| A pair of almost identical Cabinet Photographs showing two members of the St. John's Ambulance Brigade. The ambulance man in the top photograph is identified on the reverse as Luke Suthers of Barnoldswick. The inscription states that Suthers was "reported" in the Nelson Leader - a local Barnoldswick area news paper but fails to mention the nature of the report. The man in the lower photograph is unidentified. Both men are outfitted in foreign service order and were probably preparing to ship out to South Africa during the Boer War. The St. John's Ambulance Brigade was formed as a volunteer ambulance service and was organized along military lines. It still exists today Luke Suthers was born in Barnoldswick, Yorkshire about 1879 the son of William F. and Mary Suthers. The family like many others in the area were weavers by trade. In regards to Luke's service during the Anglo-Boer War I have uncovered little. Not long after the end of the war Luke turns up at Ellis Island in New York arriving on the RMS Campania on 19 August, 1905. On the ship's manifest he is listed as being born in Barnoldswick and a weaver by trade. His trip to the United States seems to have been more than a mere holiday since he is listed in the 1910 census for Fall River, Massachusetts as married - his wife's name is given as Annie - and still making a living as a weaver. He disappears from the records after this. An interesting thing about these two images is that they were purchased from two different sellers at separate times and yet appear to have been taken at the same time. It even looks quite probable that these two men may have had their respective photos taken during the same photographic session. It is also possible that these two men are brothers - Luke and Frederick Suthers. Cabinet Photographs John Hart - Photographer 179 & 181 City Road, E.C. and 275 Leytonstone Road, E. London, England c. 1900 |
