My Family Tree

St. Mary's memorabilia

2012-02-16T15:43:00.000-08:00

I knew I had this stuff somewhere. The other day I was up in the loft looking for something unrelated and found a lot of this in a folder helpfully labelled "miscellanous rubbish".

This is issue 2 dated Summer 1964. I don't remember any other issues.

A couple of Speech Day programmes from 1967 and 1968. Here's a page from one of them, including the school hymn.

And a set of programmes for school plays 1964-1970. Here's the front page from 1970, plus a page listing all previous productions going back to 1957.

I've bundled it all into a handy zip which you can download from here https://rapidshare.com/files/1083295091/St._Mary_s_memorabilia.zip

Old stamps, tickets etc.

2011-09-17T04:01:00.000-07:00

I think these images largely speak for themselves. The train tickets are marked "privilege" as Don Mackie worked for British Railways and was therefore entitled to concessionary fares. The Mother Goose tickets are for a 1961 production which I attended with my parents and my sister. According to http://www.its-behind-you.com/granadapanto.html the stars were Rosemary Squires, Edie Calvert and Peter Webster.

Who's that in the garden?

2011-09-17T02:51:00.000-07:00

This was taken in the back garden at 84 Basildon Road but it is not anyone I recognise.

County School for Boys, Red Lion Lane, Woolwich, 1928

2011-04-25T05:23:00.000-07:00

John Adam Mackie is again here in front of the third arch, position marked with a ballpoint pen. The school had only just opened.
http://www.ideal-homes.org.uk/greenwich/assets/galleries/woolwich/woolwich-county-school-1929

The photos have been reduced to fit. For fullsize copies of these and the Woolwich Polytechnic photos see https://rapidshare.com/files/459097899/Woolwich_schools.zip

Woolwich Polytechnic, Bloomfield Road, June 1927

2011-04-25T05:13:00.000-07:00

Scanned as five over lapping sections. My uncle John Adam Mackie is in the first picture. Follow the ballpoint line down from the top of the picture.

The pictures have been reduced to fit. You can download a zip with fullsize copies of these and the County School pictures here https://rapidshare.com/files/459097899/Woolwich_schools.zip

The Mackie family and their wives - revisited

2011-04-19T07:35:00.000-07:00

Now I have found out a bit more about the family, I believe I can correct some wrong assumptions made when I first posted this picture in February 2008 and also put names to all the faces.

Adam Mackie (1846-1930 from Udny, Aberdeenshire) married Mary Thomas (1847-1929 from Stackpole Elidor, Pembroke) in 1870. They had six sons: William George (1876-1936), John Alexander (1880-1914), Albert Charles (1883-1950), Adam James (1885-1961), Edmund Harry (1888-1980) and Archibald Sheridan (1896-1966). The entry in the 1911 census shows there was a seventh child, no longer living. The best fit in the births and deaths register would be Margaret Ellen (1878-1880).

I had identified John Alexander by his military uniform and from this put the date at around 1902, the year he left the army. But now I would revise that to the latter part of 1908 or the earlier part of 1909. By this time, three of the brothers had married, but only one had a child. William married Kate Morgan (1873-1955) in 1902 and they had a daughter Winifred in 1903. John married Edith Bullus (1878-1968) in 1906 and their son was born in 1914. Adam married Kate Swearer (1885-?) in 1908 and their first daughter Margaret was born in the third quarter of 1909.

I believe the men, left to right, are John, Albert, William, Adam Sr behind Archibald, Edmund and Adam Jr. I won't repeat all the arguments here, but first time round I believe I mixed up Adam Jr and William. William was an armature winder in Edinburgh in the early 1900s and I think the chap with the moustache in this picture is the same as the one just right of centre, front row in the Bruce Peebles picture. (See posting W. Mackie, 6 February 2008). The little girl at the front must be Winifred. Presuming that the ladies are sitting directly in front of their husbands, they must be, leftto right, Edith, Kate (Morgan), Mary and Kate (Swearer).

I am inclined to speculate about the occasion that brought the family together and where the picture was taken. Adam Sr, Mary and Archibald were in Woolwich in 1901 and Edinburgh in 1911. In 1908/9 William was in Edinburgh and John was in Portsmouth. Adam Jr's first child was born in Ramsey, Huntingdon (Kate's home town), so he may have been there. Albert and Edmund lived and died around SE London. Perhaps it was some sort of farewell celebration before Adam and Mary left Woolwich for Edinburgh.

Hampton-on-Sea

2010-07-11T06:49:00.000-07:00

I have intentionally left the ragged edges on this one. It has been cut from a sheet of other prints. The caption reads "Hampton, nr Herne Bay. Now long since fallen into the sea." This is Hampton-on-Sea, which was abandoned in 1916 and drowned due to coastal erosion in 1921 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hampton-on-Sea

The wikipedia entry also tells us that the Hampton Inn survives and that could be the building in the distance, more or less central in the photo http://www.shepherd-neame.co.uk/pubs/pubs.php/hamptoninn_hernebay

I believe Herne Bay was a holiday destination for the Mackie family and this picture, which must have been taken no later that 1921, could have been one of Uncle Jack's early attempts.

St. Chad's

2010-07-11T05:42:00.000-07:00

The caption on the back reads "A snap of St Chads taken by Bro Hugh (Kenney?)"
The hadwriting appears identical to that on the back of the Manilla photos. I have not so far identifed which St. Chad's this is, although I presume it is a catholic church. St. Chad's cathedral, Birmingham tops the Google seach results, but comparing such interior photos as I can find, it is very different. There is a St. Chad's catholic church in South Norwood. I cannot find any interior views, but such external views as I can find e.g. http://directory.rcsouthwark.co.uk/south_norwood_stchad.html show a building that looks too new, although it may have been rebuilt. The entry in the 2006 Southwark Catholic Directory reads:
Norwood (South) St. Chad, Whitworth Road (1907; 1932; cons. 16th September 1950).

Ruins in the Walled City, Manilla

2010-07-11T05:18:00.000-07:00

From the Crown Lane archive. I cannot identify the handwriting, but more of that later. And I do not know of any relatives who had any connection with Manilla. Top to bottom and left to right the comments read:

"Damaged Catholic church walled city - Manila" (sic)

"Ruins in walled city, Manila"

"Ruined church - Manila. Many of these buildings were unnecessarily destroyed by the Japs"

Presumably this damage was caused during the Manilla massacre of 1945 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Manila_Massacre

The catholic church is San Augustin http://www.etravelpilipinas.com/tourism_news/manila-philippines-san-agustin-church-in-intramuros.htm

Royal Visit

2010-02-21T08:40:00.001-08:00

Slightly larger than A4 so I have had to scan as two over lapping sections. A Royal visit by King George V, Queen Mary and Princess Mary. Princess Mary was the third child and only daughter of King George and Queen Mary. The picture must predate her marriage on 28 February 1922, when she became the Countess of Harewood. Also in the picture is the Duke of Connaught, otherwise known as Prince Arthur, son of Queen Victoria and George V's uncle.

This picture came from the Crown Lane archive and I would take an educated guess that the location is the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

Paul Fau's First Communion

2010-02-21T08:15:00.001-08:00

This came from the Crown Lane archive. I don't know if there is any particular connection to my family, or whether it is just something that came into Ada's possession somewhere along the way. Translating as best I can, the front reads "The heart of Jesus, open for all. The balm that heals our wounds. Each wound of his divine heart, he suffered for the forgiveness of our sins." On the reverse, "Souvenir of the first holy communion of Paul Fau, made in the chapel of St. Joseph's boarding School, St. Omer, 20 June 1878".

This appears to be some sort of old boy's website for the school http://copainsdavant.linternaute.com/etablissement/247545/1/pensionnat_saint_joseph_la_malassise/

The Guild of the Blessed Sacrament

2010-02-21T07:50:00.000-08:00

Don Mackie was a member of the Guild of the Blessed Sacrament. The picture above was taken at one of their processions at St. Joseph's Convent, Abbey Wood. That's Don with the moustache in front of the second window on the right. The picture was probably taken some time in the 1950s. The convent and school subsequently became part of Bexley College, but have now been converted to residential use as St. Jospeh's Court. Below is a GBS lapel badge.

The Dynamite Plot of 1883

2009-11-05T05:59:00.000-08:00

From "The Graphic" - April 28, 1883. I can only upload five images at a time so I have had to spread these over two blog entries.

The Dynamite Plot of 1883

2009-11-05T05:42:00.000-08:00

From "The Graphic" - April 28, 1883

The Dynamite Plot of 1883

2009-11-03T03:35:00.000-08:00

My great grandfather Adam Mackie was a police inspector. He was one of the arresting officers in the Dynamite Plot. Described by some contemporary newspapers as "The Fenian Plot to Destroy London". I found a full transcript of the trial here.

http://www.oldbaileyonline.org/browse.jsp?path=sessionsPapers%2F18830528.xml
It is the section beginning Reference Number: t18830528-620

There are some choice, if rather understated, quotes in the evidence of some police officers (not Adam)

I can't say if I said, "If you do not be very civil here you will get a rough Handling"—I had to request you to be civil, and I said it was a pity you did not know how to be more civil—I did not say, "I will have no d—d Yankee nonsense here"—I did say, "You must remember you are in England now and not in America," when I requested you to be more civil

I asked him a second time to give me an account of himself—I pressed him, and said that if he did not he would probably be put to inconvenience

A number of contemporary newspaper accounts of the trial can be found online - Google the words dynamite Gallagher Whitehead Curtin Wilson.

