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Rhoda
Dickens nee Adamthwaite - her story
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Introduction
(2004)
I am Rhoda's
daughter in law, Toni, married to her son John Harling Dickens. This is
Rhoda's story of her family as remembered by her children. Some of it was
told to me over a period of time while we looked at old photographs. Most of
the tales come from her mother Maggie who was interested in her family and
family history. As I write, Rhoda is 84, lives with Alison and is suffering
from dementia, as a consequence I am unable to confirm anything with her.
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John and Maggie Adamthwaite with
daughter Rhoda |
Rhoda was born 18th
July 1920, in Leeds, the only child of John & Maggie Adamthwaite. They were
first cousins and were advised by the doctor not to have any more children
for fear they would be born mentally deficient. Rhoda was a much loved
daughter. She went to St Hilda's School in Leeds and then on to the School
of Commerce for secretarial training. She loved to go to the cinema and to
buy high heeled shoes. She worked through the war & always blamed the
Germans for "taking away her youth". She went on to work at Turner Tanning
Engineering Works, in Leeds, where she met Jack Dickens. They married at
Christ Church, Armley in 1950, when Rhoda was 30 years old. She wore a grey
silk suit and one of her bridesmaids was her friend, Ada Bentley. Rhoda and
Jack had two children, John Harling and Alison Elizabeth.
The Adamthwaites
John Adamthwaite
was a postman (23/4/1911 for 20 shillings per week) and therefore a steady
wage came into the house. He was also a good gardener (his favourite flowers
were Calceolaria) and had a large greenhouse in the garden. The house they
lived in, 15 St Hilda's Crescent, had a large garden going down to railway
lines at the back. It was unusual in Leeds at that time for working class
houses to have such a large garden. Their life style was quite good for the
time with a steady income and home grown vegetables. John grew enough to
sell the extra to neighbours. Maggie was "a lady" - born and brought up in
Bentham, in the country, and she did not let Rhoda mix much with local
children. It seemed Rhoda used to die to play with the other children in the
pile of midden ashes at the top of the street - but Maggie did not approve.
Rhoda spent much of her spare time painting and doing embroidery - as I
suspect Maggie had done in Bentham. Maggie was a good pianist and took part
in concerts and recitals in Bentham. She gave piano lessons but musical
aptitude seems to have skipped a generation (my husband used to practise his
violin accompanied by his Grandmother).
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