Rose Johnston

Rose is fascinated by local and social history and for years was a regular contributor to Memories of Barnsley magazine. She grew up in Monk Bretton, where as a teenager she helped her mother run the fish and chip shop in the HIgh Street. She was educated at local schools and St Hilda’s College, Oxford where she studied English. As a student, she spent a summer working in a kitchen in Barnsley’s twin town, Schwabisch Gmund.

After qualifying as a solicitor she went to work in Hong Kong as a Legal Aid litigation lawyer, acting for injured workers, initially on a 30 month contract but married a man she met in a lift and stayed for ten years. She brought him back to Barnsley where they have lived for over thirty years.

One of her ancestors is John Vallance, Chartist and social reformer, who is represented by an actor in the mini cinema at Experience Barnsley. Her great grandfather, miner Charles Carr, lived with his family in Reform Row, Elsecar and at one time was an operative in the Newcomen engine room.

Rose is proud to be a trustee of BMHT, helping to keep alive the history and culture of Barnsley in its museums and galleries for everyone to learn from and enjoy.