Mary Jane Kendal - married John William Dearden
Perdertha Kendal - married Herbert Fowler [Known as Dertha?] married a sailor; they had ten children. Dertha died giving birth to twins. [Edna's added the name Phillipe, but I don't know what that means.]
Martha Kendal - married Patrick Fitzpatrick
Ruth Kendal - married someone Turgoose
Joseph Kendal - remained a bachelor
William Kendal - married Cora ?
Mary, my mother, lived in Yorkshire
Dad (William) lived in Conisborough, Yorkshire.
(Their) children:
Eldest: adopted boy Joseph Baxter (note 2 Josephs and 2 Elsie Gwendolines)
Mary Selina (Lena) - nine years younger
Elsie Gwendoline died 18 months buried Wishaw, Scotland
Joseph 3 years younger than Lena
Edna nine and a half years younger than Lena
Another Elsie Gwendoline - died age three and a half
Mother (Mary Jane) died three months after this little girl: she just didn't want to live.
When we were tinies, Joe (elder - Baxter) married Beatrice: one child: named Elsie Gwendoline, who died. That's how mother named her two children after Joe's baby. An accepted thing years ago.
Lena married Horace Walter Howe, then lived in Sheffield, Yorkshire. We were in Tinsley Park, Walter in Darnall about three miles away. A mining area; no one allowed in the houses, only miners. Lena was a teacher at the time and married teachers were not kept on, so it was by accident about a year later [that] Dad found out. Did he hit the roof. That's how Lena and Walter came to Norfolk. Dad said he was not slogging at the mines to keep an idle so and so. Wouldn't let him move in our home. So they came with a family who were moving to Norfolk. The fact was there [was] just no work for men to get. For years Walter worked in hotels in [the] Cromer area, just summer time: one pound and his keep. Lena had persuaded Dad to buy house and lovely gardens when she had her second baby.
Lena's children:
Leslie - bachelor
Eileen Mary married John Clowes; children Ian, Helen, Neil. (Live in Durham. John a geologist for mines. Eileen met John at Keel University where they graduated.)
Joe married Dorothy in Norwich: Joe's children: Joe, Derek, John.
Joe married Shelia: children: Paul, Jean, Joanna.
John married Ann - no children, divorced - don't know if he married again.
Derek married Pat.
Scraps of family news [history]
Dad's father [George William Goodson] drowned one dark night while crossing over the canal, on footbridge, which was only about 12 inches wide. After lots of deaths a proper bridge was built.
The boy's mother (adopted) [she means the boy who was adopted, that is, Joseph Baxter] belonged to Dad's young sister, Lena. [This Lena would have been Lena Dearden, originally, and presumably was married to someone Baxter.] Some boys took a rat in to show her. Years ago boys bought rats like the kids buy hamsters. One in fun put it down her back and she died of shock, so my mother had the new baby. We lost touch with him later in life as Dad was so strict- no gambling, no drinking. Joe went into the army at 16 years old, married from there. Years later when we came to Norfolk someone sent Dad and Lena a local paper telling how he had been burnt to death in the house. Beatrice never got in touch, but Lena went over. This was obviously some time after; the paper was not sent straight away.
We never knew much about Dad's family as you couldn't afford to travel years ago. He had a step family called Megget, but I don't know where they fit in. Just remember a cousin, Dick, I met; got his eye cut out in the mines.
George William Goodson married Ethel May Howlett
Children:
Geoffrey George Goodson - married - Edna Dearden
Muriel Joan Goodson - married - George Edward Windsor Clements
Eric Oliver Goodson - married - Eileen McNally (Irish)
Stanley Goodson - married - Joyce Cooper
Maurice Wilfred Goodson - married - Lydia Querca (Italian)
Charles Goodson - married - Lottie Swanson
Barbara Goodson - married - Duggie Brooks
Muriel and George Clements' children
Yvonne - was much younger as George was a prisoner in Germany, taken on D Day. After he came back Muriel couldn't settle. She'd had too good a time in the forces ATS. Left Overstrand the day her dad was buried and we've never heard of her since.
George [Muriel's son?] was a boy of 15 when he went into the army to train as PT Instructor. Married Janice Lee: three children (I think) if not two. Debbie [Edna's granddaughter, I think this is] met up with a student Gary who had been looking at names. He said, I'm your cousin, Gary - or half-cousin.
I don't know if there was another page, but she mentions Ruth and Patrick Kirkpatrick, but I don't know where they fit in or who they are. Then the next bit seems to have the beginning of the sentence missing:
...had wrotten [sic] luck when their first baby was born, Uncle Pat [who is he?] took it outside to show it off - hence one dead baby. The second boy Patrick slipt [sic] off the end of a couch or chair, and broke his back when he was ten years old. He lived until he was about 32 and couldn't do anything, not even feed himself. He died when he was in his 30-40. [Think she was getting a bit tired at this point!]
Then there was some up to date family news - don't know what year this was, unfortunately.
Kelvin has just got the Queen's Scout Award. Betty sent me the paper. He is in college in London studying photography. David is at Norwich College studying cookery, second year now. Deborah is there in her first year taking cookery. [These are grandchildren she's talking about. Betty is her daughter-in-law.]
And on another page.
Well, I think this is all I can think of at present. Hope you're keeping well and having good weather. Steve [grandson] has gone back to school this week after half term break. He seems to really hate school now. There are over 1000 pupils and so much bullying going on. Janet is still busy and so is Babs. I never heard from Richard since last summer. I reckon he will write one day. [These are three of her children. Richard went to Canada.]
Then Janet [my sister-in-law] added:
Eileen and Eric Oliver (Podger): children: Maureen Jean (not sure if that's one or two); twins, Cathleen and Michael. Eldest child Patrick died at six months old. [But unlikely, I think, to be the baby who was taken out in the cold and died.]
Stanley and Joyce: children: Janet, Tony, Jean and Pat.
Maurice (uncle Tinny) and Lydia: Paula, Paul and Lesley.
Charles and Lottie: twins died at birth. Two step-children: Jane and Pat Swanson.
Barbara and Dougie, child, Karen.
Had a letter from cousin Eileen - Uncle Walter fell down stairs and never recovered. He had kidney failure.
