Description:This was one of the Shore family picnics thrown by George Shore, who was born in 1842 in Offley Brook near Eccleshall and, at the time of the photograph, a blacksmith in Eccleshall. The picnics were given for George's descendants and were held in a large field. They were great family occasions with all eight of George's sons plus their families attending, coming from as far away as Crewe and Leicester by train. There were lots of races for all (including egg and spoon for the wives) and the eight sons were highly competitive. George's grandson Albert Powner Shore remembered running to catch handfuls of sweets thrown in the air.
This photograph is believed to have been taken around 1903, and certainly before 1906, the year George Shore died.
The following family members have been identified:
Gentleman with white beard and cap is George Shore. George's second wife Mrs Mary Shore is the eldest lady, in the middle (she is not the mother of the eight sons).
George's eight sons are all seated in the back row. Twins Valentine William and Edward Ernest are in caps on the far left and third from right at the back. Albert Shore (born 1870) is back row third from left, in cap. The remaining sons (unidentified) are Harry (Henry), George, Jack (John), Moses James and Joseph Willot Shore. Only Moses James was unmarried at this time. We assume that George's seven daughters-in-law are all seated in front of their respective husbands.
Albert Shore's wife Mary Elizabeth Shore (nee Powner) is sitting in front of Albert in the white blouse. Their children are Albert Powner Shore (born 1899, directly right of George Shore, in sailor suit), Eric George Shore (born 1901, on the right, third from top, in sailor suit), Olive Mary Shore (born 1896, directly in front of the elder Mrs Mary Shore, with Mrs Mary Shore's hand on her shoulder, also in a sailor dress).