Allie was born on 9th August 1904, in Black Torrington, Devon, to Ezekiel Herd Easterbrook (65), a blacksmith and farrier, and Alice Brownscombe Easterbrook (nee Fisher) (35), a housewife and former housekeeper.
Allie was baptised on 31st March 1907, in Broadwoodkelly. She was named for her mother.
Allie was the second of two daughters:
- Dinah Bessie 1902 - 1976
- Alice 'Allie' Brownscombe 1904 - 1981
By 1907, Allie and her family had moved to Henwood Cottage in Broadwoodkelly.
By 1909, they had moved to Park View, also in Broadwoodkelly.
1911 Census:
Allie was ten when the First World War began.
In Apr/May/Jun 1920, when Allie was fifteen, her father Ezekiel passed away, aged eighty. At the time, Allie's older sister Dinah was seventeen, unmarried, and between three and five months pregnant with her first child. Family legend says that Dinah was kicked out by her parents for falling pregnant before marriage.
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1924, Allie (19 or 20) married George Squire (21 or 22), a mason, in the district of Torrington.
Allie and George had three children:
- Yvonne 'Vonnie' P 1925 -
- Keith 1926 -
- Monica Joan 1928 -
All three children were born in the district of Crediton.
The 1929, 1930 and 1931 electoral registers shows Allie and George living at Mill Lane in Sandford. On the 1930 register they are shown living with John and Lucy Squire - likely close relatives of George. Also their next-door neighbour on all three registers is a Henry Squire - likely another relation.
By 1939, the family had moved over the border to Bridgetown in Somerset.
1939 Census:
By the Second World War, Allie's marriage was unhappy. Though the 1939 Census shows the family together, a newspaper article states George 'frequently stayed away from home' and 'a few years after marriage he left her [Allie] and asked to be divorced'.
A divorce from George was granted to Allie on 27th November 1942 on the grounds that he had committed adultery. 'In September 1941, she heard that he was going about with a girl and she now alleged that he committed adultery in that year at Bampton'. The divorce was made absolute in June 1943. Allie was granted custody of the youngest child - Monica, who would have been fourteen at the time her parents divorced. I wonder if the middle child - Keith, sixteen at the time - was considered an adult, alongside eldest child - Vonnie, seventeen at the time - and thus custody of them wasn't granted to either parent.
From the Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser of 5th December 1942:
From the Taunton Courier and Western Advertiser of 26th June 1943:
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1943, Allie (38 or 39) married Archibald 'Archie' Cornelius Gale (41), a lorry driver for a corn mill and former private in the 1st Battalion of Somerset Light Infantry (1920 - 1921), in the district of Taunton, in Somerset.
Archie had been dismissed as permanently unfit from the army back in 1921, aged only eighteen, due to congenital cataracts in both eyes, which he had had since infancy. His army records give a physical description: as a young man, Archie was 5' 7 1/2'', with a fresh complexion, dark brown hair and brown eyes.
Allie's niece Bette looked up to her Auntie Allie, in a way that she didn't look up to her own mother, Allie's older sister Dinah.
In many senses, Allie was quite old-fashioned. For example, Bette would make sure she wasn't wearing trousers, but a dress or skirt, when she visited her favourite and only aunt. My mother, Bette's youngest daughter Julie, also recalls Auntie Allie always served bread and butter (real butter) at tea-time. If Julie couldn't make it, when her parents visited, Allie would send home her bread and butter.
My mother has fond memories of visiting her great aunt, whom she called Auntie Allie. She also referred to her as her as 'my thin granny', as apposed to her 'fat granny' - her own grandmother, Allie's older sister Dinah. A young Julie could sit on her thin granny's lap, but couldn't fit on her fat granny's lap due to her large belly.
Julie, like her own daughters, was a polite, quiet child. Her Auntie Allie was an avid reader - had large bookshelves full of books, including lots of Agatha Christie - and encouraged her quiet great niece to read. Julie was encouraged to use her home like a library: every time she visited and started a book, she was allowed to take it home to finish it and bring it back next time she visited with her parents. If Auntie Allie gave a gift, it would be a book.
As well as reading, Allie enjoyed embroidering. I was fortunate enough to be handed down my grandparents' dining room table, along with a couple of pretty embroidered table clothes, which my Auntie Janet believes were likely made by Allie. Also a framed embroidery of cat, which I believe was handed down to one of my Auntie Anita's daughters, hung for years on my grandparent's living room wall - my mother informed me today that it was made by Allie.
Julie remembers that Allie was left-handed, like herself. She can picture Allie, even to this day, whipping up the cream for a trifle, left-handed. After which she would let let Julie lick the spoon.