Later newspaper accounts suggest that those convicted were not well treated in prison. Here is an example from the New York Times of September 5, 1896, describing the return of Dr Thomas Gallagher to the USA on his release.

DR. GALLAGHER'S RETURN; HOME FROM HIS ENGLISH PRISON A RAVING MANIAC. Repulsed His Sister and Kicked His Brother -- Force Needed to Restrain Him -- Doctors Say He Bears Evidence of Inhuman Treatment -- A Wreck Physically as Well as Mentally -- To be Sent to an Institution.

Read the full text here. http://query.nytimes.com/gst/abstract.html?res=9B05E7DA1E31E033A25756C0A96F9C94679ED7CF

Khedive's Star - Arthur Edward Poole

2009-10-09T16:01:00.000-07:00

Not a family heirloom, but something I picked up in an antique shop in Brighton in the late 1960s or early 1970s. As far as I could make out, the inscription round the rim read:

LIEUT A.E. POOLE 10TH RL HUSSARS

A Google search led me to the website of Dix Noonan Webb, numismatic auctioneers http://www.dnw.co.uk/medals/auctionarchive/viewspecialcollections/itemdetail.lasso?itemid=38351 from where I gleaned the following:

Lot 692, 16 Dec 03

Category: CAMPAIGN GROUPS AND PAIRS
Estimate: £300-£350
Hammer Price: £520

Description

Three: Major A. E. Poole, 10th Royal Hussars, later Military Knight of Windsor

Egypt and Sudan 1882-89, undated reverse, no clasp (Lieut., 10th Rl. Hussars) rank corrected; Queen’s South Africa 1899-1902, 4 clasps, Relief of Kimberley, Paardeberg, Driefontein, Johannesburg (Capt. & Qr. Mr., 10/Hussars); Coronation 1911 (Major, 22 June 1911) pitting and contact marks, therefore good fine and better (3) £300-350

Footnote

Arthur Edward Poole was born on 26 May 1850. He served in the ranks for 9 years and 96 days, and was appointed Hon. Lieutenant in the 10th Hussars on 2 December 1882. He served in the Soudan Expedition of 1884 (Medal), and in South Africa 1899-1900, including the relief of Kimberley; operations in the Orange Free State, February to May 1900, including operations at Paardeberg; actions at Poplar Grove, Driefontein, Houtnek (Thoba Mountain), Vet River and Zand River; operations in the Transvaal 1900, including actions near Johannesburg; and operations in Cape Colony (Queen’s medal with four clasps). Appointed Camp Quartermaster at Aldershot in May 1901, he was promoted Honorary Major on 29 November 1901, and retired on 26 May 1905. He was appointed a Military Knight of Windsor on 26 February 1910 and remained as such until his death on 28 June 1930.

Bill Bailey cricket cup - 2

2009-10-07T16:31:00.001-07:00

VALE OF BELVOIR
CRICKET LEAGUE
No other details

Bill Bailey cricket cup - 1

2009-10-07T16:27:00.000-07:00

In 1930, Bill's team was awarded runner-up medals. Three years later, they had more success.

M.M. HOSP. C.C. COMPT
WINNERS
1933

Bill Bailey cricket medal

2009-10-07T16:22:00.000-07:00

MELTON HOSPITAL
CRICKET CUP COMPETITION
RUNNERS UP
1930
W.K. BAILEY.

Military Medal cup

2009-10-07T16:18:00.000-07:00

The inscription reads:

W.K. BAILEY M.M.
1914 - 1918

As I have mentioned previously, the absence of a 1914 or 1914-1915 Star from his medals implies that Bill's WWI military service did not begin until 1916. I haven't found anything else about cups such as these. Were they awarded to all Military Medal holders?

Cap Badge

2009-10-07T16:16:00.000-07:00

This is the WWI cap badge of the Leicestershire Regiment. I presume it belonged to Bill Bailey as I can remember it being around since I was very young. Inscriptions on his medals place him in the Worcestershire and South Staffordshire Regiments. Now here is evidence of him serving with yet another regiment.

Edward VIII coronation medal

2009-10-06T17:36:00.000-07:00

The coronation did not, of course, take place. This looks like a cheaply produced souvenir. It is quite soft and malleable - note the dents around the rim. It came from the Crown Lane archive.

Various insignia from the Crown Lane archive

2009-10-06T15:51:00.000-07:00

These all came from Crown Lane, but it is impossible to be certain who they belonged to. I am fairly certain they did not belong to Albert Mackie. And no military medals have come to light for Bill Warden. Only the first is definitely his.

This definitely belonged to Bill Warden. "W. Warden" is scratched on the back. Maker's inscription W.O. LEWIS, HOWARD STREET, BIRM is stamped on the back. W.O. Lewis (Badges) Limited was established in 1832 and is still in production today
http://www.lewisbadges.co.uk/

According to http://wiki.answers.com/Q/What_is_the_Royal_fusiliers_cap_badge this must be the badge of the Royal Fusiliers (City of London) pre WWII or 1952. "The badge of the Royal Fusiliers (City Of London) is the brass with the basic shape of a flaming grenade with a King's Crown on the base of the flame. In the round body of the grenade is a Tudor Rose with a band around it with the following inscription: HONI SOIT QUI MALY PENSE"

The inscription is OLD CONTEMPTIBLES ASSOCIATION, AUG 5 TO NOV 22 1914. The origin of the term Old Contemptibles is given here http://www.firstworldwar.com/atoz/oldcontemptibles.htm . According to http://www.eastreading.com/neighbour/cemetery/index.shtml "They were deployed from Aug 5 (when the ring fortress of Liège was first attacked) to Nov 22 when the crises of the battle of Ypres finally developed into the stagnation and horror of trench warfare."

Stamped on the rear are "672", "REG. NO." followed by six numbers, indistinct, but the last thre are "347" and "JVC&CO LTD, LONDON". I presume the latter indicates the maker, but it is difficult to track down any further details about them. Google search results for JVC are dominated by the electronics company.

Inscriptions are "CONCORDIA VICTRIX" (translates as "Harmony is Conqueror"), "FIRST SURREY RIFLES", "21ST COUNTY OF LONDON". There appears to be a four digit number, presumably a year, on the lower arm of the cross, but it is indistinct. Here is an interesting blog entry about this regiment http://armyservicenumbers.blogspot.com/2009/01/21st-county-of-london-battalion-london.html

WWI cap badge of the Army Service Corps

Bert's gongs - part two

2009-06-18T05:44:00.001-07:00

This is inscribed A.C. MACKIE 1925 on the reverse. The box is now a little tatty but it shows that the medal came from Mappin & Webb.

A search on Google reveal that A.C.C. stands for Association of Conservative Clubs. Here are a couple of results:

'The Medal you describe is the "Association Of Conservative Clubs~Distinguished Service Medal"'
'I took it to mappin & webb in London who made the medal and they confirmed it is for the con club'
http://1914-1918.invisionzone.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=25053

There is a picture of an almost identical medal on Flickr
'I believe the ACC may represent the Association of Conservative Clubs. Members of the ACC were sometimes affiliated to The Primrose League.'
http://flickr.com/photos/daviddb/2199897514/

Bert's Gongs - part one

2009-06-17T05:41:00.000-07:00

As far as I know, Albert Charles Mackie never undertook military service. We know he was with the Ministry of Supply in Chislehurst during WWII and it is possible he was in a similar civilian occupation during WWI. But he does have some medals. Those illustrated here were for gymnastic achievements - something that has certainly not continued in my side of the family. Neither my father nor I ever had much interest in sport.

The motto "Vis Unita Fortior" translates as "United Strength is Stronger". The later medal has the holder's name and year on the reverse. It is also inscribed INTER-POLYTECHNIC DRILL COMPETITION around the rim.

Inside the lid is endorsed the makers details:

P. VAUGHTON & SONS

GOTHIC WORKS

BIRMINGHAM

Vaughton was a well known maker of medals and badges. The Gothic Works, which still stands, is at 95 Livery Street. For more about Vaughton, see

http://www.flickr.com/photos/drewfield/3598812962/

Photo of the frontage

http://www.jewelleryquarter.net/about/sub-page/historic-trails/buildings-trail/

Tells us that the FA Cup was made here

http://www.badgecollectorscircle.co.uk/manufacturers.htm

A collectors website

Here is a detail from the 1902 medal. It shows the letters V&S and VAUGHTON

An obituary - Rose Finestone

2009-05-24T09:31:00.000-07:00

These cuttings surfaced recently in the Crown Lane archive. Rose Finestone was the sister of William Warden. On the rear of one cutting has survived a list of Thames Regatta dates and these have helped date them. Mrs Finestone's age is given as 52. Presuming she was not too far apart in age from brother William, I guessed the cuttings dated from the 1940s or possibly early 1950s. (I remember hearing Bill say that he was the eldest of his family. His youngest brother was born at the same time as Bill was leaving home to get married.) Presuming the regattas (except Henley, which took place over four days) were all held on Saturdays narrows the choices down to 1943, 1948 and 1954. As far as I can gather, the regattas were suspended during WWII, which eliminates 1943. The mention that "Walton Amateur Regatta re-enters the lists for the first time since before the war" is the final clincher. This entry from the Walton rowing club website http://www.waltonrowingclub.co.uk/about-us/the-history-of-walton-rowing-club.html refers to "a meeting organised by the Club in December 1947, which re-established the Regatta in 1948". The exact date of her death is less precise. One cutting says she became ill on January 31 and the other that she died on January 10.

