Edith Constance Mead 1890 - 1972
Mcnooch should read Mannooch
1890. She was born 11/02/1890 in the Wheatsheaf Inn, Great Dunmow, Essex, the middle daughter of Walter Mead & Ellen Annie Robinson. Her father had been the Innkeeper here since 1887, from just before his father, Thomas, died.
This b.c. must have been obtained in 1949, just before her 60th birthday, to prove she was bona fide to receive the recently [1949] state pension the following year .
Wheatsheaf, North St, Dunmow before rebuilt in 1901.
1891 census. Living at North St, Wheatsheaf.
| Walter Mead | age 28 | brewer |
| Alfred Mead | age 24 | brother, brewer |
| Ellen A Mead | age 27 | wife |
| Florence I Mead | age 2 | |
| Edith C Mead | age 1 |
All the family were born in Great Dunmow, except Ellen who was born at Ongar (Shelley)
1895. Sister Ellen Annie Mead born 18 October 1895: this from family bible- do not have b.c.
All three daughters births are recorded in the family bible, entries startig with the death of Ellen Annie Robinson's brother, Walter H.L.Robinson on 4 August 1887.
Father,Walter, is recorded in Kellys Directory as a Beer Retailer from 1890 to 1906.
1901 census. Living at Wheatsheaf Inn, North St, Dunmow.
| Walter Mead | age 38 | Publican own a/c working at home |
| Ellen A Mead | age 37 | |
| Florence I Mead | age 12 | |
| Edith C Mead | age 11 | |
| Ellen A Mead | age 5 |
Wheatsheaf post 1901
1905 Edith confirmed in Great Dunmow Church 11 March 1905
1908. Father, Walter, dies 4/3/1908, Dunmow. He was ill for some time and his wife had straw put down in the street outside the pub so that the noise of cart wheels would not disturb him. Edie was just 18.
She spoke of a happy childhood but gave no details of the natures of her parents.
1911C. Aged 21, single, dressmaker, living with her widowed mother and younger sister at the Wheatsheaf, Dunmow.
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I wonder if this is her wedding dress? Photo might well have been taken inside the Wheatsheaf
Garden of 38 North Street, The Wheatsheaf, taken in 2009 when house was for sale.
1912 Age 22, married William George Turner on 24/06/1912 in Great Dunmow Parish Church. Her father Walter given as licensed victualler, deceased, and her husband's father as George, farmer. Witnesses were Richard Marks (her uncle by marriage) and George Schlueter, a childhood Stebbing friend of William's. m.c MT4.
She was a talented needlewoman, doing exquisite crochet work[ grandaughter Hazel has pieces of this] earning her living by this skill, both pre-marriage and afterwards, and played the piano. After marriage her life apparently ceased to be happy. He tended to drink too much and she was a killjoy.
1913. Her elder child, Lionel Dudley Turner was born 27/08/1913 in Ipswich.
1914. Living at 9 Buchanan Gardens, Kensal Rise. (a card from her sister Florence exists; sent from Biarritz)
1915. Her younger child, Joan Edith Turner was born 10/02/1915 in the Wheatsheaf, Dunmow. b.c.BT1
1917 Living at 9 Buchanan Gardens, Kensal Rise (cards from France from Harold Turner and a friend of his exist)
She was very frugal and made the children go to school in often outgrown school uniforms. Continued doing intricate needlework to sell for income.
A lace table cloth made by my grandmother, now with my sister, Hazel
Living in Buchanan Gardens , Kensal Rise, North London until 1931/2, then, maybe!,Cavendish Road till about 1935.
From here she moved the family back to 42 Westwood Road, Goodmayes. Her daughter Joan married from here in Dec 1940.
1939. Edith Constance Turner is on the 1939 register at 42 Westwood Road , Ilford, with daughter Joan Edith Lyons/Turner- this odd: she did not become Lyons until Dec 1940!! No mention on the outline record of her husband!!- 1939 Register on FMP Nov 2015, still have to pay for details!
1943 probably. She and her husband Will were living at 87 Endsleigh Gardens, Ilford. This was rented and they just lived on the upper floor, but there was no separate front door for the two floors. She would walk through Wanstead Park to see her daughter, Joan, and the 2 grandchildren, Hazel & Christine, who lived in Herongate Road, Aldersbrook until 1953. Hazel remembers walking from home to Ilford to meet ‘Grampy’ on his way home from work and he would be happy to see her because then he could have tinned peaches for his tea (she,’Nanny’, kept them locked in the cupboard the rest of the time!). These 2 grandchildren do not remember her ever talking positively about him, and to them Grampy was the cheerful one.
Continued living there after Will died in 1958. She thought it was respectable to keep oneself to oneself and, seemingly, only had one 'friend', a Miss Blake. I used to visit her in Ilford 1967-1969, when I was living at New Malden & working in Central London. I took her back to Dunmow at least once, and she told me about old haunts: unfortunately I remember nothing other than lunching in a pub.. She spent each Christmas with Joan & Frank & family at Ashton. In ~1969, Joan bought her a bungalow at 32 Church Road, Roade, Northampton, just a mile away from where she and Frank were living, in Ashton.
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In her kitchen in Endsleigh gardens, probably in 1955, photo taken by Jill Turner/Gray/Hall.. Pett & Edie outside Margery's Chelmsford home, cerca 1970
1967. She came to our wedding in Pembroke College Oxford. Mum's schoolfriend Olave Bird brought her.
My Nan-Edith Mead- shaking hands with David's mother, Jane Grant. Joan & Frank Lyons, my parents behind.
At Pembroke College on 28/6/1967 at my wedding to David Grant.
1972. Died in St. Edmunds, Northampton, Hospital on 31/10/1972, aged 82. She was cremated at Milton Crematorium - I must have been away on holiday & did not attend. I do not have her d.c. Does Hazel know what she died of & where her ashes were scattered?
Her grand-daughter Hazel wrote a poem called "The Trunk": memories of visiting her.