(©2020 Pete Ryan)
William and Jane O'Donnell at their home in Lawrence Gardens in 1970. This photograph is by Bernard Fallon and was included in an exhibition of the photographer's work at the Conservation Centre in 2008. It also featured in his book Bernard Fallon's Liverpool: Photographs 1966-1974. The family of the late William and Jane had no idea that such an image existed until the publication of the book.
Their descendants are fierce and proud Scousers and are especially proud of their Scotland Road origins, so they were both pleasantly surprised and outraged at the inclusion of the photograph.
The outrage came from the caption/description attached to the photograph labelled 'Shawlie', which depending on most interpretations is nearly always denigrating. The image went on to be included in the Terence Davies' film, Of Time and the City. Jane or Mam O'Donnell as she was known by all, worked all her life, from domestic servant in Liverpool's large Georgian mansion houses to cleaning the floors of local department store, Clarksons, on Scotland Road. She was born in 1881 in the Holy Cross area of Vauxhall to Sarah (nee-Brady) and Thomas Murphy, she married William O'Donnell in Holy Cross church in 1906. William lived in the Kempson Street area off London Road and went away to sea all his life.
When they were first married times were hard and it was a struggle, Mam O'Donnell would not see William for months on end as he sailed to the far flung ports around the world; she would find it tough with small children to take care of and have to put food on the table. Every spare hour she got she went out to work, her mother, Sarah, looking after the children until she got home exhausted, but with something with which to feed her family.
After living with her mother and father for a couple of years in Marybone Jane and William moved into a new tenement block in Rachel Street, off Cazneau Street. They lived here right up to the late 1970s, they were the last to leave on their block as the tenements were being demolished to make way for the new Kingsway Tunnel. They moved to Lawrence Gardens, another tenement block across the road in Horatio Street. Mam O'Donnell passed away in the spring of 1971, aged 89. She is interred at Ford Cemetery along with her husband William who died in 1976, aged 96.
Shortly after this photograph was taken, Mam O'Donnell posed for Liverpool Echo photographer, Eddie Barford. Mr Barford's photo accompanied a story by Margaret Farrall titled 'The Queen of Lawrence Gardens.' Jane was presented with a huge bouquet from the Echo. Naturally Mam O'Donnell's family were quite aware of that interview and photograph taking place and were extremely proud to see her appear in 'The Echo.' (©2020 Pete Ryan)
William and Jane O'Donnell at their home in Lawrence Gardens in 1970. This photograph is by Bernard Fallon and was included in an exhibition of the photographer's work at the Conservation Centre in 2008. It also featured in his book Bernard Fallon's Liverpool: Photographs 1966-1974. The family of the late William and Jane had no idea that such an image existed until the publication of the book.
Their descendants are fierce and proud Scousers and are especially proud of their Scotland Road origins, so they were both pleasantly surprised and outraged at the inclusion of the photograph.
The outrage came from the caption/description attached to the photograph labelled 'Shawlie', which depending on most interpretations is nearly always denigrating. The image went on to be included in the Terence Davies' film, Of Time and the City. Jane or Mam O'Donnell as she was known by all, worked all her life, from domestic servant in Liverpool's large Georgian mansion houses to cleaning the floors of local department store, Clarksons, on Scotland Road. She was born in 1881 in the Holy Cross area of Vauxhall to Sarah (nee-Brady) and Thomas Murphy, she married William O'Donnell in Holy Cross church in 1906. William lived in the Kempson Street area off London Road and went away to sea all his life.
When they were first married times were hard and it was a struggle, Mam O'Donnell would not see William for months on end as he sailed to the far flung ports around the world; she would find it tough with small children to take care of and have to put food on the table. Every spare hour she got she went out to work, her mother, Sarah, looking after the children until she got home exhausted, but with something with which to feed her family.
After living with her mother and father for a couple of years in Marybone Jane and William moved into a new tenement block in Rachel Street, off Cazneau Street. They lived here right up to the late 1970s, they were the last to leave on their block as the tenements were being demolished to make way for the new Kingsway Tunnel. They moved to Lawrence Gardens, another tenement block across the road in Horatio Street. Mam O'Donnell passed away in the spring of 1971, aged 89. She is interred at Ford Cemetery along with her husband William who died in 1976, aged 96.
Shortly after this photograph was taken, Mam O'Donnell posed for Liverpool Echo photographer, Eddie Barford. Mr Barford's photo accompanied a story by Margaret Farrall titled 'The Queen of Lawrence Gardens.' Jane was presented with a huge bouquet from the Echo. Naturally Mam O'Donnell's family were quite aware of that interview and photograph taking place and were extremely proud to see her appear in 'The Echo.' (©2020 Pete Ryan)
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