CHAPTER 1
My Early Years
I was the eldest of a large family having six brothers and five sisters. I lived with my Great Grandmother, Granny Hanley, until I was twelve years old. She was already seventy-two years old when I was born so it must have been quite difficult for her as I was often a mischievous child but in spite of her being deaf and getting on in years she was the kindest and most loving person who, for those years, stood in as a mother for me. (Appendix 1)
We lived in Hemingborough, a small village in East Yorkshire.
This card offers an explanation of my mother's origins. It was probably sent by my mother's Granny to my Granny Smith, who was working as a house-maid to Mrs Baker in Leeds. The card, depicting Hemingborough Church, was addressed to Miss Hanley, Granny Smith's maiden name. It was sent by her own mother to advise that she had arrived home safely. It is presumed that she had been visiting her daughter and the new baby, (Helen) who had been born outside of marriage. My mother was a World War 1 baby and the postcard must have been posted in 1916.
My Mother and Father lived at The Old Mill House which still had a wooden windmill. The mill stood high on a grass hill which made the sails go round and drove the mill. My Father ground corn into meal and flour whilst my brothers, sisters and myself played roly-poly down the grass bank. We would sometimes climb up the many steps to get to the top of the mill.
My Granny Hanley and I lived opposite the Chapel in an old cottage with an orchard and large garden. Granny was very religious and after service on a Sunday the local preachers would come across for supper. I always had to go to Sunday School twice each Sunday. My Mother was the Sunday School Superintendent and sometimes she would come over after chapel with my brothers and sisters bringing lots of home-made cakes and buns to have tea with Granny and me.
There was lots of room to play in the garden and orchard in which were some outbuildings and a cart-shed. I enjoyed playing on the swing and pretending to make houses picking flowers to make it nice. The garden was very colourful with all sorts of different flowers.
At the bottom of the garden was a big orchard. There was far too much land for Granny so she rented some of it to a man called Mr. Tate who kept pigs in the buildings.
Of course the coal-house and lavatory were outside down a long, squared, red bricked path leading from the back-door and on through an archway of Roses. I used to help Granny put Rudd on the path to keep it clean and red. The Dairy floor also had to have Rudd put on and be regularly polished.
There was no electricity then, just lamps in the living room and candles to light us to bed. I used to be very fearful in the big four-poster bed as the candle threw shadows on the walls. Granny taught me how to make shadow animals with my hands and fingers. This helped me to overcome my fear of the shadowy dark.
When I was four I went to school and enjoyed it immensely. Because I always had to read The Bible to Granny every night I was very good at reading and spelling. I was so good that one day at school the Headmaster sent for me to go into the top class to show the older pupils how to spell. I remember vividly standing on a high stool in front of the whole senior class. My auntie was in this class and I later teased her unmercifully over this incident.
I always enjoyed school and found it interesting but by the time I was eleven Granny was getting too old and frail to look after the house and my Mother decided that we should both go and live with her and the family.