I have found two Google references to Mark Finestone, both of which show that he was a pigeon fancier:

http://www.pigeonnetwork.com/admin/bilcos_bulletin/drone.cfm?ID=498 "They were two birds that had been presented to Ron by Mark Finestone, of Shepperton, and were bred off the German Bachs pigeons that Mark had imported just after the war had ended."

http://www.elimarpigeons.com/ArticleA/OnTheRoad211108.htm "...after some help from local fanciers, including Mark Finestone..."

This cutting now puts ito perspective an earlier post about trench art, where I have included a picture of an embroidered postcard sent to Rose from Mark.

Bill's binns

2009-04-28T06:06:00.000-07:00

These came from the Crown Lane archive and I presume they are from Bill Warden's side of the family.

Spectacle case only, no matching glasses. He actually used it to store cufflinks. The optician is H.W. Freeman of Sidcup. According to Collett Opticians website "In 1897 Mr HW Freeman, a jeweller/optician set up a business at 103 Main Road, Sidcup. James Collett purchased the practice in 1942". http://www.collettopticians.co.uk/history.html
Collett is still at this address.

Pince-nez with case from Hudson Howard, 3 Bridge Street, Walsall. A Google search reveals that Hudson Howard subsequently became part of Dolland & Aitchison. That company now has two stores in Walsall, but neither is in Bridge Street. Further Google searches for this address link it to Formal Affair, a wedding hire business http://www.thelocalweb.net/index/VSP/tlw_47031.htm

Goldliner Bookmakers http://www.finder.co.uk/walsall/Bookmakers

Golden Sun TCM Ltd (restaurant) http://www.bview.co.uk/listing/2325491/Golden-Sun-TCM-Ltd-in-WS1

Google does not currently have a Streetview for this area, so I cannot verify these details short of actually going there.

So I cannot date these precisely. Nor do I know of any family connection with Walsall.

Bill Warden's vehicles

2009-04-06T06:14:00.001-07:00

That looks like Chislehurst Common in the background. I think the picture was taken in Morley Road. I would imagine that one of the ladies is Bill's wife Connie. The lady in the sidecar looks a bit like the one in the sea in the "Bill and Connie Warden?" post.

You can't see the driver very clearly, but I'm sure it must be Bill Warden. I think the car is by the garages at the south east of Crown Lane. I remember Bill buying a car in the early 1960s and that is where he kept it.

Update - 24 May 2009. Dating the pictures.

According to a table downloaded from http://homepage.ntlworld.com/johnstonrh/a30a35/regnos/index.htm#FILEDOWN

The registration prefix KK shown on the motorcycle was used in Kent between June 1922 and April 1924. JJ on the car was used in London between November 1932 and March 1933.

On the back of the motorcycle picture is written "Licence No 422X164". This corresponds to the one-page document issued by Kent County Council. An example is pictured in the entry "Bill Warden's driving licences". The earliest I have was issued in May 1924 and the latest expired in May 1931. There is then a hiatus of seven years until May 1938, when the first booklet style licence appears.

Both the vehicles appear to be in very good condition, so I imagine they were new (or at least newly acquired) when the pictures were taken.

Bill Warden's driving licences

2009-04-06T05:50:00.000-07:00

This is the earliest of Bill's driving licences that I have. There are more in similar style up to 1930/31. It shows how long Bill had lived at Crown Lane.

And this is the more recent type. This was renewed by stick the new licence on top of the old one. The earliest one here was dated May 1938. By October 1968, Bill would have been 78 years old and probably decided it was time to give up driving.

Bill Bailey's Gongs

2009-03-17T06:43:00.001-07:00

William Kilby Bailey's First World War medals. From left to right we have:

1. The Military Medal. The inscription around the edge is 40734 PTE W K BAILEY 47.WORC.R

I presume this is an abbreviation for 47th Division, Worcester Regiment.

2. British War Medal

3. Victory Medal

The inscription for these two:

25174 PTE W K BAILEY S.STAFF.R which I presume is an abbreviation for South Staffordshire Regiment.

It is interesting to note that, as well as changing regiments, his service number has also changed.

Since he did not hold the 1914 or 1914-15 Star, his military service during WWI did not begin until 1916 or later.

For more about these medals see http://www.stephen-stratford.co.uk/wwi_medals.htm

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/British_War_Medal

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_Medal_(United_Kingdom)

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Military_Medal

St. Mary's Grammar School, Chislehurst Road, Sidcup

2009-02-16T05:53:00.001-08:00

October, 1965. This is where your blogger spent his formative years from 1963 to 1970. I have had to scan as four overlapping sections. That's me in the fourth section (right hand end of the panorama). I am in the second row down, 13 from the left or 15 from the right.

We were assembled in a semicircle on the playground and the camera panned round. And nobody ran round from one end to the other to appear in the picture twice. Some time after I left, St. Mary's combined with St. Joseph's girls' grammar school in Abbey Wood to become co-educational. The school buildings visible behind us still stand, but extensions now cover the playground. The site is now occupied by St. Luke's sixth form college.

I shall not even attempt to put names to all the faces. It would take up too much space and I cannot remember everyone anyway. If you were there, you will have a good idea of who was who. If you were not, names will probably not mean much to you. But if you do have any questions about identities of the people in the picture, leave a comment or e-mail me and I'll see what I can do.

St. Patrick's Church, Plumstead

2008-12-15T06:09:00.001-08:00

This was situated on the corner of Griffin Road and Conway Road. It was part of a two-storey building, with part of St. Patrick's primary school occupying the lower storey. Your blogger and his sister attend St. Parick's school until 1961, when we moved to the newly constructed St. Thomas a Becket school in Abbey Wood Estate, the part of Abbey Wood built by the LCC in the late 1950s.

In 1970, St. Patrick's church moved to the former St. Paul's C of E church in Hector Street. The church in the picture was then converted to a school hall.

Some old postcards of Chislehurst

2008-12-12T05:56:00.000-08:00

From top to bottom:

The water tower in Summer Hill, demolished in 1963.
The village sign in Royal Parade, which still stands.

Two of St. Mary's church. Ada and Bill Warden were married here. Albert Mackie, Ada Warden (Mackie) and William Warden are buried here.

Red Hill. Albert and Ada Mackie lived at No 10. This is on the left, near the bottom but before the church.

Ada "touching the thatch" in Hartley

2008-12-10T05:44:00.000-08:00

Two illustrations of the same church - the Oratory of St Francis de Sales, Hartley, Kent.

You will notice the thatched roof. Many years ago, Ada Mackie went on a church outing here. As she was leaving the oratory, she crossed herself with holy water at the stoop by the door, then casually put her hand up to feel the material of the thatch which was overhanging the lintel. The rest of her party noticed her do this and presumed it was some devotional practice peculiar to those parts. One by one, everyone was crossing themselves then solemnly "touching the thatch".

Bill Bailey - cricketer

2008-12-08T05:47:00.001-08:00

Here are a few of my grandfather William Kilby (Bill) Bailey in a cricketing context. In the group photo, that is him kneeling third from the right. Two of the pictures show a formal dinner. Only the word "Club" is visible in the poster, but I think this must be Nether Broughton Cricket Club - these two were taken by The Melton Studios, 4 Sherrard Street, Melton Mowbray. It was clearly a very posh "do" - note the elaborate floral display and the bottle of HP Sauce.

Getting a fix on Mrs Beutell

2008-12-05T05:42:00.000-08:00

This is addressed to "Mrs Mackay" (we are used to having our surname misspelt, even by relatives from other parts of the family) at "Dorlins", Orpington Road, Chislehurst. The Mrs Mackie in question is Ada. It is not possible to decipher a date inthe postmark, but I would guess early 1952. (It must be some time during George VI's reign, or not too long after he died in February 1952. There is nothing to place Ada in Chislehurst before WWII. Her identity card - see earlier post - gives her movements up to November 1951 when she went to Scrips in Coggeshall, Essex.

"Dorlins" is still extant. It is quite large house, which I think would have been much more than Ada could afford. I know she had spent a period in domestic service at around this time, after husband Bert had died, but while she was still fairly active and not ready to retire. From various scraps of conversation I remember, I know that one of her employers was a Mrs Beutell. John Stiles, who has assisted me with research for this blog, checked the electoral rolls and this is what he found. "The electoral roll for Chislehurst that was compiled in November 1953 shows the occupants of "Dorlins" as, Ethel M Beutell and Ada M Mackie. Ada is not at "Dorlins" in 1954, and from 1955 to 1961 Mrs Beuttell appears to have moved in with the family next door(the McGloins who live at "The Squirrels"). So after all these years, I now know where Mrs Beutell lived. Now I still have to track down another of Ada's employers, a Dr Burma.

As for the card itself, this is what it says.

