In the course of researching my family history I am piecing together the movements of one of my great-aunts, Grace Healing (née Horton).
She was born in East Ham in 1895, and in 1919 married Harold Percy Healing, whose family lived in a rather grand house in Hornchurch – still standing, but I believe now a care home. Sadly, Harold died shortly afterwards, and Grace went to live in the Seven Kings/Ilford area.
I am fairly certain that by about the late 1940s or early 1950s Grace was living somewhere in Langdon Hills, either on her own (she never remarried) or possibly with one or other of her two sisters, Hilda and Lilly.
I have quite a few old photos of her bungalow, and would love to know if anyone can shed light on this theory. I’m guessing, from a partially visible sign in one of the pictures, that the house was called Cliftonville, but I have no idea which road it might have been in, and it would seem that many in the area have been obliterated anyway.
Thank you!
Chris Horton
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Thank you for taking an interest in this, Colin. Since my original post a couple of days ago, I too have made a little progress. I soon discovered the fascinating story of the ‘Plotlands’, for instance, and ultimately that led me to Cliftonville in Crest Avenue. It’s interesting that there was also a Cliftonville in Somerset Road in Laindon, but as far as I can tell the houses there were never the ‘shacks’ so characteristic of the Plotlands, so I’m inclined to think that Grace Healing’s was in Crest Avenue. As far as the electoral register is concerned, it’s quite possible that Grace didn’t move there until some time after 1949 (my mother and my aunt, who are the only people alive who would remember, are a bit vague about that), so if you do get the chance to look at later registers that would be very much appreciated. Thank you again.
Hello Chris.
I have searched through the 1949 electoral register and have found two properties with the name ‘Cliftonville’. The first was in Somerset Road Laindon and the resident is shown as Maude B Rowlinson, interestingly there is another dwelling a couple of doors away named ‘Betchworth’, the residents here are George and Hilda M A Rowlinson .
The other ‘Cliftonville’ is in Crest Avenue Langdon Hills, the resident is Florence M Hill. Laindon and Langdon Hills are often classed as one area so the Somerset Road address may be the one you are looking for. When I get an opportunity I will try and do some more research.
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