Celai and Jack in the grounds of Goverment House

 

 

From Independence in 1947, Government House became Raj Bhavan, the official residence of the Governor of West Bengal.

Uncle Jack, Aunt Celia and Cousin Peter - miscellaneous photos

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

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 http://www.mediafire.com/download/09gq535aw48i6tc/Woolwich_schools.zip

Woolwich Polytechnic, Bloomfield Road, June 1927

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 full-size copies of these and the County School pictures here http://www.mediafire.com/download/09gq535aw48i6tc/Woolwich_schools.zip

The Mackies and their WAGs (1940s style)

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.

A crib from Aunt Annie to Jack

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.

Postcard from Velda and Leslie

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.
*Update 25 June 2012*.  "Mother's sister's husband" must be Jack Kettle, husband of Constance, who died on 9 January 1987.

Jack, Celia and Peter "Seaforth"

This must have been taken in the late 1940s. Notice the tear down the right side. I haven't found the other half of the picture.

Uncle Jack and Aunt Celia, 1940s

 *Updated July 2016*

I have revised this one to include a larger version of the original and add a second photo taken at the same time. Judging by their clothing, I think this would also have been taken at Chapel Lane as was this one. Of interest is the aeroplane brooch Aunt Celia is wearing. It was carved by Jack from a toothbrush handle.

Uncle Jack in the army

21 April 1945

"B.L.A. on active service"

"The distinguised looking Gauleiter of Dusseldorf! 22nd July 1945"

Another "Sergeant Jack" in the family. So was his uncle John Alexander in the Imperial Yeomanry and cousin John Frederick (Ethel's son) in the US army

Ada

Ada Mary Mackie (nee McCann, later Warden)

14 October 1890 - 13 March 1980

Ada, Bert and their sons

Left to right: John Adam Mackie, Albert Charles Mackie, Ada Mary Mackie (nee McCann) and Donald James Mackie. Bert died in August 1950 and he looks quite frail here.