In haste. Many thanks for words of wisdom. We are trying to get straight but waiting for furniture to come from Bedford. We have the electricians in overhauling the whole system. Father likes the quaint cottage and is getting used to the low ceiling after having a few bumps. Much love. M. Pearce

I do not know who the writer is. Although the card shows a Bedford scene, the writer is apparently now in or near Chislehurst. In our age of instant communications via telephone, mobile and e-mail, how often down we see correspondence with the words "in haste". I can just imagine father nursing a sore head after some close encounters with his new ceiling.

Bermuda Onion Packers

2008-12-03T06:12:00.001-08:00

A postcard to Bert from Bermuda. Another one from the archive that has been torn in two, but fortunately both halves survive. The postmark date looks like 21 AUG 07 (i.e. 1907) which seems about right. I had to whack up the brightness when scanning this one in, as the image was very dark. From the manuscript entries, it is apparent that the sender has been in Bermuda for some time.

Above the picture - "I don't believe I sent you this one before".

Below the picture - "This is quite a familiar sight with everyone here when the crops are fit to reap. I guess a great many crates of Bda onions find their way to England."

On the back - "Your two cards were grand thanks ever so much. I suppose I should not say so but you know I expected that you would send me a view of 'Henley Regatta'. I read an account of it in our local papers. I am awfully glad you sent it, I did not like to ask for one. You do certainly send some lovely ones. Sincerely, E. Inglau" (I think that is what the signature is but I stand to be corrected.)

Without seeing the names, you could tell this is a card from one bloke to another. It is basically just one postcard in response to another.

Bert's collection of actress postcards - part 2

2008-12-03T05:48:00.001-08:00

Two from Ralph Dunn & Co, 63 Barbican E.C. - Delia Mason and Zena Dare

One from Aristophot Co Ltd, London W.C. of Pinkie and the Fairies - Miss Elise Craven as "Queen of the Fairies"

Finally, a torn one from The Philco Publishing Co, ! Holborn Place, London W.C. It is signed, but only part of the signature is visible. This is the only card that has been sent through the post. It is addressed to Mr A.C. Mackie at 15 Plumstead Common Road. The word "Local" has also been added to the address.

Bert's collection of actress postcards - part 1

2008-12-02T06:13:00.000-08:00

These are all by the Rotary Photographic Co and date from the early 1900s. They were obviously purchased as collectors' items as none have actually been through the mail, although one of them has Bert's name and address written on the back:
A.C. Mackie, 15 Plumstead Common Rd, Plumstead, Kent

From top to bottom and left to right we have Miss Winifred Hare, Miss Susie Vining, Miss Doris Lester, Ruth St. Denis "Hindu Radha" (not quite what it says on the card, but results ofGoogle searches suggest that the caption is incorrect), Miss Zena Dare and Miss Maud Allan "Medelssohn's Spring Song".

Your blogger at a very early age

2008-11-28T05:59:00.000-08:00

This must be one of the earliest pictures of me, probably taken around August 1952 in the front room at Basildon Road. The sofa is a Lloyd Loom. What looks like wicker is actually made up of twisted strands of Kraft paper. We had a few other pieces of Lloyd Loom furniture, but none have survived. For more about this type of furniture - which is still in production - see the website http://www.lloyd-loom-furniture.co.uk/

Chapel Lane and the Beekens

2008-11-25T05:49:00.000-08:00

A few of your blogger, his sister and mum at granny Bailey's. We are quite young here so I would put the year at around 1954. The older children are the Beekens, who were granny's neighbours in Chapel Lane. The younger boy with fair hair is Barry; his brother is Terence and sister Patricia. I know they had a henhouse - that might be it in the background. There is also evidence of allotments. Grandad Bailey used to grow runner beans and you can see the poles.

We are older here so this must be a later visit. Pauline is becoming more mobile and is wearing reins. So I guess it is around 1955. This must have been one of our last visits, as granny moved down to join us in Abbey Wood in 1956. You can just about make out a figure in the shadows in the background to the left of the picture. This might be Mr Parker, who was another neighbour.

Don & Eileen at the seaside

2008-11-24T05:46:00.000-08:00

This must have been taken sometime between 1946 and 1952, after Don had been demobbed but before they had children of their own. I would guess they must be somewhere on the south coast and it is a shingle beach. It looks a bit breezy too; Eileen's hair is being blown about and they are all keeping their jackets on.

The other couple are my godparents, Dennis & Maisie Smith. I haven't seen they since they emigrated to Australia in the early 1960s. They used to run the off licence in Bostall Manorway, Abbey Wood. They had two sons - the younger one was about a year or so older than me. But that would still leave the schoolgirl on the left of the second picture (notice her straw boater matching her uniform) unaccounted for. But of course the group also included the unseen photographer.

The Mackies and their WAGs (1940s style)

2008-11-21T06:07:00.000-08:00

The first picture shows Don's brother Jack, Jack's wife Celia, Eileen and Don. They are outside the house in Chapel Lane. I think this one was also taken prior to October 1944. The second is the only picture that has come to light of Don and Eileen's wedding. It looks like wartime austerity dictated that this was not a lavish affair. They married in June 1945. Although the war was over, there was still alot of soldiering to be done. After his marriage, Don had another tour of duty overseas, this time to Glinde near Hamburg to deal with returned ordnance. He was not finally demobbed until July 1946.

Don meets his prospective in-laws

2008-11-21T05:45:00.001-08:00

These are all stamped with the same number on the back, Eileen is wearing the same clothes and the setting is the same (outside the front door of the house in Chapel Lane) so I think they must have been taken at the same time.

Don is not wearing medal ribbons, so I think these pictures must predate him being posted to Caen in October 1944. (For more about Don's military service, particularly the army dance band he played in, see my blog http://bandof14aod.blogspot.com/) Before going overseas, Don had been based at the Ordnance depot at Old Dalby. It was during his time there that he met Eileen, the future Mrs Mackie. Had it not been for the war, your blogger would not have been born!

The other gentleman seen here is Eileen's father Bill (William Kilby) Bailey. There will be more about him later. He worked at Stanton Ironworks and was a keen cricketer; I still have some of his trophies. He died when I was very young, but I dimly remember him.

Eileen goes to the seaside

2008-11-20T05:46:00.000-08:00

In the first picture, Eileen is holding a brochure with the word "Skegness" on the front. This was the nearest seaside resort to Nether Broughton. There is a stamp on the back "Walking Pictures". This must have been a photography business that took pictures of people passing by then sold prints to them; a Google search for "Walking Pictures" and "Skegness" finds a number of similar pictures. Eileen is not even looking at the camera. I do not know who the other woman is. The second picture shows Eileen and her companion with Eileen's mother Lizzie. Both young women are wearing the same dresses as in the previous picture, so I guess this was taken on the same day.

The third picture was clearly taken on a different occasion and probably when Eileen was much younger, judging by the age of her companions. This might have been Skegness, but I know her family sometimes also visited Mablethorpe so this is another possibility.

Young Eileen in the garden at Chapel Lane

2008-11-18T05:50:00.001-08:00

A selection of pictures of Eileen Bailey taken in the back garden at Chapel Lane, Nether Broughton. This was where Eileen grew up. We used to visit there to see "granny Bailey" in the early 1950s before she moved in with us at Basildon Road. I seem to remember there were no fences between all the back gardens.

You will notice that many of the pictures from Eileen's album have been trimmed down - often none to neatly - so it has been a bit of a challenge to line them up properly for scanning. Also, a number of pictures have white streaks. These appear in the same place where I have more than one print of the same picture. I presume the camera was not completely light-tight.

Eileen Bailey when she was very young

2008-11-17T05:48:00.000-08:00

I have been going through mum's old photo album, so there will be a few posts from her side of the family. We start with three of the earliest ones I can find. Eileen was born in 1924 so these would have been within a year or so of then.

The lady in the first picture is identified as "Aunt Doll". I remember often hearing her name mentioned, but I am not sure exactly how she was related.

Albert & Donald on the beach

2008-10-09T05:45:00.001-07:00

Note that even on holiday, Bert is wearing a collar and tie. Donald cannot be more than five in this picture, dating it no later than 1925. I do not know the location, but it is most likely somewhere on the Kent coast.

A Christmas card - 1911 style

2008-10-09T05:39:00.001-07:00

From Bert to Ada. Note the red ribbon holding the card together.

Bert and colleagues

2008-10-07T05:56:00.000-07:00

The top picture is captioned "Original CIA Staff 1914". I don't think CIA in this context means Central Intelligence Agency. I have found a reference to "Manufacture of small arms gauges for C.I.A. Woolwich" here http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk/catalogue/displaycataloguedetails.asp?CATLN=6&CATID=6911561&FullDetails=True&Gsm=2008-02-12&j=1 so very likely it is something to do with Woolwich Arsenal. There is an arrow from the top of the picture to the person standing in the third row back, fifth from left and this is clearly Albert Mackie. The second picture shows the same group, but some of the individuals have changed their poses.

In the third picture, we can see Bert second from right in the back row. I would guess this is an earlier picture than the previous two; compare the collars of Bert's shirts.

Bill & Connie Warden?

2008-10-05T16:17:00.000-07:00

This photograph appears to be a copy print. What looks like a burn mark on the top is actually an image in the print.

