The Years 1898 to 1917

Richard Gleave was born on the 13^th of September 1898 at we think 875(?) Stockport Road, Longsight, in Manchester, and all his life he joked that 13 was not an unlucky number.

His Father was Albert Edward Gleave who was a builder  by trade and his mother was Edith Gleave, nee Thornton.

He was the 6th of 8 children. They were Arthur, Fanny, Annie, Nellie, Edith, Richard, Mary, and Harry.

Albert Gleave built houses all over Manchester; Gleave Street in Sale took his name after he built the houses in the street.

At some point in Richards childhood, we are not sure of the date, the family moved from Longsight to North Road, Clayton.

He left school at around the age of 14 in 1912 and found work as a junior clerk at The Clayton Aniline Company, where apart from a break of 2 years 9 months whilst in the army during the First World War, he spent all is working life, around 40 years.

There is a history and a good black and white drawing of the Clayton Aniline Companys factory site, later to become Ciba Specialty Chemicals, on a website dedicated to the history of the company (see the link page).

He was 16 years 11months when the First World War started in August 1914; he joined the army in 1917 when he was 18 and was posted to France.

Before he joined the army he had met Lily Platt who also worked at Clayton Aniline as a telephonist and they had become friends.

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