Great Grandmother Winifred Violet Vernon (nee Edworthy)

My Great Grandmother Winifred (1895 - 1982) was a domestic servant, housewife and mother of three.

Winifred Violet Edworthy was born on 4th September 1895 in Exeter, Devon, to William Edworthy (43), a railway guard and horse keeper/groom/carman, and Bessie Staddon Edworthy (nee Nott) (36).

Winifred was baptised on 16th October 1895 in St Davids, Exeter. At the time of Winifred's birth, the family lived at 64 Howell Road, Exeter. Howell Road is just around the corner from Exeter Central Station and not far from Exeter St Davids Station. Winifred's father and later both her brothers worked for the railway.

Winifred was the youngest of six children:

• Edith Florence Jessie  1878 - 1895  (16 years old)
• William Gilbert John  1880 - 1949  (69 years old)
• Beatrice May  1882 - 1969  (86 or 87 years old)
• Cora Agnes  1886 - 1907  (21 years old)
• Frederick 'Fred' Cecil  1888 - 1975  (87 years old)
• Winifred Violet  1895 - 1982  (87 years old)

Alas two of Winifred's older sisters, Edith and Cora, passed away young.

Edith passed away in March 1895, aged sixteen, six months before Winifred was born.

Winifred as a very young girl, c 1900

The 1901 Census shows Winifred and her family have moved from 64 to 54 Howell Road:

Winifred's older sister Cora is not shown at home in the 1901 Census. Possibly due to compilations at her birth, she retained only the abilities of a very young infant. She was unable to talk, and had to be washed, dressed, fed etc by others. Her parents tried to care for her at home, but struggled. She was initially sent to Earlswood Asylum in Surrey, but in 1904 her parents got her back closer to her home in Exeter and she spent the remainder of her short life at Digby Hospital (Exeter City Asylum). Cora passed away from phthisis (pulmonary tuberculosis or a similar progressive wasting disease), aged twenty-one, on 29th December 1907, when Winifred was twelve.

In January 1911, when Winifred was fifteen, her father, William, also passed away, aged fifty-nine. Edith, Cora and William were all buried at Exeter Higher Cemetery in Heavitree, Exeter, but being poor their graves are alas unmarked. After their father's death, Winifred's older brother Fred became the breadwinner.

By 1911, the family had moved from Howell Road to Park Road, which is just around the corner from Exeter Higher Cemetery.

1911 Census:

Winifred as a young woman in the 1910s

Winifred's older brother, William, served in the First World War as a private in the Devonshire Regiment from 1916. He was transferred to the Labour Corps in 1917. Thankfully he survived the war.

It seems sometime in the 1910s, Winifred and her mother moved to 4 Morley Cottages, Paignton, to live with her sister Beatrice. During this time, Winifred worked as a domestic servant.

On 3rd April 1919, when Winifred was twenty-three, her mother Bessie passed away, aged about sixty, in the district of Totnes.

On 27th September 1919, Winifred (24) married Sergeant Walter Charles Vernon (26) in Totnes. Together they set up home at 2 Council Cottages, Cowley, near Exeter.

Winifred and Walter had three children (two daughters and one son):

• Winifred Peggy Doreen (known as Peggy)  1925 -
• Leslie 'Les' Walter  1927 -
• Christine 'Chris' May  1937 - 2012

Walter (32), Winifred (30) and baby Peggy at Peggy's christening in 1925

As their family grew, they moved next door to 3 Council Cottages, which was larger.

After leaving the army, Winifred's husband Walter, like her father and brothers, worked for the railway.

1939 Census:

Her daughter Peggy's wedding in 1944 captures Winifred and her family in the Second World War. Walter (51) is stood centre, Winifred (49) is sat second from right, bride Peggy (19) is sat third from right. Les (17) is stood furthest right, and Chris (7) is sat second from left.

After Winifred's young son Les (18) married pregnant Delma Margaret Emma Wright (20) in 1946, the young couple moved in with Winifred and Walter at 3 Council Cottage, and lived there with their three eldest children.

For Christmas 1949, Winifred's daughter Chris was gifted an autograph book. In it there are two poetical contributions from Winifred offering advice to her young daughter:

After marring American George Wise in 1944, Winifred's daughter Peggy had emigrated to America. In the 1960s, in their late sixties, Winifred and Walter travelled to Iowa, America to visit their eldest daughter and her growing family.

