An item we’ve recently looked at in the archives reveals the life of a well-travelled man named John Cropper. The album, entitled on the front as ‘Newspaper Cuttings’, is full of wonderful photographs that trace the life of John from 1910-1937.

John Cropper was born in 1886, to Thomas John and Annie Cropper nee Gaskell, who lived in Market Street, Droylsden. He had six siblings and became a pupil teacher at the age of 15. He trained at Chester College, where he was part of the rowing team and graduated in 1910. He took up a teaching post at St Mark’s Church of England School in West Gorton, and was a member of the Audenshaw Higher Education Committee.

John was a keen sportsman playing football for Droylsden Corinthians, who wore ‘Oxford and Cambridge Blue stripe’ and white shorts, and played in the Lancashire and Cheshire Amateur League. The team was successful, winning most of their games, with John being one of the main goal scorers. In 1911 they won the Barmouth Challenge Cup. He was also a member of Fairfield Golf Club, where he won the monthly medals competition on a number of occasions.

He joined the Holiday Fellowship, an organisation which still exists today, and aims to provide shared holiday experiences, which inspire friendship, fun, and an active enjoyment of the great outdoors. The album contains many photographs of John’s trips, from Cromer and Conway in 1920, Torquay 1921, Isle of White, Isle of Man and Scotland, venturing further afield to Giessbach in Switzerland 1928. Along with the photographs are sections of maps showing the places visited.

John lived all his life in Droylsden and never married, he died in 1971 aged 84, is buried at Droylsden Cemetery, and he left £7,793 in his will.

Tameside Local Studies & Archives hold a fascinating array of archives relating to the area and its people, check the catalogue to find more interesting items.

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