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Saturday 7 June 2014

Sepia Saturday - Jennie's Friendship Photos

Sepia Saturday give bloggers an opportunity to share their family history and memories through photographs.

I must admit that my inspiration was failing when  faced with a "Free for All" choice of theme.  I clearly need the photo prompt to get my brain buzzing.  All I could think of were themes I had already featured.  

Eventually I decided this was the opportunity to show for the first time the friendship photographs from my Great Aunt Jennie's collection.

Jennie Danson (1897-1986)  was the only daughter and last child of James Danson and Maria Rawcliffe of Poulton-le-Fylde, Lancashire, born on 24th December 1897, after eight surviving brothers - George then aged 3, Frank 5, Albert 7, Tom 9, William 12 (my grandfather), Robert 16, John 18 and Harry 20 - a large family in a small terraced house. Her father died when she was eight years old. Jennie managed the home for her bachelor brothers, following her mother's death in 1919,  and married in 1928. 

In Jennie's photograph collection, besides family pictures,   were about 50 photographs of friends and I presume friend's children.  Very fortunately in most instances, she had written names on the reverse of the photographs. Many were taken at W. J. Gregson  & Co., W.P. Beck Proprietor, Photographers, 92 Talbot Road, Blackpool or the While-U-Wait Studio, Wellington Terrace,The Promenade, Blackpool.

Was it the custom to exchange such photographs?  Perhaps faced with  a household  of all those brothers, Jennie  was especially grateful for the company of her female friends.





















Annie Jolly was a popular subject amongst Jennie's photographs.   

In the 1901 census, she could well be the 2 year old Charlotte Annie Jolly, living at Queen's  Square, Poulton, daughter of Edward and Jane  Jolly.  Edward was a joiner like Jennie's father.  Also in the household was Jane's sister Sarah Haydon Lounds, a domestic servant, who married Jennie's  older brother, John Danson.  By  the 1911 census Annie Jolly  was aged 12,  living at Longfield Avenue, Poulton with her uncle Richard Jolly, and his wife Isabella. Jennie's brother William ((my grandfather) lived on the same road with his wife and young family. 

Nellie Jolly
Any Dodd
Landgirl Becky Bennet





 


3.         















What on earth was the occasion for this very glum looking group? 
Billy Hopkins with Lizzie and baby.
Billy Long




















Many of the photographs in Jennie's collection featured young men in uniform, looking apprehensive and  about to go to war.  One cannot help but wonder if they survived.  Given the scale of causalities,  and the fact I had only basic details, it has not been possible to identify them on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission website.  


  
 This is a puzzle!  Identified as "Mr Ashcroft, Postman at Poulton - daughter Melita".  According to her daughters, Jennie worked in Poulton Post OfficeButthe reverse of the photograph indicates  it was taken by  by Photographie Kramer in Gronungen,  a city in the northern Netherlands.

To end this short selection, two charming photographs: 

Granny Jolly & Grandchild
Young Jacky  Threlfall



Click HERE to see how other Sepians have taken up this week's open theme challenge