Brown, Mrs Edie, nee Hawkes, and family

Notes on Mrs Edie Brown, nee Hawkes

For interviews with her, see tapes 5, 6, 8 and 54

Born
8 December 1895  (census, below, has wrong age) About ten children in family, she was in younger lot, so when she was about ten she had brothers working and a sister married.
Siblings included George, Ted, Fred, Bill, Emily, older ones, then John, Edie, Alice (born January 1897), Lil and Esmond. (youngest, b c 1904).

Parents
Father George a carpenter, worked for Lewis’s in Newland Street (backing onto Coach House Way. Mother Jane was a Shelley before she married, died either during First World War.

Work
c 1907?    White Hart hotel (lived at home).(school leaving age then 12)
c 1908 onwards    Servant at various places including the Rounds at Avenue House (4 Newland Street) (lived at home).
Pinkham’s  glove factory briefly [sacked for answering back when blamed for getting oil on gloves]
About 1911    Cooper Taber seed warehouse, Avenue Road, sorting peas..
1914    Munitions at what is now Baird’s maltings near the station, unloading trucks, cleaning rust off shells etc. [sacked for staying away to long when visiting husband]
Up to 1918    Hoffman’s at Chelmsford.
About 1930 – sorting peas at home for Cullen, pea picking in fields

Married
During First World War to Thomas Stanley Brown (Stan) of Sunderland and went to live there after War. When they came back to Witham he did odd jobs for six months and then worked at Crittall’s for 32½ or 33½ years.

Children
Five? Include: Edie born October 1924 [lived Pitt Avenue]. Jean born c 1926, had osteomyeltis when nine, died aged 20. Son born about 1928 [lived Nottingham]. Son born c 1931 [One is Cyril] Cyril. Keith born c 1938.

Residences
Trafalgar Square, Maldon Road, as a child, in a double house, two knocked into one, because of large family.
Lodgings with friend of mothers for a time when older.
Sunderland when first married, back to Witham when Edie 8 months old (1925-26), no work in Sunderland.
Then at 108 Church Street where her father was living. Stayed there after he died.

Extracts from relevant documents

1891 census
RG 12/1425, f.16, p.2, Chaplin’s yard, Newland Street, Witham
George Hawkes    Head    M    31    General labourer    born Essex, Witham
Jane Hawkes    Wife    M    30        born Essex, Rivenhall
George Hawkes    Son        11    Scholar    born Essex, Witham
Edward Hawkes    Son        8    Scholar    born Essex, Witham
Emily Hawkes    Dau        6    Scholar    born Essex, Witham
William Hawkes    Son        3        born Essex, Witham
Frederick Hawkes    Son        2        born Essex, Witham

1901 census
RG 13/1725, f.29, p.20, schedule 120, Trafalgar Square, Maldon Road, Witham
George Hawkes    Head    M    40    Carpenter    born Essex, Witham
Jane Hawkes    Wife    M    39        born Essex, Rivenhall
George Hawkes    Son    S    21    Blacksmith    born Essex, Witham
William Hawkes    Son    S    13    Agricultural labourer    born Essex, Witham
Frederick Hawkes    Son    S    12        born Essex, Witham
Edith Hawkes    Dau        9        born Essex, Witham
John Hawkes    Son        4        born Essex, Witham
Alice Hawkes    Dau        2        born Essex, Witham
Lily Hawkes    Dau        8 mo        born Essex, Witham

1930 electoral register, 108 Church Street
Brown, Thomas Stanley
Brown, Edith May

______________________________________________

Notes on Mrs Grace Springett, nee Bishop

Born
April 1895 at Feering

Work
Left school at 14 (c.1909)
c 1910     Housemaid at Inworth Hall, family of Lawrence[?], also occasionally to their house in Belsize Avenue, London, to be kitchen maid.
c 1912     Housemaid then cook at Bramstons, 16 Chipping Hill, Witham, for Cullen family
c 1920?    Cook at Briefly cook at Miss Hunt’s children’s home at Horwood House, 59 Newland Street, Witham.
About 1930 – sorting peas. pea picking

Married
1920 to Thomas Springett, painter and decorator for Dean’s builders and then Adams and Mortimer took over (in White Horse Lane).

Residences
At Feering till married. With brother for three months after marriage, then to one of Mr Dean’s houses at 106 Church Street, Witham where lived 1920-1977.

Children
Born January 1925 and 1928, first one Cecil (known as Bill).

Died
18 May 1986, aged 91.

Extracts from relevant documents

1901 census, RG 13/1724, ED1, page 10, schedule 69, Gore Pit, Feering
James Bishop    Head    Mar    31    Stockman on farm    born Suffolk, Belstead
Eliza Bishop    Wife    Mar    31        born Essex, Feering
Frederick Bishop    Son    S    10        born Essex, Feering
Gracie Bishop    Dau    S    5        born Essex, Feering
Bertie Bishop    Son    S    1        born Essex, Feering
John Newman    Boarder    Widr    60    Ordinary agricultural labourer    born Essex, Lexden

1930 electoral register, Witham, 106 Church Street.
Springett, Thomas Stanley
Springett, Grace Emily
Bishop, Mildred Lilian

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