RootsChat.Com
England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Kent => Topic started by: SCR on Friday 05 January 07 19:24 GMT (UK)
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Hello, thanks for reading this.
My father was born at 22 Broadwater Down, Tunbridge Wells during WW2.
I find this strange as the family home was in Canterbury. Does anyone have an idea what this facility was?
I do know that my grandmother was not married to my grandfather when my father was born.
Thanks
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Hi,
If your grandma was not married to grandpa at the time of your father's birth could she have gone to stay with a relative; perhaps an older sister,cousin or aunt to have her baby?
Nanny Jan
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Thanks for the suggestion, but there were no relatives in Tunbridge Wells at the time.
Although both towns are in Kent, it's about one-and-a-half hours' drive - even today!
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The logical step would be to check the electoral register / local directory for the year in question to find out who was living at that address. Perhaps a member of the Tunbridge Wells FHS might help?
Dave
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Broadwater down is just a normal road in Tunbridge Wells.
During WW2 the forest just South of the road contained an underground HQ...
http://www.subbrit.org.uk/sb-sites/sites/t/tunbridge_wells_broadwater_down/index.shtml
Here is a page with a census extract for that road, showing the addresses in the street - looks like 22 was just a normal residential house. Could be that they were visiting friends when he was born.
http://www.theweald.org/P3.asp?PId=5346BWterD
If you need photos of the area and are not local I could probably provide.
Looking at the 1881 census it looks like a very large house as there is a housekeeper, a cook, 2 housemaids, a kitchenmaid and a butler!