The photo is from the Crown Lane archive and I think it could be Bill and Connie Warden. I only knew Bill from when he married Ada in 1961 and I don't have any known earlier pictures of him. But comparing this with later pictures of Bill, I think there is a resemblance. Also, the woman appears to be older than the man. Their marriage certificate of 24 August 1914 shows that William Drewitt Warden, 26, a bachelor married Constance Anetta Dickens, 36, a widow. Her father is shown as George Dickens, so I presume she had reverted to her maiden name. (Bill's age on the marriage certificate is not quite right though. His death certificate shows he was born on 4th July 1890. This is consistent with the age of 70 shown on the certificate of his second marriage to Ada Mackie on 13th April 1961. So when he married Connie, he could only have been 24.)

A few more "unknowns"

2008-10-05T15:57:00.000-07:00

These are all from the Crown Lane archive so they could be related to either Ada McCann/Mackie/Warden or Bill Warden. The top picture has "Flo's" written on the back, but that is not a name that rings bells with me.

The middle picture could be relatives of Bill Warden. If that is the Anchor Hotel, Shepperton in the background, then the church is St. Nicholas C of E Church.

A Corner of Scrips

2008-09-08T16:18:00.001-07:00

This is a picture from Ada's archive and presumably dates from around 1951 when she was there. It is printed on white card. The untidy right hand edge indicates that it has been cut or torn from something bigger. The block paving in the foreground and extending beyond the doorway looks identical to that seen in the Bardrick's 2006 newsletter.

A load of blokes in a charabanc

2008-09-08T06:24:00.001-07:00

I do not know who these people are or what the occasion is. I presume it is workplace-based, as the passengers are all male. Many of them are conspicuously brandishing short rods. Maybe they have been involved in the manufacture of this device, whatever it may be. They all seem to be wearing overcoats, so it is not exactly the best weather to be riding in an open-topped vehicle. The name on the side of the charabanc looks like "C.G. Lewis".

The picture came from the "Crown Lane" archive, so possibly Albert Mackie is here somewhere. If so, this could be a party from the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich.

Update

I have now made contact with Chris Lewis, nephew of Charles George Lewis and suggested a possible connection with Woolwich Arsenal. Chris has provided some interesting further information.

A little research and the vehicle in your photo is a Karrier KL type. One of the very first forward control vehicles ever built. Reg no. YN7601. New June 1926 and cost £1250.
In 1927 C. G. Lewis’ phone number had a 0 added to the front making it Greenwich 0220. In your photo it still reads 220. Since all his vehicles were re-varnished every year, I think the year could be 1926-27 as photos of this vehicle in 1928 show the new number.

The full company title at this time was C. G. Lewis safety coaches. With the name in a triangle base side down, later wings were added to this as the wings of speed (28 mph legal speed limit). He also did a lot of work for Ministry of Defence: - RN stores Deptford, Royal Naval College Greenwich, Royal Artillery Woolwich, & Royal Arsenal, so possible.

Chief Inspector of Mechanization, Chislehurst

2008-09-07T17:06:00.000-07:00

This is a set of passport-size photos. Surnames are written in pencil on the back. These are:
Top row l-r: Arrow, Barnard, Blanchard, Lawton
Middle row l-r: Mayo, Prior, Shotbolt
Bottom row l-r: Way, Wetherell, Williams

Some carry a rubber stamp, as shown at the bottom. Stamped photos with dates are:
Arrow 13FEB1941
Barnard 21FEB1941
Mayo 7-MAY1941
Shotbolt 8-FEB1941
Wetherell 8-FEB1941

They are contained in the envelope below.

So what exactly did the Chief Inspector of Mechanization do? According to this site http://www.users.zetnet.co.uk/lsm/dhmg/mahon1.html he/they authored a document entitled "Self-Changing Gearbox for Matilda" in 1941. This site http://www.awm.gov.au/firstopac/bin/cgi-jsp.exe/shelf1.jsp?recno=39653&userId=&catTable= shows authorship of another document about Matilda. So who or what was Matilda, you ask? It was an infantry tank, designed at Woolwich Arsenal and produced between 1937 and 1943. See, for example http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Matilda_tank

This site http://www.kcl.ac.uk/lhcma/cats/stern/st30-03-.htm lists a document "STERN: 4/11 1942 - Booklet prepared by the Department of the Chief Inspector of Mechanisation, Chislehurst, Kent, containing specifications and illustrations of armoured fighting vehicles, including Cruiser Tanks, Infantry Tanks and armoured cars."

Here is an interesting bit from Hansard, February 1948 http://hansard.millbanksystems.com/commons/1948/feb/02/electrical-and-mechanical-department From here, follow the link to the previous section and you will learn that - at the time - "manure forks are practically unobtainable in Devonshire".

Frank Tyler update

2008-09-07T05:25:00.000-07:00

I contacted Southwark Local History Library to see if they could tell me anything about Frank Tyler & Co Ltd. Here is the response:

"I looked in the London Directory for 1885 and found the company was not listed. They are listed as ‘Clothier, 119 Newington Butts in 1888, and in 1889 as Miscellaneous Dealer at 109 and 119. In the 1890 directory they are listed as ‘Miscellaneous Dealer at 109 Newington Butts. In 1910 they are listed as ‘Furniture Dealer’, 107, 109 and 111, Newington Butts and 14 lower Kennington Lane. They were still there in 1950, and at 14 and 16 Kennington Lane. The last time they were listed was in 1971, at the Newington Butts addresses."

The latest listing in 1971 is coincidentally the year in which the clock tower was demolished.

This website includes a view of Newington Butts in 1860, together with a map showing the viewpoint. Of course this predates the establishment of Frank Tyler & Co. It gives an idea what the area would have looked like, but 107-111 would have been a bit further north. http://www.partleton.co.uk/AnnRebekahGeorge.htm

These people sell prints of old photos. They have a couple of pictures of Newington Butts in 1905 and 1906.
http://www.oldstreetscenes.co.uk/?act=images&cat=78&PHPSESSID=057327974f35e6abe2c0061c8f803d9f

In both cases, I think 107-111 would have been just a bit further up the road on the right, just past the horse and cart in the 1906 picture. But it is possible we can see something of No. 119.

This is about the best picture I have found of the clock tower. It was taken in 1961 http://webapp1.dlib.indiana.edu/cushman/results/detail.do?pnum=P12190

Scrips - Where Is It?

2008-09-02T06:41:00.000-07:00

Ada Mackie's identity card shows she moved to Scrips, Coggeshall, Essex in November 1951. As far as I can trace, this must be:

Scrips Farm, Cut Hedge Lane, Coggeshall, Colchester, Essex, CO6 1RL

Obviously she would not have been the sole occupant here. A Google seach indicates Scrips is now in the hands of the Bardrick family. This link takes you to their Christmas 2006 newsletter and includes some pictures of the grounds http://www.bardrick.com/christmas/2006/

Frank Tyler and Utility Furniture

2008-08-28T19:56:00.000-07:00

Following on from the enquiry I received, I looked again at the "Bought of" list to see if I remembered any of the items and whether any of them might still be around. The first entry appears to begin with the abbreviation "Ut." which I presume stands for "Utility". Utility furniture was very much a feature of Britain in the 1940s and early 1950s - try a Google search if you want to know more.

Many of the items sounded like the furniture I grew up with - we had a sideboard, dining table and four chairs and a desk which could be the same thing as the "writing table" in the list. By the time I was born, grandfather Albert was dead and grandmother Ada was no longer living at Red Hill, Chislehurst. So it is always possible that some or all of this furniture could have passed on to my parents. Below is a photo of a dining table, chairs and desk which appear identical to those I remember. I do not recognise the location. It is not Basildon Road, Abbey Wood where I grew up, so perhaps it is Red Hill. If you look carefully at the right hand corner of the table top, you will notice a slight indentation on the edge. Beneath the table top itself were retractable leaves which could be pulled out to extend the surface.

Most of the furniture has now gone the way of all things, but I still have one of the dining chairs.

Frank Tyler & Co Ltd

2008-08-28T11:49:00.000-07:00

I have previously posted a couple of items of correspondence from the above firm.

I heard recently from a lady in the USA. She has a vintage cabinet which still has the original 1910 receipt showing it had been bought from Frank Tyler. She had been researching the company, found my blog and contacted me to ask if I had any more information.

A search on Google showed various retail outlets at 91 to 105 Newington Butts (now SE1, not SE11 as shown in the Frank Tyler letterheads). I then took myself off to the site and found Sherston Court, a six storey building with commercial premises at ground level and apartments above. I would guess it is of late 1950s or early 1960s origin. Judging by the scaffolding, some sort of rennovation work is under way. I could not find 107-111, but William Hill is at 105 and the entrance to the apartments is immediately adjacent. It is apparent that the shops within Sherston Court have re-used the numbers of previous buildings, so caution must be exercised about saying I have found the precise location of Frank Tyler's premises. Here is what I found:

The letterheads had given the location as "exactly opposite the clock tower". Across the road is park on the site of St. Mary's churchyard. A plaque there tells that the clock tower was demolished in 1971 and a memorial stone (which I did not manage to find) now marks the site.

A walk to Kennington Lane found that numbers 14-16 which housed the upholstery and cabinet works are gone and the site is now occupied by a builders' merchant.