Julie remembers Auntie Allie living in Wiveliscombe. Her home was a traditional two-up two-down, with an extension at the back, where the bathroom was, and in which she even had a knitted lady loo roll cover. Her pretty garden was on the other side of the lane. Julie remembers once when a young girl, she and her older sister Anita made up afternoon tea, in Auntie Allie's tea set, and carried it out on a tray, across the country lane, and had it in the summerhouse with the grown-ups.
Though in many ways quite traditional - being a housewife, who enjoyed reading, embroidering and baking, who served afternoon tea and bread and butter -; in other aspects, Allie was non-traditional and had, to quote my mother, 'something about her'. Firstly, her seeking and obtaining a divorce back in the 1940's was quite something. She also drove. And was an active member of her community, acting for many years as verger in the church opposite her home in Wiveliscombe.
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1976, when Allie was seventy-two, her husband Archie passed away, aged seventy-four, in the district of Taunton Dean, Somerset.
Very early in January 1981, Allie passed away, aged seventy-six, in the district of Taunton Dean, Somerset. She didn't get to open all her niece Bette's twelve days of Christmas gifts she had given her.
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1943, Allie (38 or 39) married Archibald 'Archie' Cornelius Gale (41), a lorry driver for a corn mill and former private in the 1st Battalion of Somerset Light Infantry (1920 - 1921), in the district of Taunton, in Somerset.
Archie had been dismissed as permanently unfit from the army back in 1921, aged only eighteen, due to congenital cataracts in both eyes, which he had had since infancy. His army records give a physical description: as a young man, Archie was 5' 7 1/2'', with a fresh complexion, dark brown hair and brown eyes.
Allie's niece Bette looked up to her Auntie Allie, in a way that she didn't look up to her own mother, Allie's older sister Dinah.
In many senses, Allie was quite old-fashioned. For example, Bette would make sure she wasn't wearing trousers, but a dress or skirt, when she visited her favourite and only aunt. My mother, Bette's youngest daughter Julie, also recalls Auntie Allie always served bread and butter (real butter) at tea-time. If Julie couldn't make it, when her parents visited, Allie would send home her bread and butter.
My mother has fond memories of visiting her great aunt, whom she called Auntie Allie. She also referred to her as her as 'my thin granny', as apposed to her 'fat granny' - her own grandmother, Allie's older sister Dinah. A young Julie could sit on her thin granny's lap, but couldn't fit on her fat granny's lap due to her large belly.
Julie, like her own daughters, was a polite, quiet child. Her Auntie Allie was an avid reader - had large bookshelves full of books, including lots of Agatha Christie - and encouraged her quiet great niece to read. Julie was encouraged to use her home like a library: every time she visited and started a book, she was allowed to take it home to finish it and bring it back next time she visited with her parents. If Auntie Allie gave a gift, it would be a book.
As well as reading, Allie enjoyed embroidering. I was fortunate enough to be handed down my grandparents' dining room table, along with a couple of pretty embroidered table clothes, which my Auntie Janet believes were likely made by Allie. Also a framed embroidery of cat, which I believe was handed down to one of my Auntie Anita's daughters, hung for years on my grandparent's living room wall - my mother informed me today that it was made by Allie.
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| Photograph of Auntie Allie's Cat Embroidery, 2019 |
Julie remembers that Allie was left-handed, like herself. She can picture Allie, even to this day, whipping up the cream for a trifle, left-handed. After which she would let let Julie lick the spoon.
Julie remembers Auntie Allie living in Wiveliscombe. Her home was a traditional two-up two-down, with an extension at the back, where the bathroom was, and in which she even had a knitted lady loo roll cover. Her pretty garden was on the other side of the lane. Julie remembers once when a young girl, she and her older sister Anita made up afternoon tea, in Auntie Allie's tea set, and carried it out on a tray, across the country lane, and had it in the summerhouse with the grown-ups.
Though in many ways quite traditional - being a housewife, who enjoyed reading, embroidering and baking, who served afternoon tea and bread and butter -; in other aspects, Allie was non-traditional and had, to quote my mother, 'something about her'. Firstly, her seeking and obtaining a divorce back in the 1940's was quite something. She also drove. And was an active member of her community, acting for many years as verger in the church opposite her home in Wiveliscombe.
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1976, when Allie was seventy-two, her husband Archie passed away, aged seventy-four, in the district of Taunton Dean, Somerset.
Very early in January 1981, Allie passed away, aged seventy-six, in the district of Taunton Dean, Somerset. She didn't get to open all her niece Bette's twelve days of Christmas gifts she had given her.
