It was the old lodging house in Back Lane kept by 'Granny Walker' as she was known. Included in the picture is her husband William James who died in 1907 so the photograph pre-dates that year. William James would have been about 65 when he died and he was born in Sheffield. He was shown as 59 in the 1901 Census.  Granny Walker died at the age of 82 in February 1932. This is what a newspaper report said of her death:

"Knottingley has this week lost one of its best known characters in the person of Mrs. Maria Walker, who since 1926 had lived with daughter and son in law Mr. & Mrs. W. Middleton of Sunny Bank.  Mrs. Walker was born at Liverpool 82 years ago and came to Knottingley from Ulleskelf, near York, 42 years ago, and on a site in Aire Street, now occupied Pease's Buildings, opened the town's first fried fish and chip business. A few years later she took control of a lodging house in Back Lane, which she kept for the next 37 years, during which time she became well known to local residents, being referred to as 'Granny' Walker by those who were closely acquainted with her, particularly by children. In her closing years Mrs. Walker suffered from rheumatism and was confined to the house though the cause of her death, which was on Monday, was acute bronchitis. Her husband died in 1907 and she is now survived by four sons and three daughters. The funeral took place at Knottingley yesterday, the cortege pausing for a moment opposite the spot where for so long Mrs. Walker had kept her boarding house."

Also in the picture are the three daughters, Sarah the eldest, Mary the second eldest who married Happy Joe Bagley and Lilly the youngest.

Submitted by Mr. R. Wood, Marsh End, Knottingley