As a footnote, a Google search revealed a WikiPatents entry showing that a Dennis Guy Farnsworth, then of 14 Kennington Lane, had lodged a patent in 1950 for "Apparatus for determining the position of pistons in an internal-combustion engine". (He later moved to Chingford and lodged another patent for towing apparatus.)

http://www.wikipatents.com/gb/0669902.html

News from E.J. Fleming

2008-04-17T14:41:00.000-07:00

On 21st March, I posted a card from Ethel where she gives her address as 6806 Hollywood Boulevard. I did a Google search on this address and it led me to The Movieland Directory site http://www.movielanddirectory.com/ - to quote "This site is based on E.J. Fleming's Movieland Directory, which contains the largest and best researched guide to Movieland locations on Earth. Our primary focus is on the people and places, including homes, film locations, and other points, associated with the entertainment business. " I contacted the website and gave them a link to this blog, and very soon received the following very detailed reply from E.J. himself.

"Thanks for your note to the site re; Blanche White. I love that kind of stuff and loved the pics and her notes. Judging from the cars in the photos, most of them seem to be early-mid 1940's. She also mentioned that Bobby Bolter died a few years earlier and he died in 1937.As to the address, coincidently I've been doing a TON of research during the past year and Tony (my brother and web king) is getting ready to upload an updated database. I’ve gathered another 27,000 or so addresses that will put it at about 57,000 (with no end in sight… it’s a sickness…) Coincidently I’ve spent a good bit of time during the past month reviewing old L.A. voter registration records from 1922 through 1940 and have a ton of addresses from Clark Drive. Nothing on Blanche/Ethel, sadly, but I had uncovered an address for her from 1930 to go with the one for Leo.

First of all, there is a Clark Drive and a Clark Street. They aren’t terribly far apart but are distinctly different and since she mentioned “Clark Drive” specifically it’s pretty strong to assume she would not have gotten it wrong. Clark Street is in West Hollywood near the border to Beverly Hills (just east of Doheny on a map) and runs north off of Sunset. It’s a pretty schmaltzy area actually. Big money and stars’ houses. The pictures are taken in the "flats" so I'm sure it's not Clark Street.

Clark Drive on the other hand is south about a mile from Clark Street and runs north/south. It is a block west of Robertson Boulevard and runs from Beverly Boulevard on the north down past Wilshire Boulevard. It is technically in Beverly Hills but isn’t ritzy by any means. During the 1940’s the neighborhood – which was blocks of really nice stucco or California mission style bungalows – was a working neighborhood. Lots of movie people lived there but it’s not mansions or anything like that. Most bigger name stars lived and still live north of Santa Monica. Workers still live south. So I’m pretty sure that she lived on Clark Drive between Wilshire and Beverly. Many people like her and Bobby Bolder lived in that area.

Unfortunately I’ve not come across any listing for Ethel in the dozens of Clark Drive forms I’ve been through (but I’ll keep looking). I’ve got them all indexed so I know where blocks are and rechecked tonight but found only a few Ethels and none with occupations that matched.

Coincidently, I did dig up someone who I believe to be Ethel in the 1930 census when I searched for Ethel White. At the time of the 1930 census, there was an Ethel C. White living at 1819 North Kingsley (the Hedvig Apartments, a nice 8-10 unit apartment building over in the Los Feliz area at the eastern end of Hollywood. It’s between Franklin Avenue and Sunset Boulevard on a north-south street. In 1930 the area was very nice, very clean and full of movie people of all types. Beverly Hills was still the place to be for the super stars, as were the Hollywood Hills (streets north of Sunset in Hollywood). But the neighborhoods like Los Feliz were very popular because they weren’t crowded. Often the streets were only half full of buildings.

At the time of the April, 1930 census, there was a listing was for Ethel C. White, b. 1893 in England, immigrating to the U.S. in 1910, age (looks like) 37 but it was scratched out. She was 18 at the time of her first marriage, which puts it sometime during 1911-1912. Dates can be tricky because the census was in April so you can only confirm a 2-year range unless you know the specific date of an event as it applies to April. Ethel had two sons, Leo H. (age 18, b. 1912 in New York) and John F. (age 15, b. 1915 in Illinois).

There are several circumstantial things – aside from the obvious name matches – that tie in as well. In 1912, when Leo H., Jr. was born in New York, Leo, Sr. was making movies for [it looks like there is some text missing in E.J.'s original. Leo was working for Power Picture Plays in 1912, but I do not know where they were based - Phil] In 1914-1915 when John F. was born in Illinois, Leo, Sr. was making movies in Chicago, Illinois, for Essanay. Also his age at first marriage – 29 – mentioned on his census form (he was apparently already separated from her as early as April, 1930) and his age – 47- means he was in 1911-1912, matching that of Ethel.

Coincidently, director Claude Fleming lived at the Hedvig at the same time.

During the same census I found Leo H., Sr. (listing on the site already) at 5724 Sunset (a larger apartment building; don’t know the name). He gave his age as 47 (b. 1893) and birthplace as Germany, immigrated in 1899. He was still listed as married (as was Ethel) and “actor – stage” as occupation.

No idea who her “Bob” is, which must be terrible frustrating for you. If you can find out, let me know and I’ll do some research. In one of her postcards she mentioned “Bob” was working in a film so he was in the business. There was a Robert “Bobo” Cannon (b 1909, Ohio d 1964 in L.A.) who was a director and animation guy in the 1940’s-1950’s but that’s the only close thing I could find from the information she left.

Her 6806 Hollywood Blvd. address was the Bonnie Briar Hotel Apartments, a very large building at Hollywood and Highland in the heart of Hollywood. It is next to the new Academy Award complex and the Hollywood/Highland development. Very cool area. In the 1930’s-1940’s tons of interesting people lived there; here’s the list I have now:

[Sorry I have not been able to include the list of names. It was in a table and the formatting went haywire when I tried to copy and paste it here. If you would like to see the full list, please contact me (see my profile for e-mail address) and I'll forward the original message on to you.]

Not there any more I’m pretty sure…

Again if you come up with any additional information about Ethel or “Bobo” please let me know and I’ll see what I can find.

E.J. kindly provided me with copies of the 1930 census data for Ethel and Leo. They are in pdf format so I cannot post them here, but e-mail me if you would like copies.

If Ethel went to the USA in 1910, she would only have been 17 or 18 at the time. The census data also shows she first married at 18. So this still leaves a question mark over whether she met and married Leo before or after she emigrated.

Leo's age is consistent with the IMDb website database which says he was born in 1882. But if he immigrated to the US in 1899 he would only have been 16 or 17, which seems a little young, especially as some sources state he was already an established music hall performer in the UK before he went to the US. Possibly 1899 was the year he left Germany, not necessarily when he arrived in US. The census data also contradicts the birth year of 1873 shown on his gravestone.

A crib from Aunt Annie to Jack

2008-03-24T06:08:00.000-07:00

This came from Ada's archive, so Jack must be her son and Aunt Annie her sister Annie Precious. Comparing the writing on the back with my earlier post of the 1925 picture of Annie and her daughters shows that Annie (identifying herself only as "mother") had written the names and ages on the back.

Ada out after dark

2008-03-24T06:01:00.001-07:00

I don't know where this is. There is a block of flats just visible in the top left corner of the picture. That actually eliminates a few places; it is not in Crown Lane, or near where either of her sons lived.

Ada and Bill in their back garden

2008-03-24T05:59:00.000-07:00

At 1 Crown Lane, Chislehurst.

Ada and Bill's Marriage Certificate

2008-03-24T05:43:00.001-07:00

You will notice that St. Mary's Church is shown as being in the district of Sidcup and there is no mention of Chislehurst. At the time, Chislehurst was part of Chislehurst and Sidcup Urban District Council. In 1965, boundary changes saw Chislehurst become part of the London Borough of Bromley, while Sidcup went to the London Borough of Bexley. Ada's address is given as 3 Rectory Place, The Common, Chislehurst.

Ada and Bill's Wedding

2008-03-24T05:34:00.001-07:00

On 13 April 1961, Ada Mackie married for a second time to become Mrs William Warden. Here are some pictures of their wedding at St. Mary's Church, Chislehurst. That's my father Don with the moustache and Aunt Celia in the role of bridesmaid. Uncle Jack was no doubt behind the camera so not actually seen here. I think the best man must be "F.J. Moran" - one of the witnesses named on the marriage certificate. The wedding was quite a low key affair. I don't now remember why, but only dad attended the wedding, not the rest of us.

Bert's Grave

2008-03-24T05:23:00.000-07:00

St. Mary's Church, Chislehurst. I visited recently and found the stonework is now in a rather sorry state. Once the weather improves, I shall return with a bucket and scrubbing brush to clean it up.

Trench Art (3)

2008-03-24T04:41:00.001-07:00

This time the design is "Not Absent in Thoughts" and the inscription on the back "Wishing you many happy returns of the day from Rose, Mark. Will write later."

Update. See posting of 24 May 2009 "An obituary - Rose Finestone". From this, I deduce that the card was sent to Bill Warden's sister Rose from her husband (or maybe then her intended) Mark Finestone.

Trench Art (2)

2008-03-24T04:32:00.001-07:00

The design reads "To My Dear Sister" and the inscription on the back is "To Connie with love from Gerald." This must be Constance Warden (nee Dickens). She was the first wife of Bill Warden, who in turn became the second husband of Ada Mackie.

