An appropriate day to mention Booth's Yard, Pudsey, which Hawke mentioned a short while ago.
Today is the 96th anniversary of Major Booth's death on the Somme during the first day of the Battle of the Somme.
Hawke, you posed the question did we believe that Booth's Yard was named in memory of Major Booth and I responded that we did.
I read somewhere - can't recall where offhand - that that was the case.
In fact it seems to be named after his father's grocery shop, which stood and successor premises still stand, I believe, on the corner of the alley.
I stumbled across the attached picture when looking at Booth's army records on the CWGC website. That gave Booth's parents names as James and Louise and their address as Town End House, Pudsey.
Searching 'James Booth', I found details of a set of photos, hopefully linked, with details of Major's parents, named as James and Louisa [not Louise] and two sisters and one brother of Major. One sister is Sarah, who is the one usually thought to have kept the candle lit for Major's return after the war, and her date of death is unknown, it seems. The other's is listed as 1959.
Major's father was shop manager for his uncle and later bought the premises, leaving them on his death to Major's brother, also named James.
Much more research needed here! I'm having a rest to watch the ODI.


Link: Booth's yard

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