THE birth of two sets of twins within several months was a very special time for a Darton family.

On November 15 1929 Sarah Birkinshaw, who was married to Clement, gave birth to twins, Vera and Vincent.

Ten months later her daughter Freda, who was one of the oldest in her family of seven, also gave birth to twins, Sadie and Kathleen.

Not only did Sarah become the mother of twins, she also became grandmother to twins before her own babies reached their first birthday.

Freda was married to Harold Kelly and his mother, who was a midwife, delivered both sets of twins. As a child, Vera, 80, (now Wilcock) lived with her mother and father and her siblings in Station Road, Darton.

She has supplied a photograph of four sets of twins, all believed to have been born to mothers from the Darton area, between 1929 and 1930.

Mum, Sarah is second from the left with Vincent and Vera (right) on her knee. Sitting next to her (third from the left) is Vera's daughter Freda with her twin babies, Sadie and Kathleen. Midwife, Mrs Kelly, is standing at the back.

The twins on the far left and far right of the photograph are not related to the Birkinshaw family, but it's believed Mrs Kelly delivered these babies as well. The lady on the left is Gladys Banham with Keith and Kenneth and the lady on the right is the mother of Andrew and Ernest Briggs.

Mrs Wilcock has also supplied a further photograph of herself and her twin brother Vincent when they were growing up and were pupils at Darton Junior School.