Winifred and Walter, with their American granddaughter Carol, in Iowa, in the early 1960s

Winifred's husband Walter passed away, aged seventy-two, in 1965, when Winifred was sixty-nine.

Winifred (74/75) in her home in 1970

Peggy says her mother had a wonderful mischievous sense of humour.

Winifred's American granddaughters also have fond memories of their Gran-in-England...

Her granddaughter Carol recalls that Winifred had lots of sayings. If told she couldn't wear something, Winifred would reply: "I'll black me arse and go naked if I bloody well please!". If a knife was dull, she would remark: "so dull one could ride to London bare-arsed on this thing 'n not get cut!"

Winifred had a parakeet called Georgie, whose cage can be seen in the background in the above photograph. Carol recalls: "She would sit in her comfortable chair between him and the coal burning fireplace, talking to him or twisting up paper logs for the fire."

Carol cherishes a small teacup gifted to her, when she visited England as a girl, by Winifred. She recalls a story: one time Winifred was "looking up and the teacups (they were displayed and then there were ones hanging off cup hooks) were swinging. She laughed and said 'it be ghosts', but it was an earthquake!"

Winifred in old age. Her displayed teacups and parakeet's cage can be seen behind her right shoulder.

Winifred's English grandchildren also have fond memories of visiting their Gran every Saturday for afternoon tea. They would sit around and watch the wrestling, followed by the football results, on the television.

Winifred had dark hair and icy blue eyes, which she passed on to her daughter Peggy. Photographs show Winifred also greatly resembled her mother Bessie.

Bessie (left) and daughter Winifred (right)

On 27th December 1982, Winifred passed away, aged eighty-seven, in Exeter.

Great Grandfather Walter Charles Vernon

My Great Grandfather Walter (1892 - 1965) was a soldier, railway worker and father of three.

Walter Charles Vernon was born on 14th December 1892 in Crediton, Devon, to Isaac 'Harry' Harwood Vernon (23), a agricultural labourer and farm carter, and Lucy Vernon (nee James) (24), a former domestic servant.

Walter was baptised on 26th February 1893 in Crediton. On his baptism record, Joseph is crossed out before Charles. Did the person writing the record of baptism make a mistake or did his parents change their mind over his middle name?

Walter was the second of four children born to Harry and Lucy (one daughter and three sons):

• Edith Ellen 1891 - 1971  (79 years old)
• Walter Charles  1892 - 1965  (73 years old)
• William John  1894 - 1895  (1 year old)
• Frank  1896 - 1897  (6 months)

On 27th December 1895, Walter's younger brother William (recorded on his death certificate as John, implying his parents may have called the baby by his middle name) passed away, in Sandford. He had whooping cough, followed by a convulsive attack.

Walter's youngest brother Frank and their mother Lucy were both ill with pulmonary tuberculosis and passed away from the disease.

On 22nd February 1897, Frank passed away, aged only six months, in Langham, Kennerleigh.

One month later, their mother Lucy passed away, aged 29, on 25th March 1897, in Kennerleigh, when Walter was four years old.

Before Lucy passed away, Harry seems to have begun an affair with Ellen Tonkin, whom he would soon marry. From this marriage, young Walter gained a step-mother and ten younger half siblings:

• Fred (born Tonkin, later Vernon)  1897 - 1915  (18 years old)
• Mabel Ellen  1898 - 1994  (95 years old)
• George  1900 - 1900  (0 - 3 months old)
• George Henry  1901 - 1973  (71 years old)
• Ernest Isaac  1904 - 1997  (93 years old)
• Isaac Harry  1906 - 1964  (58 years old)
• William Harwood  1908 - 1972  (64 years old)
• Florence Emily  1911 - 1993  (82 years old)
• Sidney  1913 - 2004  (91 years old)
• Percy  1915 - 2002  (86 years old)

The fact that the family moved around mid-Devon a lot, likely as Harry sought rural work, is revealed in the children attending different schools...

As a young boy Walter first attended school in Thorverton.

On 2nd Oct 1899, when Walter was six, he began attending Stockleigh Pomeroy Church of England School in Stockleigh. His older sister Edith also attended the school. At the time, the family lived in East Combe.

Next Walter, Edith and their younger half brother, Fred, attended school in Cadbury. Walter, aged seven, began at the school on 12th March 1900. At the time, the family lived in West Bowley, Cadbury.

The 1901 Census shows the family back in Thorverton:

Walter then attended school in Upton Pyne.

