Ken Porter’s article about Frederick Charles Jobson has provided me with a break-through into solving a long standing puzzle. Some years ago I was given a set of unknown photos that had been handed in at Laindon Library. The small album contained pictures of Laindon Postmen from around 1941 and I had these published on the website and a few of the names have been put to the faces. However the loose photographs remained unidentified but obviously were connected to a Postwoman who appears in the album. They were taken at the family home and garden which I have always presumed to be somewhere in Langdon Hills. It is a well built two storey brick house and although its name isn’t visible, there is a notice in the front garden stating ‘Cut Flowers’. Some photos show various family members in the garden appparently dressed to take part in entertainment of some kind. I have shown the photos to many people but nobody has recognised the people or place so I have kept them tucked away in a drawer.
Upon seeing the photo of Frederick Jobson in Ken’s article, a spark of recognition had me racing to get the photos out again. After a morning’s research using the Electoral Registers and some old photos from the thirties of a former local operatic society, (in which Fred, Ivy and Victor appear), I can now say that the Postwoman in question is almost certainly Ivy Jobson, daughter of Frederick Jobson and the house was called ‘Rasbrook’ and situated in High Road, Langdon Hills, the second building to the south of Nightingale Parade. This was most probably built by Henry Foulger (known as Harry) who built Nightingale Parade and many of the houses on the east side of the High Road.
Members of the Jobson family appear to have lived in three places and moved around from time to time. The 1911 Electoral Register shows Frederick aged 23 living in “Rasbrook” with his widowed mother Rose. The 1929 Electoral Register shows Christina and Frederick living in “Rosendale” a bungalow just north of the nursing home “Sissinghurst”. Francis Jobson (Frederick’s older brother) was living in “Rasbrook” and Rose and Lilian Jobson (Frederick’s mother and sister) living in “Fairview” Nightingale Avenue.
The 1949 Electoral Register shows Dr James Goldacre and his wife Barbara living in “Rasbrook”. (Dr Goldacre, was for a time in partnership with Dr Chowdhary. However the partnership was dissolved in 1953). Christina, Frederick and Ivy Jobson were living in “Rosendale” together with Lilian Davis and at this time Francis Jobson was living in “Fairview” Nightingale Avenue.
There is some evidence that shows Christina Jobson was once a teacher at Langdon Hills School.
I believe the photographs shown below were taken in the forties at “Rasbrook” which had a large garden and greenhouses. I can now add Ivy’s name to the three photos in which she appears in the article ‘Photo Album’. Ivy married Alfred Mayhew in 1970. I am now wondering if the photos in that article showing a policeman and young man on the motorbike are pictures of her husband. Anyone know of a Policemen called Alfred Mayhew in the area around that time?
Ivy Mayhew died in 2004 and at some time her collection of photographs were handed into Laindon Library by an unknown person. They are now safely in my care. Her brother Victor (known as Vivian Milroy) died in 2009.
We have photos taken in the late thirties of productions of ‘Pinafore’ and ‘Micardo’ performed by Laindon & District Operatic Society in which three members of the family appear. I will add the photos separately.
Addition paragraph added 15.09.2013. Since writing the above article I have gathered some further information:
Firstly, apparently ‘Rasbrook’ had been named after Ivy’s maternal great grandmother whose middle name was ‘Rasbrook’.
Secondly: In 1972, Ivy and Alfred Mayhew’s home ‘Rosendale’ was compulsorily purchased by Basildon Development Corporation because it stood on the part of the High Road which was to be re-routed. Ivy and her husband agreed a price but the BDC began making alterations at the property before the couple had moved out. An article appeared in the local paper showing a photograph of Ivy (using her middle name Christine) who described the couple’s annoyance. The matter was eventually concluded and by 1975 Ivy and Alfred were settled in their new home ‘High Bank’ in Lee Chapel Lane. I have added a copy of the article after the photos shown below.
Lastly: Ivy died on 13th August 2004 aged 84. The funeral service was held on 24th August at St Mary’s Church, Langdon Hills followed by committal at Basildon crematorium.
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Where did you find the 1949 electoral register? I have found the 1929 one but not been able to find any others.
The 1929 and 1918 are the only two Electoral Registers on-line. Other years are held at the Essex Records Office in Chelmsford and are available for viewing. The staff will provide photocopies although a charge is made per page.
I’ve added a paragraph and press cutting to this article.
Frederick Jobson and my father were firm friends. Ivy Jobson or Christine as she preferred to be called later in life, indeed married Alf Mayhew, the son of Olive Mayhew who lived in a cottage in an unmade road between our house Daisybank and Ulster Road.
Olive Mayhew helped my mother with domestic tasks for many many years and I have fond memories of her. She was very much like a grandmother to me and I remember my father always called her “mother”. She was a great support to us when my father died and remained a close family friend till her own death.
Alf, her son and Ivy married when they were both in their forties I think. I remember visiting them in their large house in Lee Chapel Lane and they were clearly very happy together. They both kept in touch with my mother until she moved to London.
Further to Nina’s request regarding information of a policeman named Alfred Mayhew. There was an Alfred Mayhew who lived in Wash Rd., opposite Watch House Farm. I do not remember the name off hand, but it was next door to Denia and formerly the home of the Reitz family.
I knew this Alf quite well, but he was not a policeman but was quite well known as part of The St. John Ambulance Brigade and was for some time employed by Costain’s in the Childerditch factory as a medical officer. Whether or not there was any connection with the policeman of whom I have never heard of before, I do not know.
Thank you William. The Alfred Mayhew to whom you refer lived at “St Leonards” Wash Road with his wife Gladys. Co-incidentally, their daughter Patricia Mayhew appears on page 7 of the 1958 long school photo, she is No 33.
The Policeman in the ‘Photo Album’ may not have been the man that Ivy Jobson married, that was just me surmising, however, she did marry an Alfred Mayhew. Perhaps more details will be revealed. Best wishes.
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