Bentley, Wood and Clarke

Notes on Alf and Vi Bentley (nee Wood) and Annie Clarke (nee Oakley)

See interview  tapes 67, 88, 89 and 146.

Alf born 1905. Brought up on Wickham Hill. Went to Nottingham for a time to relative and trained as a dental mechanic. Came back to Wickham 1931. Died 28.2.88;

Vi born 1915. Nee Wood. Brought up in Trafalgar Square. Died 1988 aged 73. Parents were Henry James Wood, and Nellie May Wood (nee Wager, had lots of step brothers called Smith). Vi was the oldest in the family, then there were Dill[?], Matt or Nat{?], Peg, Nin, Fred and David who died.
Grandparents also lived in the Square, grandfather was William[?] or Sidney[?] Wager, worked on the railway. Grandmother was Agnes Hannah, worked as a midwife. On leaving school, Vi worked briefly at Pinkham’s glove factory, then in service at Westcliff, then at Hoffman’s factory in Chelmsford.
Alf and Vi’s Son is Ray Bentley, 89 Armond Road, Witham). Daughter the late Ann.

Mrs Annie Clarke, born c 1904. nee Oakley, adopted by Vi’s grandmother Wager, and was called ‘Aunt Sis’ by Vi et al. Probably her father was the brother of Vi’s grandmother Wager, but she didn’t know who her mother was. Probably her father was a Smith and her mother an Oakley.
Mrs C’s first job in service in the White Hart. At Hoffman’s factory at Chelmsford at some time. Then when 21 went to Crittall’s lead glazing works in Maltings Lane till married. Married in 1928. No children. Lived at Silver End first when married. Then Lockram Lane, Pitt Avenue, Howbridge Road, then 96 Maldon Road. Husband worked at Crittall’s till got stood off, then odd jobs, then on the railway as a platelayer. He died at 66.

Alf and Vi lived at Bryony Close when interviewed in 1983, formerly were at 61 Glebe Crescent for many years.

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