THINGS TO REMEMBER BEFORE I FORGET

The photo above shows John Alexander Adamthwaite with Lucy, Lionel Willie and Laddie.

John Alexander Adamthwaite and Leeanna’s children were:

Lucy Vipond Adamthwaite born on 15 July 1886 at Stockwell Green, Surrey.  Lucy married Percy H Mawson in March 1812 and when they were first married they lived in Finchley.  Lucy reported the death of her father in 1912 and some time after this the family moved to Royston in Hertfordshire.  Lucy and Percy had two children, Joan and Percy - you can read Mary's recollections of her grandmother Lucy on the following pages

John Allen Adamthwaite (known as ‘Laddie’) who was born in 1887 in Lancaster and died of TB in 1907 aged 20 at the Royal Oak, Litlington - there are some more photos of Laddie in the Photo Gallery

Florence Eva Adamthwaite, who was born in 1891 and died of gastro enteritis in The Children’s Hospital Great Ormond Street aged just five months

Lionel Willie Adamthwaite, who was born in 1894, married Clarice Tinsley in 1896, and died in 1974 in Derby. Lionel Willie served in the first World War as a driver in the Royal Artillery - there are a number of photos of him in the Photo Gallery

John Alexander died in 1912; Leeanna then became housekeeper to the Reverend Jones at Abington Piggots a village in Hertfordshire (photo below right shows the Rectory).  She had quite a large staff of maids under her watchful eye. My mother told me how, when she lived with her Grandma after the First World War, the maids used to take her with them to light the upstairs lamps, they were afraid of the dark (she was 5 at the time!) Grandma was well known in the village she was the first person to own a tricycle, very racy!!  Click here to read Leeanna's recipe for 'Lamb Rechaufee'

In the late 1940’s I remember visiting Grandma when she was an old lady. I loved the journey because as a treat we had tea and doughnuts in Hitchin where we had to change buses for Steeple Morden. Grandma lived in a tiny cottage which had winding wooden stairs; a visit to the outside toilet was always a great adventure for my brother and me.

Grandma had long white hair worn in a bun, which she liked me to brush whenever I was there. Grandma was an expert lace maker. Particularly Bedfordshire lace which is a bobbin made lace and very decorative. I have a lovely table cloth and tray cloth she made, all the other pieces I had I donated to the Bedford Museum. My brother in South Africa has her original ivory bobbins and oak bobbin winder. My Grandmother Lucy didn’t get on with her mother, who she called a real “Tartar.” But Lucy made me promise that if I had a daughter I’d call her Leeanna.

Grandma Leeanna died on the 28^th of January 1950 at Steeple Morden, she was 85 years old. A commemorative plaque to her was placed on her son John Allen’s grave at Litlington,  Leeanna’s favourite child John Allen, affectionally known as Laddie, had died in 1907. During the late 40’s and 50’s we often took the bus to Litlington,  Lucy and my mother armed with shears, to cut the grass and tidy around Laddie’s grave. The headstone had been removed when I visited the churchyard during the 1990’s, luckily I have a photo taken in the 1950’s.

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