20
Jan 1897 Thomas Jnr was baptised at St. Pauls, Westminster Bridge Road.
Sometime between 1897 and 1897 – Thomas and Alice (Skinny Granny) moved to Nine Elms in Battersea: a wedge of land between the London and South Western Railway Depot, the London Gas Light Works, the Nine Elms Brewery and the River Thames.
Ponton Road and its neighbouring streets, Everett, Belfour, Currie and Woodgate was a slum area nicknamed The Island. Charles Booth described the area in 1902. “The houses are two storey and flush with the pavement … The streets … all show the usual signs of squalor in an exaggerated form: broken windows, filthy cracked plaster, dirty ragged children, and drink-sodden women. Several of the children were without shoes and stockings, one girl of about five with nothing on but a shirt (it was summer), and the police say that it is quite common to see the small children running about stark naked. The population, in large part Irish, was then already falling under combined pressure from the sanitary authorities and the gasworks, ravenous for space.”
Fortunately, there were well meaning people wanting to help. The Nine Elms Flower Mission—a ladies’ charity, supplied flowers for poor families!
2 Feb 1898 their daughter Alice, Jnr was born and was baptised at St. George the Martyr in Battersea. This church was eventually knocked down in 1953 because, “The district became hopelessly dreary, and the church was not needed." (from 'Parish Churches of London')
Then a double tragedy struck Thomas and Alice. Young Thomas and Alice Jnr both died.
In 1901, Skinny Granny gave birth to her 5th child, a girl. Her name was Amelia Hannah Ward, born 14 January.
At this time Thomas and Alice lived at 20 Ponton Road. Nine Elms. Thomas worked as a “General Labourer”. They shared this house with two other families: John and Margaret Mahoney and their 4 children; and John and Margaret Hall and their son. In total 14 people lived in this small two up and two down.
On the 23 Feb 1903 Alice gave birth to their son, Benjamin. Thomas and Alice continued to live here until 1904, when they moved a few streets away to 10 Woodgate Street. It was here on 3rd December 1904 that their son, Henry Joseph was born. Thomas and Alice continued their connection with the Elephant and Castle: Henry was baptised at St. Paul’s Westminster Bridge Road.
On the 1st March 1907 their son, John was born. Between 1958 and 1963, John, or “Little John” as he was always known lived with his sister, Eliza, i.e. my grandmother. “Little John” lived up in the attic in Nan’s house. John told me that he put his diminutive height down to the fact that he had, “walked his ankles up to knees”. John never married. Whenever we visited Nan, my sister, Irene and I, were encourage to go upstairs and say hello to Great Uncle “Little” John because he would always give you a couple of "half-crowns" or a ten shilling note. The catch was that you had to let him kiss you. “Kiss” may be a bit of a misnomer; it was more like a wet suck. John had no teeth. In arguments with Nan when she would accuse him of being forgetful, he would answer that his memory was so good, that he could remember the day he was born: 1 March 1907
14th April 1909, their 9th child was born: Annie and on the 17th March 1911, their 10th child was born: Kate.
By 1911, they had moved again, this time to 36 Balfour Street. A mystery shrouds the family at this point. Thomas is not found on the census record, and the whole family: Alice and the 7 children has changed their name from Ward to Clark, i.e., Fat Granny’s married name. They were in fact living in the same house as Thomas’ brother, Henry and his wife, “Aunt Min”. Aunt Min was the daughter of my great grandfather, Charles Walters, 14 people lived in this 2 up 2 down terrace house.
By 1914, and the outbreak of the First World War, Thomas and Alice were re-united and living together with their family at 32 Balfour Street. Thomas was still employed as a labourer.
12th April 1915, Alice, aged 43, gave birth to their 11th and final child, William.
On the 17th May 1915 the 41 year old Thomas enlisted with the Territorial Force 24th City of London Regt. 3891. He is described as, “5’6”, ruddy complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, and has having a scar on the side of the left eye. However, his military career lasted less than 6 weeks and he was demobbed on the 27th July 1915. Reason? He was, “Not likely to make an efficient solder on medical grounds.” And what were those medical grounds? Poor Thomas suffered from Piles! Even so, he was, “steady, sober and reliable”.
In spite of his piles, Thomas as called up again, and in 1918 and he served in the army during the closing stages of the First World War.
Sometime between 1897 and 1897 – Thomas and Alice (Skinny Granny) moved to Nine Elms in Battersea: a wedge of land between the London and South Western Railway Depot, the London Gas Light Works, the Nine Elms Brewery and the River Thames.
