ALICE ESTHER EMMA PITTS 1903-1978
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I have started to write this blog post many times but given
up on each occasion. My immediate family’s relationship with my grandmother was
not the easiest. She was not the happiest of ladies and had become increasingly
bitter as the years past. But there are many circumstances within her life that
could have contributed to this, my own memories of her are not the happiest.
But to counterbalance this when speaking with my cousins that met her have
fonder memories.
Alice was the 2nd child and eldest daughter of
William Richard Pitts and Eliza nee Deaney born on the 29th Jun 1903.
Until I began researching my family tree, I was unaware that
‘Granny’ was 1 of 7 children, being aware, only of a younger brother Bill, who
I remember visiting in his grocery shop in Rickmansworth.
My mother, however, vaguely recalled Granny mentioning a
sister who ran away, but I only discovered this a few years ago and it is from
this ‘sister’ that I have received most contacts related to DNA matches. There
was, however, no mention of any of the 4 brothers who died before they reached
adulthood. Alice, therefore, was the eldest of the surviving children.
Whilst her parents lived in and around London, her father
having various general labouring work, Alice would reminisce about time spent
cherry picking in Penn, Bucks, a neighbouring village to Holmer Green, the
birthplace of Alice and the home of her mother’s wider family.
The 1911 census, shows the family were living in Harrow,
where William was working as a ‘horse keeper to a butcher’. Alice was at
school.
By the 1921 census the family were living in Notting Hill.
Her father, William was now working as an Insurance Agent for the Pearl
Insurance Company alongside his wife Eliza. Her brother, Stanley was also
living at home at this time. He later died whilst and inpatient at Stoke
Colony, a home for people with learning difficulties. Also registered are
Alice’s siblings, William (Bill) and Maud. A 17-year-old Alice is working at
Lyons Catering Co in Kilburn High Rd.
kilburnwesthampstead.blogspot.com
Granny was a ‘Nippy’, I thought, but this is not factually
correct. The term ‘Nippy’ for the waitresses in Lyons Tea rooms did not become
their name until the mid 1920’s. Prior to this their waitresses were known as
‘Gladys’.
Alice married Maurice Perry in 1924, the story being that
they had met when her father was working at a riding stable when Maurice was
taking lessons. I cannot assert the truth of this although William Pitts was
working with horses in the 1911 census. Perhaps more likely is that they met
through the Salvation Army. Both the Perry and William Pitts and his family had
membership links with the Salvation Army within a shared neighbourhood.
Maurice had been hospitalised, having fallen from an
aircraft wing in Constantinople (Istanbul) during the Chanak crisis and had
been medically retired from the service in 1923. Alice’s introduction to
married life would have been further impacted by Maurice suffering from some
form of mental disorder in 1924.
Transcript: Darenth
Cottage Brasted
I have recently
been attending Mr Maurice Perry. Mentally he is abnormal making cold
statements which cannot be true. He varies much from time to time,
stutters in his speech and is very forgetful. He is a possible case of ?
General Paralysis and would bear investigation and watching for any grave
mental disease.
KLS
Ward MD
Feb XV 25.
Maurice’s health
must have improved as in 1928, a son was born. Around this time Maurice was had
several businesses including a garage in Purley. My Dad implied that he was
bankrupt on several occasions, including the garage and a coal business he ran with
his brother.
In the early 1930’s
Maurice, Alice and their son moved to St Jean de Luz where Maurice worked as a chauffeur
to the French Legation. I have not been able to authenticate the latter, but
the history of this region is complex. My Dad stated that this was the happiest
time in an otherwise unhappy childhood.
On their return
from France. Alice’s parent’s marriage broke up, her mother Eliza, Alice,
Maurice and Dad all moved in together for a short period. Eliza’s divorce was
granted in 1936 and she soon after remarried.
By the time of the
1939 Registration, Alice, Maurice and their son were all registered as living
on the Staines Rd in Bedfont, this road now being part of the perimeter of
Heathrow Airport. This was not their property, the address actually belonged to
Maurice’s mother Edith. Edith’s adopted son Leslie, who was the biological son
of her daughter Dorothy was also living there, as was a young Audrey Perry. I
have noted that there are trees on Ancestry that identify Audrey as the son of
Maurice and Alice. This is not the case, Audrey was the niece of Maurice, the
daughter of his brother Ted, ‘Edward’ and his first wife Beatrice nee Enfield,
who sadly died in 1930 of Tuberculosis.
There is a story
related to Audrey that has been told to me, showing Alice’s kindness to her.
Staying up all night to repair and provide new clothing for one of her dolls. I
am also aware that she was kind to my dad’s schoolfriend who’s own mother had
died. The change in personality appeared to be a consequence of the breakdown
in her marriage around this time and certainly when my Dad met and married my
mother.
It was whilst they
were both working in a factory related to the war effort that Maurice and Peggy
began their relationship. Peggy was the niece by marriage of Maurice’s sister. Peggy
assumed the relationship of niece to Maurice a fact that Alice was most
dismissive of. Interestingly when Maurice died, Peggy asserted that she was his
niece on his death certificate. This whole situation was the catalyst to Alice’s
bitterness and the fragmenting of my dad’s relationship with his father in an
attempt to assert the status quo and loyalty to his mother.
During this time
Alice worked hard taking on cleaning jobs then working as a seamstress in a clothes
factory. At this time the work environment could have been described as a
sweatshop.
When my father
completed his National Service, he returned to the UK and bought his first
house. Alice happily ensconced herself there and perhaps helps understand her
instant dislike to my mother when she and dad met and the ensuing need to find
somewhere else to live.
Alice then stayed
with various relatives and as live in ladies’ companion to posts that she found
in The Lady. My Dad maintained a relationship with his mother, but it was not
an easy job. My Mum recalled that when I was born, he bought Alice to the
hospital to see me and Mum. She spent the visit ignoring Mum and would not look
at me. Mum recounted that the whole visit was spent talking directly to Dad. I
only really recall visiting my Grandmother once although I know there were
other visits, when she was living in Southrop in the Cotswolds. She was living
in a converted farm building it was tiny, and I recall there being an earth
closet in a shed halfway down the garden. My sister was about 5 or 6 at the
time but recently she recounted that she was aware that whilst Granny had
appeared to have thawed a little and took notice of her, she still ignored me.
As much as Granny
paid little attention to my Mum or I, I was always struck that my Dad was
bombarded on both sides. His father and Peggy were always talking of the
achievements of their mutual nephew, whilst Granny always held up her niece in
much the same way.
Throughout her
life, religion played an important role and whilst she left the Salvation Army,
she attended and played the organ in the local church. Perhaps one of the most
telling of comments as to Alice’s personality came from the vicar of said
church stating that she ‘could and would argue with a stone.’ It was this same
vicar who informed us that Granny had had a stroke and been taken to hospital. It
was after this event that Dad organized a place for Granny in a home in Stow on
the Wold where she died in 1978.
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