Monday 9 April 2018

#52Ancestors week 14 "The Maiden Aunt"

Elsie Mabel West 1910-1987 Paternal Great Aunt (maiden)

Elsie was the 4th daughter of Henry Charles West and Ellen (Helen) Mary Briggs.  Born in Hastings 29th April 1910.  At the age of 1 she is living at 109 St Georges Road, Hastings which consisted of 5 rooms including the kitchen with her parents and siblings Nellie Eliza (13) Charles Henry (12) Daisy May (10) Lillian Maude (8) Leonard (6) and Horace John (2)

Elsie worked for Sussex's Evening Argus and by 1939 was living at 16 Calvert Road, Hastings with her parents and sister Lillian.  Both girls were volunteers and the start of the war Lillian volunteering as a telephonist in the ARP Control and Elsie worked in the mobile Voluntary Canteen Service run by the WRVS serving Teas to the voluntary workers as well as anyone affected by bombing


Elsie worked for Evening Argus firstly in Hastings as a inter-type operator (see below) and then she was transferred to Brighton by the Argus, family story has it that once had to write (make up) the horoscopes as the normal astrologer was away!

Elsie never married, when she first moved to Brighton she lived with brother and his family in Waldergrave Road.  Her sister Lillian then moved to Brighton with her job working in the insurance business and Elsie and Lillian rented a house in the Five Ways area close to their brother Charles.  The two sisters brought a bungalow in Hassocks and where they lived until Lil marries Fred Horlock in 1971 when the 3 of them share the home in Hassocks.  After Fred's death in 1984 Lil and Elsie move back to Hastings.  Elsie dies at 96 Athlestone Road, Hastings 29th April 1987, Lil passes away 13 years later in February 2000


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