James Critchley, baker of St Helens

 James Critchley of St Helens (1863 to 1923)

Mollie wrote:

"My grandfather died in 1923, so I never knew him. But he does seem to have been the father of a happy, well-balanced family, often taking them to the Isle of Man for. holiday. He would let them wanter freely in  one of the glens and blow a whistle when he wanted them. It was there my mother acquired her taste for oysters."

 "My grandfather, along with a certain James Smith (known as 'Bread Uncle Jim') had owned and run a bakery business in Crowther Street. Grandfather did the baking and Uncle Jim did the delivering with horse and 'van', taking bread and buns to houses as well as shops. Uncle Jim had married my grandmother's sister, Auntie Lizzie, but I never knew her as she died before my time."

Jim Critchley right, photographed with some of his boys. Possibly they are in one of the Glens on the Isle of Man, having responded to his whistle. At a guess the boys are Jim in the centre, William on the left and George on the right.