Trench Art (1)

2008-03-24T04:24:00.001-07:00

The design reads "Greetings from the Trenches". This embroidered postcard is an example of trench art, a term applied to a wide variety of objects made during or after WWI, either commercially or by soldiers themselves to pass the time. There are a number of websites that will tell you more about this subject, but http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trench_art has this to say about cards such as this one. "Civilians in France, in the zones occupied by troops, were quick to exploit this new market. Embroidered postcards were produced in what quickly became a cottage industry, with civilians buying the surrounds and embroidering the panel of gauze. These postcards often had regimental crests or patriotic flags and national symbols in abundance, and millions were produced over the course of the war."

This particular card carries no inscription on the back, but see the next two examples.

From Bushey Avenue to Basildon Road

2008-03-24T03:58:00.000-07:00

After WWII, Don and Eileen Mackie stayed temporarily with Don's brother Jack at Bushey Avenue. But in February or March 1948, they moved into what had been Don's family home in Basildon Road. (Or more precisely, the new house that had been built on the site, as the original had been destroyed by a bomb in WWII.) Here we see the estimate and receipted invoice for removal from Furlongs of Woolwich. Some of these are slightly larger than A4, so I have had to scan them in as overlapping sections. You will notice that the invoice is made out to Mrs A.M. Mackie. No doubt the young couple setting up home appreciated some help from the "Bank of Mum and Dad".

Bought of Frank Tyler & Co Ltd

2008-03-24T03:47:00.001-07:00

This is an invoice for a substantial quantity of furniture and fittings. It is dated 21 August 1946, a month before Ada and Bert moved into 10 Red Hill, Chislehurst. Their house at Basildon Road was bombed during WWII so they would have lost most of their furniture then. During and shortly after the war, they were living in a variety of furnished accommodation. But now they are setting up home at Red Hill, they need their own furniture.

Memo from Frank Tyler & Co Ltd

2008-03-23T17:42:00.000-07:00

The memo is dated August 20, 1945. If I am right, it reads:

"Dear Mrs Mackie, Very many thanks for all the trouble you have taken in getting and sending me the names and addresses of the legatees. I shall forward this to the solicitors who will be writing to them in due course. Mrs Cast will be pleased to see you if at any time you are in our neighbourhood again. With kind regards & many thanks, I remain, yours sincerely, J. Cast"

This might seem an odd sort of letter to be getting from a furniture dealer, but at the bottom of their letterhead it states "valuations for probate and insurance" so it looks as if they are dealing with someone's estate. But at the moment I have no record of any deaths in the family at about this time. I presume the Mrs Mackie addressed is Ada.

Ada's National Registration Identity Card

2008-03-23T16:37:00.000-07:00

Maybe the current debate about identity cards is not so new after all. Here is Ada's card. The first entry is dated 29 May 1943, so maybe these were introduced as a wartime security measure. But it looks as if the powers that be were not keen to relax the rules once hostilities were over, as the latest entry was made on 16 November 1951. But from a genealogical point of view, this card provides a useful record of where Ada was living.

As I have suggested in previous posts, the move to Walsingham Lodge was probably connected with husband Albert's work for the Ministry of Supply. After the war, they would have needed to vacate this address, but their old house in Basildon Road, Abbey Wood was bombed during the war and had not then been rebuilt. So the move to Royal Parade must have been a temporary expedient as they were only there three months. Next stop was 623 Westhorne Avenue SE9, but again only for a few months. Possibly she was staying with her sister Lyn Saward, who I know lived in Eltham. September 1946 sees her at 10 Red Hill, Chislehurst, where I believe she and Albert settled - and where Albert died in August 1950. The final entry finds her at Scrips, Coggeshall, Essex. I am looking for information about Scrips, but I think her visit here must only have been temporary as she subsequently lived at various addresses in Chislehurst.

Neither Ada nor Bert ever moved back to Basildon Road, but the house stayed in the family as their son Donald and his wife moved there in 1948.

Bert and Ada and another torn photo from Seaforth

2008-03-23T16:29:00.000-07:00

I have previously posted a picture of Jack, Celia and Peter at Seaforth. It had been torn along one side. Now here we have Bert and Ada at the same address, but this time the photo has been torn horizontally and the bottom half is missing. I imagine Seaforth is a holiday cottage somewhere as I have no other record of this address, but I do not know where.

A postcard of a church in Hollywood from Ethel

2008-03-21T17:12:00.001-07:00

From Ethel to Ada. This card is a bit frustrating in some ways. The stamp has been removed, taking with it any postmark that might have helped to date it. And most of the address has been obliterated. Ethel does not actually tell us the name of the church; I have done a Google search for RC churches in Holywood, but cannot find one that looks like this. The text reads

"Dearest. This is our little church. Isn't it lovely. Other sides have orange, fig and palm trees. Bell marks historic spot where Padre Junipero Serra celebrated Mass of the Holy Wood of the Cross in old spanish days. Please write me 6806 Hollywood Blvd L.A. Calif. I haven't had a letter for ages. Love to all from Ethel"

I'll see what I can find about the address she mentions.

Postcard from Velda and Leslie

2008-03-21T17:02:00.001-07:00

It is apparent from the archive that Velda kept in touch with her great Aunt Ada. After Ada died, my parents and also my uncle and aunt in Canada heard from Velda. We exchanged letters and postcards, but the fact was that different sides of the family had drifted apart and none of us really knew Velda or her family. But this postcard has survived. It is signed Velda and Leslie, which taken together with the picture of Velda's sister June's wedding, helped me work out a few more relationships. This was to my mother Eileen Mackie. She mentions the death of Jack and a letter from Celia. These are my aunt and uncle. She also mentions the death of her mother's sister's husband. But Velda's mother Florence was one of six daughters, so it is not clear who she means.

A postcard from Florence

2008-03-21T16:48:00.000-07:00

A card from Florence (daughter of Annie Precious) to Ada and Bill Warden. There is a mention of June (Florence's middle daughter) and children. Not much, but all I have from Florence.

Velda's children - Christmas 1966

2008-03-21T14:24:00.000-07:00

Caption on the back reads "Xmas 1966 from Keith and Gillian". Obviously a professional studio photo (it comes in a card mount) but no indication who the photographer is.

Velda's family

2008-03-21T14:14:00.000-07:00

The caption on the back reads "Gillian Mary 1 year, Keith William 4 1/2 years."

Velda's children

2008-03-21T13:53:00.000-07:00

Caption reads "Keith William Ellis, 3 years 7 months, Gillian Mary Ellis, 2 months" Add in what looks like Ada Mackie's handwriting (or Ada Warden as she may have been by then) "Garden House, Alpington, Norwich". The photographer's name is also stamped on the back. The surname is not clear - a pity as it is an unusual one. The stamp looks like "Montague Maddermunkel, Norwich".

Velda's son Keith

2008-03-21T13:48:00.000-07:00

Caption on the back reads "Keith William Ellis" (6 months)

My mum

2008-03-20T11:50:00.000-07:00

Looking through the blog, I realise I have include photos of most of my immediate family except mum. So to redress the balance, here is one of her that I believe was taken in the 1940s. I also have a picture of dad in the army in Germany, which must have been some time after D-Day, and this picture is visible by his bedside.

A cottage somewhere

2008-03-14T10:03:00.001-07:00

I do not recognise this place and there are no notes on the back. There are two figures at the downstairs window. They look like an adult and a young child, but they are small and indistinct in this picture.

Father Firderer

2008-03-14T09:47:00.000-07:00

Father Firderer plays a small role in my family history. Bulley & Sons invoice tells us that he officiated at Albert's funeral, so he must have been parish priest of St. Mary's, Chislehurst at the time. In his note to Ada we see he is an old man, tired of life, when he writes "I am still awaiting with much patience the final call which is long overdue." I do not recognise the setting.

Albert Mackie - Memorial: Thomas Martin

2008-03-14T06:35:00.000-07:00

138 Main Road, Sidcup is now occupied by Playle & Partners, Surveyors.

Albert Mackie - Funeral Account: C.A. Bulley & Sons

2008-03-14T06:33:00.000-07:00

26 High Street, Chislehurst is now occupied by Bela Fashion

Albert Mackie - Obituary

2008-03-14T06:31:00.000-07:00

Albert Mackie - Death Certificate

2008-03-14T06:29:00.000-07:00

Albert Mackie - Birth Certificate

2008-03-14T06:14:00.000-07:00

Broadlands

2008-03-14T05:05:00.000-07:00

These three pictures all have the same number stamped on the back and the same scalloped borders so I presume they belong together. On the back of the first is written '"Gardeners Cottage" at Broadlands - Mountbatten's House'. Broadlands is near the River Test and that could be what we see in the second photo. The trees in the third photo look similar to the second, so this might be another picture from the other side of the river. If you want to check Google maps for an aerial view of Broadlands, the postcode is SO51 9ZD.

I don't know if there is any specific family history connected with Broadlands, but the pictures are in the archive so here they are.

Gas masks in Basildon Road

2008-03-14T04:36:00.000-07:00

These pictures show Ada Mackie and son Donald in the back garden at 84 Basildon Road, Abbey Wood. I presume they were taken early in WWII when dressing up in gas masks and tin hats must have been considered a bit of a laugh. Also, Don is still in civvies; he didn't enlist until November 1940. The house was destroyed by a bomb during the War (fortunately with no loss of life as Ada and Bert were then living at Walsingham Lodge, Chislehurst and Don was away on active service.) It was subsequently rebuilt. I don't think Ada and Bert ever moved back there, but Don and his wife Eileen moved in during 1948 and the house stayed in the family until your blogger sold up and moved out in November 2004.

