Jimmy Bather

These notes are the memories of Jack Halstead.
Sue, his daughter is showing him the pictures and writing down the memories that the image brings.

Jimmy Bather took over the bookkeeping at Mason, West and Bathers Mill (Kingsmill) after the death of John Robert Halstead in 1932.

John Robert Halstead, my dad's beloved grandfather, worked as the book-keeper there for decades and he and Dodie Mason were as good as friends could be, given the fact that one was an employee and the other the boss!
In 1932, there was some union activity occuring at the mill...and ultimately a strike. Lizzie Halstead and Edmond Halstead, my dad's aunt and uncle - John Robert's children, walked off the job.....along with most other employees. Apparently, Dodie was livid and threatened all employees with 'the sack'. After a few days (details sketchy here) Dodie went to John Robert, who was in a very difficult position, one would guess, and said "If tha kinder wain't work...then tha' shalt not either. Get home wi' ya ... a've gi'n tha job to Bather's boy".
John Robert was devastated and ashamed. My father remembers him coming home and lying on the couch (unheard of!) and being very pale. My father used to drop in every day after work (he worked in a mill by then too) to see his grandparents.
The story is that the next day, JR got up, washed and shaved...and put on his best suit...walked to Burnley and lined up at the Labour Exchange. A proud man, dreadfully done by.
He died the next day. My father, to this day, says he died of a broken heart...and that Dodie killed him.