East Hanningfield Archive

The teacher at the back of the photograph on the left hand side is probably Mrs. Picking.  Her husband, Harry Picking, was the school master, but she was a teacher in her own right.  They arrived in East Hanningfield sometime between the births of their second child in 1895 and third child in 1896. They lived in the School House at first but before the 1911 census had moved into Botley House, which had seven rooms, and was more spacious for the growing family.  They had six children in all.  Harry Picking, b. 1863 Godmanchester, married Emily Elizabeth Dance, b. Islington 1887, on 28 August 1892. 

Following the death of Harry Picking in 1920, Emily Elizabeth and her youngest daughter, Isabel Mary, moved to Ilford.

Brief descriptions of the childrens lives are below.

Frederick James b. Finsbury Park 1893. The 1911 Census finds him boarding with a family in Grosvenor Road Brentford and employed as a boy clerk in the Civil Service.  A family tree has him emigrating to Canada and being in Saskatchuwan, so there might be a link with Thomas John Woolford the pupil teacher whom he must have known.

Emily Winifred b. Islington 3 February 1895. Emily married Thomas Richard Parsons.  The 1921 Census record her as a research worker in Physiology, and her husband a university teacher of physiology, both at Cambridge. In 1934 Emily was on Cambridgeshire County Council representing Newnham No1.  In 1939 he was recorded as a university lecturer in Physiology/Biology and she was a university lecturer in Biology/Nutrition. Their daughter Pauline was born in 1921. See her obituary from the Cambridge Evening News.

Dorothy Edith b. East Hanningfield 1 August 1896. Dorothy Edith married Gerard Western (see the 1935 group photo) on 15 September 1918 at East Hanningfield. Their son, Lawrence Gerard was born on 12 June 1919. They can be found in the 1921 Census living at Rails Farmhouse.  Dorothy died in 1928.

Harry Lawrence b. East Hanningfield 1898. Harry died whilst serving with the 20th. Royal Fusiliers, on 20 July 1916. See a detailed account in the War Memorial booklet.

Isabel Mary b. East Hanningfield 1901. As mentioned above she was living with her mother at St Andrews Road, Ilford at the time of the 1921 Census. She was employed as a shorthand typist at Messrs Maple and Co Furnishers of Tottenham Court Road. At some point she changed her surname by deed poll to Head. In 1939 she was living in Gt. Ormond St. and working as secretary and saleswoman to a silk Merchant. She died quite young on 10 September 1946.

Geoffrey Viner b. East Hanningfield 27 May 1902.