Today I would like to welcome Sally Stackhouse to my blog for being a regular participant in The Knights of MicroFiction.
This is Part One of her grandmother's story. Part Two will be posted on Friday. Enjoy.
I would like to thank Kathy for inviting me to guest post on her blog today.
I would like to talk about an (extra) ordinary woman, my maternal grandmother. Harriet Davis (nee Kelly) was born towards the end of the Victorian age and saw six more monarchs reign and including our current Queen Elizabeth II during her lifetime.
Harriet, called Hetty or Het, was born in 1899 and died in 1992 aged 93. She was the youngest of five siblings, two older sisters and two older brothers, both her brothers, Frank and Walter served in the Royal Navy and unfortunately Walter lost his life, age 24, during World War I when his ship hit a mine on 1st March 1917 off the coast of Scotland while patrolling around Scapa Flow and sank with the loss of all 80 crew aboard her.
My grandmother’s family lived in South West London and after the First World War moved to Hastings in Sussex on the South-Eastern coast of England. Hetty worked as a waitress on Hastings Pier and later as a barmaid in a pub in Hastings, Sussex where she met my grandfather, Fred Davis, who had recently returned home from serving in the Army in India.
Harriet worked hard all her life keeping house, cooking and looking after two young girls and she also ran a bed and breakfast establishment during the summer months and took in washing.
Harriet and her two daughters, June and Margaret, were evacuated from Hastings which suffered severe bombing raids during the Second World War, to Somerset, while Fred was serving as a fireman. That is a story for another time.
In 1942 (still during the war) they moved to a small hamlet in the Kent countryside. Harriet just rolled up her sleeves and got on with country living although she was a city girl at heart. After several years they moved to a larger, more modern house of the time. They had a large garden where they grew fruit and vegetables and a small patch was given over to growing pretty flowers.
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Other News:
Don't forget, Wednesday is the IWSG hosted by Ninja Captain Alex. And Talli Roland just came out with a new book called MistleToe in Manhattan.
Hope you are writing away if you're participating in NaNo. I'd love to hear your progress.
Have a great week everybody!
Kathy :)
This is Part One of her grandmother's story. Part Two will be posted on Friday. Enjoy.
I would like to thank Kathy for inviting me to guest post on her blog today.
I would like to talk about an (extra) ordinary woman, my maternal grandmother. Harriet Davis (nee Kelly) was born towards the end of the Victorian age and saw six more monarchs reign and including our current Queen Elizabeth II during her lifetime.
+at+school.jpg) |
| Hetty, with red X, in school. All boys sat on one side and girls on the other. All the girls wore some sort of ribbon in their hair. |
Harriet, called Hetty or Het, was born in 1899 and died in 1992 aged 93. She was the youngest of five siblings, two older sisters and two older brothers, both her brothers, Frank and Walter served in the Royal Navy and unfortunately Walter lost his life, age 24, during World War I when his ship hit a mine on 1st March 1917 off the coast of Scotland while patrolling around Scapa Flow and sank with the loss of all 80 crew aboard her.
My grandmother’s family lived in South West London and after the First World War moved to Hastings in Sussex on the South-Eastern coast of England. Hetty worked as a waitress on Hastings Pier and later as a barmaid in a pub in Hastings, Sussex where she met my grandfather, Fred Davis, who had recently returned home from serving in the Army in India.
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| Frederick Robert Charles Davis married Harriet Kelly, Sunday the 4th of August 1929 at 8:00 am, it was their only day off. Wedding held at St. Matthews Church, Silverhill, Hastings, Sussex |
Harriet worked hard all her life keeping house, cooking and looking after two young girls and she also ran a bed and breakfast establishment during the summer months and took in washing.
Harriet and her two daughters, June and Margaret, were evacuated from Hastings which suffered severe bombing raids during the Second World War, to Somerset, while Fred was serving as a fireman. That is a story for another time.
In 1942 (still during the war) they moved to a small hamlet in the Kent countryside. Harriet just rolled up her sleeves and got on with country living although she was a city girl at heart. After several years they moved to a larger, more modern house of the time. They had a large garden where they grew fruit and vegetables and a small patch was given over to growing pretty flowers.
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| Harriet wore a pale powder blue wedding dress with white silk stockings and white shoes and carried a bouquet of pink carnations. Bridesmaids' wore pink dresses with a blue bolero and straw hats with ribbons. Best man was Fred's brother Alf; Harriet was given away by her brother Frank |
****
Other News:
Don't forget, Wednesday is the IWSG hosted by Ninja Captain Alex. And Talli Roland just came out with a new book called MistleToe in Manhattan.
Hope you are writing away if you're participating in NaNo. I'd love to hear your progress.
Have a great week everybody!
Kathy :)
Sally's grandmother endured a lot.
ReplyDeleteThanks for reminding everyone about the IWSG!
Fascinating! I love reading other people's stories. Thanks, Sally.
ReplyDeleteOh, and thank you for the shout-out! I was a little too quick there!
ReplyDeleteI love reading stories from the turn of the century and during war time.
ReplyDeleteLooking forward to Part Two!
Hello Kathy! Hello Sally! It is always wonderful to read of times past peopled by those we love/d. Thanks for sharing Sally.
ReplyDelete