Mexborough and Swinton Times, January 15, 1937
Two Sets of Four Generations United.
Eric and Harry Chapel, or Mexborough aged four years and 2 ½ years respectively are in the unique position of having great-grandparents on their mothers and their father’s side. They are the sons of Mr and Mrs J Chapel, 6 Hope St, Mexborough.
Mrs Chapel, all before her marriage six years ago was Miss Annie Bacon, is the oldest daughter of Mrs Susanna Bacon, 8 John St, Mexborough. Mr Bacon who was a fireman on the railway, was killed in an accident several years ago. Mrs Bacon is the daughter of Mrs Annie Smeaton (73) who lives with her daughter in John Street. She has lived there for over 50 years.
Mrs Smeaton was born at the National schoolhouse, apparently Mr and Mrs Thomas Wagstaff. Her father worked at the brick and pipe works in West Road, and he later took over the licence of the Royal Oak Hotel. Mrs Smeaton can remember fetching water in the old days from a pump at the quarry, where Cromwell Road and Hampton Road now are, and take it round to the houses to sell at 1d per bucket.
She can remember the Mexborough station being built, and particularly can she recall the night when the bridge on Station Road over the canal gave way while it was being built and fell into the canal.
She can recurred elect the days when two glasshouses and the foundry stood at the bottom of Hope Street, where her great-grandson’s now live. Mrs Smeaton’s mother and father were both born at Conisbrough, and were married there.
Mr John Chappell, the father of the two boys is the eldest son of Mr and Mrs GW Chappell, who live at 6 Woodfield Ave, Mexborough. Mr TW Chappell has a newsagent shop in Albert Road. Mr Chappell came to Mexborough from Kiveton Park about 28 years ago, and took over the shop he now occupies about 21 years ago. His father Mr Thomas Chappell, who was born at Pocklechurch, Gloucestershire, 85 years ago, now lives in Station Road, Kiveton Park. He has been a Methodist local preacher for 50 years, and has been a Sunday school teacher for well over 40 years. He went to Kiveton Park to work at the colliery there about 56 years ago.