| AdminHistory | Arthur Fisher was born on 22 Jun 1884 at 17 Court, Scotland Street, Sheffield. His father was William Henry Fisher, a table blade grinder, and his mother was Ellen Fisher (nee Duke). He worked for Robert Slack who owned a confectionery works in Scotland Street.
At the beginning of the war, he was transferred from Slack's to munitions work at Hadfields Limited where he stayed until he enlisted on 10 Dec 1915 and joined the Royal Garrison Artillery. He enlisted as a Private and was promoted to Gunner. When he enlisted, he gave his mother as his next of kin and stated his address was 1/7 Albert Terrace Road.
He was badly wounded during the 1918 offensive when both legs were blown off by a shell. His life was saved by a transfusion of three pints of blood freely given by an unknown Scottish soldier who was wounded at the same time.
When he was discharged from hospital, Arthur and his fiancée Annie (née Bell) were married at Walkley Parish Church in Sheffield in 1919.
Hadfields offered Arthur a post for life with the Sheffield firm. However, he went to work at Painted Fabrics, a company set up to offer employment to disabled ex-servicemen who had suffered physical and psychological injuries during the War.
Annie and Arthur lived at 3 Painted Fabrics, Meadowhead, Norton and their daughter Nancy was born there in 1923.
Nancy Fisher married Herbert Blackburn in 1944 and they had a daughter, Christine Blackburn (later Bell).
Arthur became bedridden in the last years of his life but Annie and Nancy would often push him in his wheelchair to Graves Park to watch the men playing bowls.
The British Limbless Ex-Service Men's Association (BLESMA) granted Arthur a specially adapted Morris Minor car a few years before he died but as he was not well enough to drive it for long, a nephew would drive him out in it. Some of his favourite places to visit were Blackpool and Boston in Lincolnshire, where he used to enjoy sitting by the river.
Arthur Fisher died 29 Nov 1957 aged 73 and Annie died in April 1985 aged 91. Both are buried in Abbey Lane Cemetery.
Arthur was still living at Painted Fabrics when he died, with Annie staying there until the mid- 1960's when she was rehoused in a council flat. Her final years were spent in an old people's home. |
| CustodialHistory | Donor's grandfather was Arthur Fisher. |