Ada at Walsingham Lodge

2008-03-13T18:27:00.000-07:00

The first picture show Ada Mackie standing in an arched doorway. Written on the back is "Walsingham Lodge, Chislehurst. During the War. 'Mum.'" The photographer must be her son Jack, more often behind the camera than in front of it. The fact that it says "during the war" highlights that the print was made some time later. That's also Ada standing in a doorway shading her eyes. I do not recognise the location and she is wearing a different dress. I think that is also Ada in the next picture, but it is difficult to be certain as her face is in shadows. Again, she is dressed differently and I cannot identify the location. I am guessing the ivy-covered building could be 'Walsingham' but cannot say for certain.

Walsingham Lodge - 1940s - part three

2008-03-13T18:00:00.001-07:00

Another two carrying the same number on the back. The first picture is clearly Walsingham Lodge again. It is taken from a similar angle to the picture in the "part two" post, but some time later. A bough of the tree in front of the lodge has been cut back, but there is substantial new growth from the stump. Is the other building "Walsingham"?

Walsingham Lodge - 1940s - part two

2008-03-13T17:51:00.001-07:00

These three pictures carry the same number on the back and so presumably they come from the same roll of film. They are also taken in practically identical weather conditions - light snow - so no doubt were taken in the same area at the same time. The portrait-style picture is clearly Walsingham Lodge, but seen this time from inside the grounds. The other two (which overlap and no doubt were intended to give some sort of panoramic view) were presumably taken nearby.

Walsingham Lodge - 1940s - part one

2008-03-13T17:19:00.001-07:00

This is taken from the same angle as the recent photo in my previous post. The gates have gone, the ivy has been trimmed back and there is the conspicuous addition of a dormer window in the roof. Otherwise, little has changed.

Walsingham Lodge - history & recent photos

2008-03-13T16:17:00.000-07:00

During WWII, Bert and Ada Mackie lived at Walsingham Lodge, Manor Park, Chislehurst. This address is shown on Bert's will dated 6th June 1943. They were living at Basildon Road, Abbey Wood (of which more later) before the war and returned there afterwards. It is very likely that they were at Walsingham Lodge in connection with Bert's work for the government. (His death certificate describes him as retired chief clerk with the Ministry of Supply.) Amongst the archives, I have an "On His Majesty's Service" envelope addressed to "Mr Mackie, I.M.T. Walsingham." It carries no postage, implying it was sent by some form of internal mail. It contains a number of passport-type photographs, some of which are stamped "Chief Inspector of Mechanization, Photographic Section, Chislehurst, 13 FEB 1941". The pictures are all head & shoulders portraits identified by surnames only in pencil on the back. I presume these were Bert's colleagues. (I wasn't intending to post these photos here as they are not actually of relatives and I imagine they will be of little interest. But if anybody would like to see them, let me know.)

Walsingham Lodge is still extant. Thanks to John Stiles for providing these two recent photos and also the following notes from Discover Chislehurst (D. Spurgeon, 2007):

'Walsingham' Manor Park. A 'Queen Anne' style house built c.1880 (architect - George Somers Leigh Clarke). Also part of property 'Walsingham Lodge' and 'Walsingham Cottage'.

Walsingham Cottage is to the right of Walsingham Lodge, but hidden behind hoardings at present owing to building work. Walsingham Lodge now has a dormer loft conversion in the roof.

Leo White - Further Internet References

2008-03-07T06:29:00.000-08:00

Please check back on this section from time to time for updates

Here are some pictures of his grave. This also includes a picture of him without moustache.

http://www.findagrave.com/cgi-bin/fg.cgi?page=gr&GRid=8103797

The tombstone makes him older than other sources would have us believe, as it says he was born in 1873. [Update. I have seen his entry in the April 1930 census where his age is given as 47. This is consistent with the 1882 birth date quoted elsewhere.]

This website matches the dates given in imdb, but tells us he was born in Manchester
http://www.citwf.com/detailPerson.asp?personID=438091&sortOn=YEAR&sortBy=UP

http://www.screenrush.co.uk/personne/galerievignette_gen_cpersonne=184645&cmediafichier=18821062.html
Just three photos here and I have seen two of them before (in fact I have probably seen the other one, but it was not captioned with Leo's name).

http://www.historicphotoarchive.com/caps/00086.html
Leo White might be in this picture

http://www.lesgensducinema.com/entree.php
Enter Leo White in "Rechercher" box then click the icon next to the search result. Dates are same as for imdb but this source says he was born in Manchester.

Update 31 March 2008. A couple more pictures here
http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/H/HisNewJob1915.html
http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/N/NightOut1915.html
And possibly this one
http://www.silentera.com/PSFL/data/D/DevilsPasskey1920.html

Clips of him surface from time to time on Youtube. I won't give specific URLs as it would be practically impossible to keep the references up to date, but if you search Youtube for "Charlie Chaplin" plus the title of one of his Essanay films (See the BFI website referenced in an earlier post) you may find something. Currently there are some clips from "Police" in which Leo plays three parts. He appears as a fruit seller and flop house proprietor - and kicks Chaplin's backside in both roles. He also appears as one of the policemen but it is difficult to be sure which as he frequently performed in false beards and moustaches.

Uncle Leo, Blanche and Ethel

2008-03-06T05:42:00.001-08:00

While watching old films on television, my dad would occasionally point out some minor character and announce "That's my uncle Leo". I presumed Uncle Leo must be connected in some way to Ethel McCann. But nothing I have found in the archives so far relates to anyone called Leo.

In particular, dad identified one of the three bearded avaitors in the Marx Brothers' "A Night at the Opera" as Leo. So I checked the internet movie database website and this identified Leo White as an aviator. I then followed the link to his imdb biography http://imdb.com/name/nm0925118/bio

This gives us the biographical details - born November 10, 1882 in Graudenz, West Prussia (now Germany), died September 20, 1948 in Glendale, California.

It also shows that his first wife was called Blanche White and they had two children. My sister remembers hearing that Ethel adopted the stage name Blanche White. So it now looks as if Peter and Jack were Leo's children and Bob/Bobo was Ethel's second husband/"significant other". Blanche's imdb entry is here http://imdb.com/name/nm0924527/ (Note. This blog was primarily set up for sharing genealogical information. "Ethel McCann" is generally used as an index label rather than "Blanche White".)

I have updated my tree in GenesReunited, but of course there is always the possibility that Leo White is a stage name.

I also made an image search for Leo White. These are links to stills from Charlie Chaplin movies on the BFI website.
http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/resources/bfi/filmog/film_thumb.php?fid=59446&resource=Stills
Stills from "A Night Out"
http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/resources/bfi/filmog/film_thumb.php?fid=59403&resource=Stills
Still from "The Champion"
http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/resources/bfi/filmog/film_large.php?fid=59426&enlargement=bfi-00n-hqf.jpg
Still from "A Jitney Elopement"
http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/resources/bfi/filmog/film_large.php?fid=58582&enlargement=bfi-00m-z7y.jpg
Still from "Work"
http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/resources/bfi/filmog/film_large.php?fid=58393&enlargement=bfi-00n-j49.jpg
Still from "A Woman"
http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/resources/bfi/filmog/film_large.php?fid=59395&enlargement=essanay_section1.jpg
Cast of "The Bank"
http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/resources/bfi/filmog/film_large.php?fid=59401&enlargement=bfi-00n-jbv.jpg
Still from "Charlie Chaplin's Burlesque on Carmen"
http://chaplin.bfi.org.uk/resources/bfi/filmog/film_thumb.php?fid=59450&resource=Stills
Stills from "Police". Leo played one of the policemen
There are others if you look for them.

The false moustache gets in the way, but does anybody else think there is a family resemblance between Leo, Peter and Jack?

Here are some biographical links, but internet searches reveal often contradictory information. More is to follow.

Wikipedia has an entry for him http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Leo_White (dates match those given in IMDB)

Answers.com tells he was born in 1880, has him dying one day later than is stated in most other sorces and refers to "his native England" http://www.answers.com/topic/leo-white?cat=entertainment [Update. The answers.com link is a secondary source. Data is actually drawn from the All Movie Guide http://www.allmovie.com ]

Did Leo and Ethel meet and marry in the States, or did they know each other in England?

The Hart girls, some years later

2008-02-27T17:02:00.001-08:00

Lizzie (Bailey), Annie (Harris) with daughter Joan (now Ward), Mabel (Purves) with daughter Margaret (now King), Emily (Wright, previously Main)

The Hart girls

2008-02-27T16:51:00.001-08:00

My grandmother Elizabeth (Lizzie) (Mrs William Bailey) was one of five sisters. The others were: Emily (Mrs Joseph Main, later Mrs Herbert Wright), Annie (Mrs Fred Harris), Mabel (Mrs James Purves) and Lucy (died aged 11 years). I believe there was also a son who died very young. Both their parents were from Melton Mowbray and that is where the family eventually returned. But they travelled around a bit. Emily was born in Hickling, Notts, Lizzie and Mabel in Hunslet, Leeds and Annie and Lucy in West Derby, Merseyside. I do not know who the baby is, but I believe the others from left to right are Emily, Annie and Lizzie.