Jessie Alice Mastin of Sheffield (1924)

Jessie was born on 5th September 1903 at 161, Hanover Street, Ecclesall Breilow, Sheffield. She was the daughter of Frank Ernest Mastin and Lillian Mastin (née Jinkinson). I have no record of her early life - a lot of photographs of her early years, but not of when or where they were taken. There is nothing of her early life, as to what schools she went to other than for the most part it must have been a school at Hathersage. She must have moved with the family to Ranby Road, then to the various addresses around Hathersage. There is a photograph of her in Girl Guide uniform in her teen years and the background looks like Hathersage.

Note (J.B.):
When Ken was born in 1926 in Leeds, I do not think she went with the family, as I never heard her speak of having been to Leeds, but she spoke a lot of Hathersage and Brigsley.

Most of her early working life was ‘in service’, at Bridge House Bakewell and at the Boarding House of Lady Manners School, Bakewell, where she was cook. (The housemaster at the time was Mr R. A. Harvey who also taught J.B. when he attended Lady Manners School in the 1940’s). Adam Mowatt was gardener there and he was a witness at her wedding. J.B. also believes she worked at Rowdale Farm, Longstone, where she met Frank Beresford, but there is no proof of this.

After marriage to Frank Beresford at Great Longstone on the 9th December 1933, they lived at Mount Pleasant, Ashford-in-the-Water, where John Beresford was born on the 1st February 1935. In 1936, they moved to The Hunting Tower at Chatsworth House. J.B. believes they moved so that Frank was nearer to his work at Chatsworth. The life at the Hunting Tower must have been difficult - it is, even now, a very isolated place, and at that time there was no gas or electricity, only one range to cook on. No central heating! Jessie's parents and Ken lived also with her for some time around 1939-40. In the Tower there are only four rooms one on top of the other.

In 1940, she moved to Beeley and was there until 1944 when again moving to Pilsley to a much better house. At Pilsley, she saw another war end with the VE day celebrations and then VJ Day, and later the Coronation of Queen Elizabeth with celebrations in the village.

After Frank Beresford's death in 1968, my mother continued to live in the house at Pilsley, but found it difficult to maintain and keep warm in winter. Fortunately her family was able to get her in a warden flat at Barrow Hill, Chesterfield in 1976 where they could be closer together. She lived in the flat until her death in 1986. She is buried with her husband in Edensor Churchyard.

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