52 Ancestors in 52 Weeks

  52 Ancestors, Week 8: A Big Decision — Clara Emily Worsfold (1899–1962) Some ancestors make their mark through dramatic events; others shape the family quietly, through the choices they make day after day. My maternal grandmother Clara Emily Worsfold belongs firmly to the second group. Born in 1899, she lived through two world wars, economic hardship, and enormous social change — yet her life was defined by one steady, deliberate decision: to build and hold together a large, rooted family in Sussex . It was a choice that shaped not only her own future, but the futures of the seven children who grew up under her care. A Childhood Formed by Love Clara was the daughter of Walter James Worsfold and Mary Jane French . Mary Jane’s life was far from simple. She experienced loss after her first husband died young, Walter then raised 3 young step children as his own with Clara being born a few years later Clara’s childhood, then, was not just a beginning — it formed her outlook on life...