Beatrice Harriet Ford (1891-1975)– named after her grandmother Harriet Ford

cont... 

The George and Alice Ford Story   part  9

Beatrice Harriet Ford b: 17/11/1891 in Kilronan, Aran Island, d: 1975 in Berkshire

    + Thomas Edward Harvey b: 1893 in Peterborough, m: 1917 in Croydon, d: 1953

                     Thomas (Tom) Harvey b: 06 Aug 1915 in Godstone, Surrey, d: 1984 in Brighton

                         + Edna Alice Eglinton b: 29 Oct 1913 in Croydon, Surrey, d: 12 May 1993

                      Peter Graham Harvey b: 06 May 1918 in Newhaven, d: 1979 in Wellington NZ

                         + Louisa Lavinia Clark b: 21 Feb 1920 in Colchester, Essex d 2019 NZ

Beatrice is the youngest daughter. She too was born in  Aran Island, Ireland.  In 1901 census she is found living with sister May in Hampstead after the death of her father at the Sailors Orphans Girls School. With her mother Alice,  widowed with a large tribe of children she has used the assistance afforded to her and this Institution is helping out as it  provides education clothing  and assistance  to orphan daughters of sailors.

         Beatrice and Edith May Ford in 1901 census at the Sailor’s Orphans Girls School Greenwich

In while working as a draper’s assistant in 1911, she  lives with with mother, stepfather and brother Archibald at 65 Lawes Ave Newhaven. 

In 1915 Beatrice fell pregnant with Tom Harvey Jnr who was born in August 1915 in Godstone, Surrey. He was looked after by his Auntie Maud for the first two years of his life. His father Thomas Edward Harvey was a Trooper in the Bedfordshire Yeomanry and was later a dentist. They married in 1917 in Croydon. Their younger son Peter Graham Harvey was born in May 1918 in Newhaven.

The 1939 Register shows them living  in 36 Malvern Rd Croyden. Tom Snr is the Manager of a Stores Radio Dept.  Beatrice is keeping house and only Peter lives with them as he is  commencing his career as a clerk in Lloyds Bank Insurance.   Tom Jnr had commenced married life with Edna when the register was taken for their household.

Peter Harvey’s wedding 1940

Peter Harvey who was in the Army  married Louisa Lavinia Clarke  on 6 May 1940. In the above photo from left to right are Tom Edward Harvey, Louisa Emma Clarke, Jimmy Jansen, Peter Graham Harvey, Louisa Lavinia Clarke, George Arthur Clarke, Beatrice Harriet Ford.

Liz Harvey –Richard’s wife recalls.  “Tom Harvey senior was also quite a character but he died when Richard was quite young.” Beatrice was widowed when he  died in 1953.

Older son Tom had married Edna Eglinton in Croydon in 1939. He and Edna had 5 children including two sets of twins ( Janet, Paul and Richard, Dianna and Linda).

 The families were close as can be seen in these photos below. 

             Janet (hiding) Beatrice holding Paul, Lavinia holding Patricia, Edna holding Richard

 

Richard and Peter with PatriciaHarvey children at the beach

 

Beatrice, Anne, Louisa, Patricia, and Peter at Judy nee Holness  and David Bartram’s wedding in 1958 (Maud's granddaughter )

 

Peter and his wife moved to New Zealand in 1966 with his daughters Patricia and Anne and did not see Beatrice again.  However Peter returned to England on a business trip in 1971 where this photo was taken.

Peter, Beatrice, Tom and Edna

In 1970 Beatrice  was living at 103 Arundel Rd. Walton Peterborough, England  when she wrote to Sidney’s family in Australia about his passing. “Now we have only three women left Maude will be 90 next birthday, May will be 81 and I shall be 79…. Thank goodness we all keep cheerful and pretty well.”

Beatrice’s deafness in the later years made it difficult to converse so later generations missed out on knowing more of this lovely lady. Richard and his sisters were very fond of her.  Beatrice died in 1975 aged 83 two years after this family photo.

 

                The extended Harvey Eglinton family at the wedding of Richard and Liz in 1973

 (Tom and Edna are on the left, Richard and Liz are in the centre and Beatrice is the lady with the white coat and handbag)

                                     

                                Some of Beatrice’s Grandchildren  Janet, Richard, Linda and Diana

 

                                    The Harvey clan (Names have been removed for privacy)

Out of the blue this photo arrived in my inbox from Archibald's Granddaughter. Her mother had identified Beatrice and using the family network Patricia Harvey in NZ was able to ask her mother Louisa to identify at least the Ford side relatives.

Tom and Edna's wedding with Louisa Harvey nee Clarke sitting to the right of the bride and groom. Tom Harvey Sr and Beatrice are next and Peter Hervey is at the rear.

   

 My husband has a DNA match to descendants of both of Beatrice and Thomas' children.