Hare family Lost Family Friend

[fclosson]

I am writing to you with a strange request from a old family story that I am researching. My mother was reminding me of a story about our Hare family in England, regarding a Servant son. It has something to do with a servant of Dr. Even Hare and his wife Emily Cummins/Hare having got pregnant without being married and the Hare family help raise this boy. They paid for his university and he ended up moving to Miami Florida and becoming very successful at Kodak. My Uncle Richard told me that from what he remembers of the story is that one of the housekeepers of "Great Granny Hare" Emily Lucy Cummins got pregnant by a African American in the Army that she met in the UK. So instead of the housekeeper leaving, Emily agreed to keep the housekeeper and help her take care of the child. She then paid for the child to be educated and he went on to be Successful at Kodak and moved to the States. He does not remember any names but a few more clues. Richard seems to think that this all happened after the death of Dr. Even H Hare. Even died in 1932 and Emily died in 1956. It looks like Emily might have been living with her daughter Ethel Hare/Fowler by 1939 and most likely some of the same housekeepers must have been brought over to the Fowler home. I am thinking around WW2 the housekeeper and the father got together in the second half of WW2. Let say around 1942 or 1943.  I have been trying to figure out who this person is and what happened to him without much to go on this is becoming a hard task.

I would think that this man would have worked at Kodak sometime stating 1970's and would be in his 70's or 80's. Their is also some connection with Florida. I would guess that he is most likely retired by now but perhaps if he did have a higher position at Kodak then someone might have remembered him. I would love to find this person and talk to him. Any ideas on how to do this would be great. 

Emily was my Great Great grandmother. Here is a picture of her at the beach with some of her family and servants 

Regards, 

Fraser Closson

[AMBLY]

Hi Fraser,

Welcome to Rootschat!

Have you ever looked into a Will for Emily Lucy Hare?  I see she died  17 Jan 1956 in Staffordsahire and her residence then was White Lodge, 1 Stream Road, Wordsley, Brierly Hill, Stafforshire. Probate 1956 for modest effects. She may well have mentioned the child or his mother in a will?

Her address in 1956, appears to be the same.

Have you looked into the housekeeper Charlotte Abbott?
She's a constant in Emily's household from 1933 onwards

Even if Charlotte was not the mother of the child, she still could be the connection.

Food for thought!

Cheers
AMBLY

[rosie99]

Welcome to rootschat

We are not allowed to give details on here about anyone possibly living so any help we could give you is limited.  Perhaps try searching freebmd for possible births of children to the occupants of the household in 1939

[fclosson]

Thanks for all you help I will look into it!!

Fraser

[Brentor boy]

If I have identified her correctly on the 1939 Register, Charlotte was born in 1889, which means she is unlikely to have borne  a child in mid 1940s.