Ponton Road and its neighbouring streets, Everett, Belfour, Currie and Woodgate was a slum area nicknamed The Island. Charles Booth described the area in 1902. “The houses are two storey and flush with the pavement … The streets … all show the usual signs of squalor in an exaggerated form: broken windows, filthy cracked plaster, dirty ragged children, and drink-sodden women. Several of the children were without shoes and stockings, one girl of about five with nothing on but a shirt (it was summer), and the police say that it is quite common to see the small children running about stark naked. The population, in large part Irish, was then already falling under combined pressure from the sanitary authorities and the gasworks, ravenous for space.”
Fortunately, there were well meaning people wanting to help. The Nine Elms Flower Mission—a ladies’ charity, supplied flowers for poor families!
2 Feb 1898 their daughter Alice, Jnr was born and was baptised at St. George the Martyr in Battersea. This church was eventually knocked down in 1953 because, “The district became hopelessly dreary, and the church was not needed." (from 'Parish Churches of London')
Then a double tragedy struck Thomas and Alice. Young Thomas and Alice Jnr both died.
In 1901, Skinny Granny gave birth to her 5th child, a girl. Her name was Amelia Hannah Ward, born 14 January.
At this time Thomas and Alice lived at 20 Ponton Road. Nine Elms. Thomas worked as a “General Labourer”. They shared this house with two other families: John and Margaret Mahoney and their 4 children; and John and Margaret Hall and their son. In total 14 people lived in this small two up and two down.
On the 23 Feb 1903 Alice gave birth to their son, Benjamin. Thomas and Alice continued to live here until 1904, when they moved a few streets away to 10 Woodgate Street. It was here on 3rd December 1904 that their son, Henry Joseph was born. Thomas and Alice continued their connection with the Elephant and Castle: Henry was baptised at St. Paul’s Westminster Bridge Road.
On the 1st March 1907 their son, John was born. Between 1958 and 1963, John, or “Little John” as he was always known lived with his sister, Eliza, i.e. my grandmother. “Little John” lived up in the attic in Nan’s house. John told me that he put his diminutive height down to the fact that he had, “walked his ankles up to knees”. John never married. Whenever we visited Nan, my sister, Irene and I, were encourage to go upstairs and say hello to Great Uncle “Little” John because he would always give you a couple of "half-crowns" or a ten shilling note. The catch was that you had to let him kiss you. “Kiss” may be a bit of a misnomer; it was more like a wet suck. John had no teeth. In arguments with Nan when she would accuse him of being forgetful, he would answer that his memory was so good, that he could remember the day he was born: 1 March 1907
14th April 1909, their 9th child was born: Annie and on the 17th March 1911, their 10th child was born: Kate.
By 1911, they had moved again, this time to 36 Balfour Street. A mystery shrouds the family at this point. Thomas is not found on the census record, and the whole family: Alice and the 7 children has changed their name from Ward to Clark, i.e., Fat Granny’s married name. They were in fact living in the same house as Thomas’ brother, Henry and his wife, “Aunt Min”. Aunt Min was the daughter of my great grandfather, Charles Walters, 14 people lived in this 2 up 2 down terrace house.
By 1914, and the outbreak of the First World War, Thomas and Alice were re-united and living together with their family at 32 Balfour Street. Thomas was still employed as a labourer.
12th April 1915, Alice, aged 43, gave birth to their 11th and final child, William.
On the 17th May 1915 the 41 year old Thomas enlisted with the Territorial Force 24th City of London Regt. 3891. He is described as, “5’6”, ruddy complexion, blue eyes, brown hair, and has having a scar on the side of the left eye. However, his military career lasted less than 6 weeks and he was demobbed on the 27th July 1915. Reason? He was, “Not likely to make an efficient solder on medical grounds.” And what were those medical grounds? Poor Thomas suffered from Piles! Even so, he was, “steady, sober and reliable”.
Thomas and Alice continued to live at 32 Balfour Street through
the 1920’s and 1930’s. As the children grew, married and left home,
grandchildren moved in. Their daughter
Louise married James Seymour in 1916 and brought up 6 children at No. 32.
In spite of his piles, Thomas as called up again, and in 1918 and he served in the army during the closing stages of the First World War.
Thomas and Alice continued their life together at the Island,
until 1937 when Alice contracted TB. On
the 21st October 1937, after 43 years of marriage, Alice passed away
at St. James’ Hospital, Battersea. And so, Skinny Granny’s story comes to an
end.
In 1936 Thomas’ aged mother, Fat Granny, had moved in with
them. She continued to live at Belfour
Street with Thomas until he died in 1940.
Fat Granny, herself, survived another year. Her story came to an end in 1941.
She is buried in Bermondsey.
Coming soon: Volume 2 of “The Cactus that
Blossomed”, In this volume we shall explore my grandfather’s connection with
Oliver Twist, my grandmother’s affair with a friend of the Prince of Wales, and
why gardening and sowing were part of my mother’s very DNA.
No comments:
Post a Comment