East Hanningfield School 1
Can anyone identify any of these children? Some of them appear in the next School photo.
We know the names of the two younger ladies and the older boy in the picture, because they all appear in the 1901 Census as pupil teachers. The boy centre back was Thomas John Woolford who was 15 in 1901, and lived with his family at Great Claydons Lodge, his father, Charles Woolford, being a coachman. The young lady on the left with blonde hair , Emily Baker, was aged 17 in 1901 and lived with her parents James and Ann Baker at the Horse Shoes Inn. The young lady with dark hair, Alice M.M. Downes was also aged 17 and lived with her family at Willis Farm.
Thomas John Woolford was born 13 November 1885 at Codicote, Herts. By the time of the 1911 census he was an assistant teacher lodging with Henry and Annie Snewing in Station Road, Marlow, Bucks. The next time we have record of him is when he was living at Howell, Saskatchuwan, Canada, volunteering for the Canadian Over Seas Expeditionary Force and giving his occupation as teacher. The document is unclear whether this was in 1915 or 1916. He was back in East Hanningfield on 14 January 1917 because that is where and when he married Eunice Maud Dean b. 29 March 1889. At some point he returned to Canada because he was recorded arriving at Liverpool on the Canadian Pacific ship the Dutchess of Bedford at Liverpool with Eunice and son Arthur, then aged 15, on 22 March 1935, having sailed from St. John, New Brunswick. The 1939 survey finds him and Eunice living at Portland Gardens, Marlow, Bucks. He was then working for Marlow UDC as a Clerk in the Surveyors Department. A report of his funeral appeared in the Chelmsford Chronicle.
Alice Maud Mary Downes was born 14 January 1884 at Hockley. She married Ernest John Runter, b. 4 May 1878, at Chelmsford in 1909. Their son Horace was born 16 October 1911. They were living at Upper Bridge Road in Chelmsford at that time. Her time was dedicated to household duties from this time.
Emily Baker was born in 1884 at New Brompton in Kent. Her father James Baker was a police officer at that time. She had older brothers James and George who were no longer living at home when the family lived in EastHanningfield. By the time of the 1911 census Emily and her parents were living in Holloway Road, Heybridge and she was employed as a school teacher and her father a police pensioner. By 1921 the Bakers had moved to Ripple Road Dagenham with Emily being recorded an an elementary school teacher.