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London and Middlesex / Re: Decendants of Edwin Charles Purdie
« on: Monday 25 February 13 09:39 GMT (UK) »
Hi Michaela
I guess tht makes me your mother's cousin, doesn't it? There's not much I know about the family. As I said, Stanley Ralph's wife - Ann - died giving birth to my mother Frances Winifred in 1915 during the Blitz. Although she died as a result of the birth and nothing to do with the war, maybe it didn't help to give birth in an air raid. Sadly, the story goes that Stanley was so distraught to have lost his wife that he showed little interest in his new baby and she was given to his sister Edith Frances to bring up. She was a spinster who had lost her fiance to TB and looked after their parents - Edwin and his wife - until their deaths as so many unmarried girls did at that time. I think it was quite difficult for her and I know she and Mum shared the same bed until Mum left home to marry my Dad when she was 30.
It is said that Stanley was supposed to have registered his daughter as Winifred Frances but got muddled at the registry office and turned the names round. So the Purdie side of the family always called her Winnie and the rest of the world called her Frances.
Great Aunt Edith, or Auntie as she was always known, came to live with my parents when they married in 1946 as she had been effectively a mother to my mother and Mum was always very grateful.
Grandpa - Stanley - came to live with us a bit later - I am talking about the early 1950s. He lived with us until about 1958 when he "ran away" to live with a divorced lady in Birmingham in his mid to late 70s!! They seem to have been fond of the ladies, he and his brothers. He died in Birmingham somewhat estranged from my mother as she had never really been close to him because of their early rupture.
Auntie and Grandpa never talked about brothers or sisters and I know that Edith was rather disapproving of Stanley and always said his mother would have been disappointed in him.
What else can I tell you? Stanley had been an optician in the Ipswich area which is where my Mum was born.
Now, looking at the list of siblings, I see there is a Cecil - a couple of years older. I remember an Auntie Gertie who was married to a Cecil and she belongs on my mother's side of the family. I remember her from childhood and looking at her wedding picture, her husband looks like a Purdie man, short and stocky with glasses. So I think it is likely that Cecil married Gertrude - but I also remember a story that she was his housekeeper and became his second wife. Not sure of this though.
I have some family photos if you would be interested.
Best wishes
Jenny
I guess tht makes me your mother's cousin, doesn't it? There's not much I know about the family. As I said, Stanley Ralph's wife - Ann - died giving birth to my mother Frances Winifred in 1915 during the Blitz. Although she died as a result of the birth and nothing to do with the war, maybe it didn't help to give birth in an air raid. Sadly, the story goes that Stanley was so distraught to have lost his wife that he showed little interest in his new baby and she was given to his sister Edith Frances to bring up. She was a spinster who had lost her fiance to TB and looked after their parents - Edwin and his wife - until their deaths as so many unmarried girls did at that time. I think it was quite difficult for her and I know she and Mum shared the same bed until Mum left home to marry my Dad when she was 30.
It is said that Stanley was supposed to have registered his daughter as Winifred Frances but got muddled at the registry office and turned the names round. So the Purdie side of the family always called her Winnie and the rest of the world called her Frances.
Great Aunt Edith, or Auntie as she was always known, came to live with my parents when they married in 1946 as she had been effectively a mother to my mother and Mum was always very grateful.
Grandpa - Stanley - came to live with us a bit later - I am talking about the early 1950s. He lived with us until about 1958 when he "ran away" to live with a divorced lady in Birmingham in his mid to late 70s!! They seem to have been fond of the ladies, he and his brothers. He died in Birmingham somewhat estranged from my mother as she had never really been close to him because of their early rupture.
Auntie and Grandpa never talked about brothers or sisters and I know that Edith was rather disapproving of Stanley and always said his mother would have been disappointed in him.
What else can I tell you? Stanley had been an optician in the Ipswich area which is where my Mum was born.
Now, looking at the list of siblings, I see there is a Cecil - a couple of years older. I remember an Auntie Gertie who was married to a Cecil and she belongs on my mother's side of the family. I remember her from childhood and looking at her wedding picture, her husband looks like a Purdie man, short and stocky with glasses. So I think it is likely that Cecil married Gertrude - but I also remember a story that she was his housekeeper and became his second wife. Not sure of this though.
I have some family photos if you would be interested.
Best wishes
Jenny