Chapel about 10 miles away from Prestwich. A single woman needed a male sponsor to get a mortgage, so one of her relatives stepped in to help.”
Muriel died in 2002, and after a few years Pam felt that the time was right to delve into her father’s family history. “I had been told that my paternal grandfather was born in Northamptonshire and that, at some point, he had made a trip to Shanghai. He also had a brother called Doyle, who became a Lakeland artist.
“I didn’t even see a photograph of my dad until 2004 when one was found among the effects of my aunt who had died.
“Fortunately, Dad was given the unusual name of Austin Edmond Campbell Jones, so he was easy to find on the 1911 census. He was born in 1909 in Carlisle, Cumbria.”
The 1911 census revealed Pam’s grandfather’s name, which was also Austin Jones. “It came as quite a surprise when I saw that he worked as an organ tuner.
“My grandfather Austin was born in Northampton in 1879, the son of a shoemaker. During the 1890s, my great grandfather moved the family to Cumbria, where he worked for the famous ‘K Shoes’ of Kendal.”
For some reason, Pam’s grandfather Austin decided not to follow in his father’s footsteps, and became an organ builder and tuner instead. He served his apprenticeship with Wilkinson
There were no wedding photographs or pictures of Dad in the house
& Sons organ works in Kendal before embarking on a long career with Harrison & Harrison, a firm located in Durham.
Austin travelled right across Britain tuning organs for his employer. This may have been how he met his first wife Alice Maude Davies, who lived in Haverfordwest, Pembrokeshire. They married in 1905 and moved to Carlisle, where they had three children, including Pam’s father.
Death From Tuberculosis
Sadly, Alice died in 1914 of tuberculosis leaving a young family. “My grandfather remarried, but Dad didn’t get on with his stepmother and left to live in digs when he was 15.”
Austin’s employer Harrison & Harrison is still in existence, and produces organs for cathedrals and music halls across the world. Pam wrote to the company asking if they had any information about her grandfather. To her delight, they replied “Yes, we have a lot if you want to come and see it.”
“I visited Harrison & Harrison in 2013, and they were so helpful. They presented me with copies of letters and other documents revealing when my grandfather was employed by them, and where he travelled to.”
Pam began delving into this treasure trove. “Mum had told me that ‘Grandpa Jones’ made a trip to Shanghai in 1925, and she was absolutely right. It was well documented in the records.
“There was a letter from the dean of Shanghai’s Holy Trinity Cathedral explaining how he had persuaded the church committee to spend £25,000 on a new organ. By this time, Austin was living
in Manchester and running his own organ works. Harrison & Harrison wanted to subcontract the work to him.
“The trip would take some months, and the company agreed that in Austin’s absence they would manage his works and support his family. His brother Doyle was to accompany him as an assistant. It was truly an amazing experience, diving into this trove of family history. It gave me quite a jolt to see my grandfather’s handwriting.”
A Fire At Sea
The two brothers embarked on their great adventure on 5 May 1925. “Austin wrote regularly to his employers, revealing the dangers that they faced. The first mishap occurred when their ship caught fire and some of the organ parts were destroyed. On arrival in Shanghai, all the brass fittings that had been sent on ahead had mysteriously disappeared, along with their Chinese interpreter.”
With the help of the expat community in Shanghai, Austin and Doyle recruited local workmen and new parts were
It was truly an amazing experience, diving into this trove of family history