Winifred Doris Constance Swaine
Mother to Joan Constance Eugene Leggatt. Born 3rd November 1880 in Cork, Ireland and died 29th January 1963 in Whitstable Kent UK. Little is known about her parents. Details provided by her to the local newspaper, written sixty years later, mentions being separated from her brother Conrad Swain, when her mother died.
1880
Winifred was born in Cork, Ireland UK
1887
Winifred’s mother died when she was seven years old and the family were split up. Winifred was sent to a convent.
1897
Winifred joins the Nursing Corps at 17 years of age. It is also possible that she gets married as her surname changes to McVallance as it appears written on her daughter Norah’s birth certificate in 1911
1905
Winifred at the age of 25, married William Kingdon (1881–1939) in Portsmouth, Hampshire
Winifred’s life has been hard to follow. Various searches from Registry sites, Family records and Census, including Ancestry have shown name changes and birth certificates.
1906 Winifred's Children born
References show on www.ancestry.com that on March 20th living birth of son, Wilfred Philip W Kingdon(1906–1999) in Westhampnett, Sussex.
1908
Birth of a daughter Winifred Kingdon (1908–1999) in Selsy Bill, Sussex
1911
Daughter born on the 7th March Norah Hilda Alice Kingdon (1911–1996) in Portsmouth (Winifred’s previous surname is Mc Vallance). Husband, William Kingdon, is now a corporal on HMS Mercury
The 1911 Census shows the family all living at 48, Fifth St Buckly, very close to Portsmouth Naval Base where she would be close to her husband on leave.
1913
On the 28th March 1913 she gives birth to another daughter Kathleen Molvina Ethel and the husband files for divorce in Australia
Winifred is believed to have followed Grandad Alfred Martin to Australia because she was in the ANZAC Nursing Corp and used to tell everyone about the time she was in the WW1 in Tripoli accompanying a stretcher which was blown up and the fright turned her hair white overnight.
1914 Marriage Alfred Moule Martin and Winifred
The following year Winifred marries Alfred Moule Martin in Paddington, New South Wales, Australia
1918
Winifred has returned to England and 28th MAY birth of daughter Joan Constance Eugene Martin (1918–1998) in Portsmouth, Hampshire
1922
Husband Alfred requested retirement from the Navy and evidence from a letter written by daughter Joan (Mum) he ran the Barley Sheaf Pub in Gorran, Cornwall. The family now consisted of three children, Norah, Kathleen and Joan. Winifred did the cooking. The family archives hold many letters written by Joan Leggatt (Winifred’s youngest daughter) about life in Cornwall and later years, Devon.
Life in Gorran Haven, Cornwall - Publicans of the Barley Sheath
Charabang outing : Middle row – Joan (Mum) Winifred (Grandma) Norah and Kathleen at the back. Joan Leggatt nee Martin tells many tales of her life as a child in Gorran Haven and particularly her early school days. How she walked many miles (2 miles) to school in Mevagissey. Joan had very fond memories living here and led a happy life with her parents as publicans. The family kept all sorts of animals including pigs. Joan talks of two favourite ponies Joey and Topsie and how she looked after them. They had a spaniel dog that was trained to collect the hens eggs. The dog would carefully pick up the eggs in it’s mouth, put them in a straw basket and bring them up to the house.
Below letter written by Joan to current owner of Barley Sheaf Pub about their life in the pub. Joan describes how the pub used to be laid out in the 1920’s. How many staff worked there and the work that was done at the time. Recalling the trips to St Austell in the pony and trap. The outings that they would have during their summer holidays
1923
The family moved to Shaldon, Teignmouth in Devon where the children went to School. They lived in a house right next to the primary school, which can still be seen today. Joan remembers being the age of 7 or 8 when her Mother would throw her lunch out of the bedroom window into the playground everyday. They lived at this house until Joan reached the age of 13 years when they moved back to Southend on Sea, Essex.
1935
In 1935 the family were living in Shearing, Bishop’s Stortford in Essex Norah is married in July to Cyril Maslen and lives at 8 Lindsey Rd, Bishop Stortford. Kathleen (Katie) married Edward Hanchett on Boxing Day 1935.
1937
Birth of grandson Brian Hanchett (Tyrell) born on the 11th March ( sadly father Edward died two years later 1939.)
Joan studying Shorthand and Typing in Leigh-on-sea but family living at 40 Rugby Way. The letter below (left) is a reference to an employer from Joan’s Shorthand and Typist teacher Mrs Meynell who lived at Westcliff on Sea in Essex. The house is a modern photo of where they used to live and the Telegram, is sent as Birthday wishes. It reads, many Happy returns Joan, Basil might come Sunday. In those days, Telegrams were the way to communicate quickly and not waiting for the postal service. Way before the texting and messaging media that we have today using the Internet!
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1938
Joan is living in Ellendene, Prince Ave Southend on Sea and receives a Telegram from Winifred and her father on her Birthday.
Daughter of Norah – Shelagh is born 11th October .
1939
Joan returns home to Rugby Way, Croxley Green, but her father, Alfred Moule Martin, is still at Torpoint, Cornwall Naval Base at the start of WW2
1939 Census
Winifred, Kathleen and Joan recorded living at 40 Rugby Way, Croxley Green. Kathleen is an unpaid domestic.
Joan has employment as a shorthand typist. Note that Winifred, unemployed, has a different date of birth (her official one) Husband Alfred has returned to the Navy enlisted for WW2
1940
Winifred and Alfred Moule Martin arranges the marriage of their youngest daughter, Joan Martin to Alfred Leggatt on the 4th July 1940 at All Saints Church, Croxley Green and afterwards at the North End, The Aquadrome, Rickmansworth.
They were currently living at 40 Rugby Way, Croxley Green, Herts.
World War 2 was just starting and Winifred would stay in Essex whilst her husband had been enlisted back at Plymouth Naval Base.
Winifred is reunited with her Brother after 60 years
When Winifred was seven years old, she was separated from her brother Conrad when family broke up after the death of her mother. As she grew up she made numerous enquiries but failed to find his whereabouts. Eventually giving up and believing him to be dead. The 60 years later their paths crossed again! Read the story in the newspaper cutting. Unfortunately, the date was removed when it was clipped out of the national paper.
195(?) to 1968
Winifed moves to Whitstable to be near her Family after the war. Alf and Joan had moved with the fishing boats and Alf bought a house in Harbour Street, Whitstable where Winifred would live for the rest of her days. Winnifed died in 1963 in her home.
Still to be completed