Walter later attended Crediton Hayward School. He started at the school, aged eleven, on 10th October 1904.

On the school register, his character is listed as 'bad'. He left the school on 19th July 1905, when he was sent to a reformatory.

Why was his sent to a reformatory/industrial school? In the summer of 1905, aged twelve, Walter stole a silver watch and chain from a local farmer.

The case was reported in local newspapers...

From the Western Times on 25th August 1905:

From the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette on 25th August 1905:

After three years in an industrial school, Walter worked briefly as a farm labourer before joining the army as a private, aged seventeen. On 12th October 1910 (two days before his eighteenth birthday), Walter enlisted in the Royal Tank Corps. He had previously been in the 3rd Hussars (a special reserve Devonshire regiment).

Walter's enlistment papers give an accurate physical description of Walter as a very young man. He was just over 5'5'', weighed 9st 2lbs, and had a chest measurement of 35 1/2'' (with a 2'' expansion range). He had a fresh complexion, brown eyes and brown hair.

Soon after enlisting, Walter was transferred to the Irish C Depot on 15th October 1910, then the 11th Hussars on 25th January 1911, and then the 13th Hussars on 19th December 1912.

With the 13th Hussars (a cavalry regiment), Walter served in India from 19th December 1912 to 18th November 1914.

Walter (about 20) in India, c 1913

Wider View of Same Photograph

Walter (in his 20s) in his army uniform, c 1910s

The First World War had begun that July. From 19th November 1914 to 26th June 1916, Walter served with the 13th Hussars on the British Eastern Front in France. He then served on the Mesopotamian Front in Iraq from 27th June 1916 to 6th May 1919.

Whilst in Basra, Al Basrah, Iraq, Walter suffered from the effects of heat, and was in hospital because of such from 27th July 1916 to 8th August 1916. He was in hospital again because of diarrhoea from the 1st to the 26th November 1916. 

Walter (in his 20s) in his army uniform, c 1910s

On 4th June 1919, Walter was transferred to the 2nd Battalion.

Back in Devon, Walter (26) married Winifred Violet Edworthy (24) on 27th September 1919, in Totnes. Together they set up home at 2 Council Cottages, Cowley, near Exeter.

Walter was mobilised into the 13th Hussars on 11th April 1921, then finally transferred again to the 2nd Battalion on 6th June 1921. He was discharged on 11th October 1922. 

Walter was a soldier for over a decade. He earned himself the 1914/1915 STAR, the British War Medal, and the Victory Medal. By family it is said the experience reformed him from troublesome farm lad to a good husband and father. He had gone from a 'bad' schoolboy to an 'exemplary' sergeant.

Walter's younger half brother, Fred, followed Walter into the army as a private. Sadly he passed away aged only eighteen on 30th September 1915 in France. 

Back in civilian life, Walter and Winifred had three children (two daughters and one son):

• Winifred Peggy Doreen (known as Peggy)  1925 - 
• Leslie 'Les' Walter  1927 - 
• Christine 'Chris' May  1937 - 2012

As their family grew, they moved next door to 3 Council Cottages, which was larger.

Walter (32), Winifred (30) and baby Peggy at Peggy's christening in 1925

Family tells that Walter had wanted to name his daughters after women he had met in France, but was not allowed. 

Peggy remembers her father, as a military man, being strict but fair. She remembers on cold nights, he would gently lay his large coat over his three sleeping children.

On Christmas Eve 1934, when Walter was forty-two, his father Harry passed away, aged sixty-five.

By the 1930s, Walter was a lorry driver for the railway. He would later become a signalman. 

1939 Census:

His daughter Peggy's wedding in 1944 captures Walter and his family in the Second World War. Walter (51) is stood centre, Winifred (49) is sat second from right, bride Peggy (19) is sat third from right, Les (17) is stood furthest right, and Chris (7) is sat second from left.

For Christmas 1949, Walter's daughter Chris was gifted an autograph book. On one page is a poem by Charles Spurgeon written out by Walter on 19th March 1950:

After her marriage to American George Wise, Walter's daughter Peggy would emigrate to America. In the 1960s, in their late sixties, Walter and Winifred travelled to Iowa, America to visit their eldest daughter and her growing family. 

Walter and Winifred, with their American granddaughter Carol, in Iowa, in the early 1960s

Walter, later in life, in his railway uniform

Walter passed away, aged seventy-two, in 1965, in his home in Cowley, near Exeter.