"The Blue House" BRADWELL-ON-SEA in 1891 or 1901 Census

[Keith Sherwood]

Hi again, Mary,
Thanks so much for taking the time to check the teaching fraternity (shouldn't really use this term considering they're all women!) of Bradwell-on-Sea.  They, or some of them must have been predecessors of the KERSHAW's I am searching for, and perhaps I'll try and look get hold of the log books or records (if they exist) of the local school there to see when they might have first appeared on the scene...
Very best wishes,
keith

[RayAngel]

Stumbled across this website whilst looking up Blue House Cottage.  In 1959 at age 10 I lived there for a year or more; dad rented the left half for our family of 4.  I loved Ms. Kershaw who quickly became my Nanny.  She was widowed, I really don't remember her first name (& my parents now deceased so can't ask them  ).  I loved to sit with her in her beautiful gardens listening to tales & playing with "Conkers" that I made from her horse chestnut trees.  She made me hot tea on her coal-burning stove on cold mornings, taught me how to suck sweet sap from honeysuckle.  Sweet as honey she was, only time I saw he upset was when a group of fox hunters galloped over her short hedge & galloped across a portion of her beautiful property out back.  Some of it was farmed, her son Ken taught me how to plow using their ancient tractor. The roofs were very short & my 5'10" dad would bump his head on roof beams. The front door was "locked" using a board slid over 2 supports (like in movies of ancient fortresses).  It had a thatched roof that didn't leak, at least not much, but smelled foul sleeping at night (in a top bunk) if raining.  Believe she was from London as she told me stories of placing in basements during the German Buzz-Bomb attacks.  I went to the local school, which is hundreds of years old.  Was taught cursive using a wooden stem with metal tip, using an ink well & blotting paper, I kinda liked that.  I did not like their toilet paper, was similar to kitchen wax paper, so I carried regular TP from home, lol. We moved a few miles further out Maldon Rd. to a "new" place only 50 yrs or so old & were considered "fancy" because we had indoor bathroom & hot water tanks.  Us kids then went to school in Maldon.  I loved every minute living in England & was at least a year ahead of classmates upon return to US.  My parents went back to England about 20 years ago & Ms. Kershaw had passed but believe they did see Ken. 
Hope y'all don't think ill of me posting so much later, perhaps it'll stir other's interest, it sure was memorable for me.     
 

[Keith Sherwood]

Ray Angel,
This is simply amazing, to hear these evocative details of a member of my family in this way.  That's what's so excellent about this site, that a thread can remain dangling, unread and untouched for many, many years and then along comes someone like you and it bursts vibrantly into life again.
I'm visiting my 97 year old mother up the road later today and I know she'll be fascinated to hear what you have to say about your experiences in Bradwell on Sea all of 64 years ago...
Many, many thanks,
Keith (and I may PM - Personally Message you) on this site later this weekend with her response.

[RayAngel]

Hi Keith, cool to find someone interested & even related.  What was Nannie's (Ms. Kershaw) first name?  She seemed old to me then, I'd say about 45-50 yo, lol; her son Ken was probably mid-late 20's.  In our family of 4 (surname Angel), the parents were fairly young with mom Fern at 29 and dad Al (for Albert) 27.  They loved it there also, we were considered well-off but really were not as an enlisted man's family, except for the money exchange rate so preferable to the US.  You got back at us in 2010 when wife & I were astounded at your prices on visiting in 2010, lol.  How is your mom related to Nannie that I adored?  If possible please attach a picture of Blue House Cottage (one in internet not a very good one) or others of Bradwell if you think of interest.  I use to play in/around the King's Head pub with the son of the proprietor; we'd get kicked out & go across the street to that ancient church. We of course went to the primary school down the block (now St. Cedd's) of which I cannot find much history about....we were told it was related to the Roman occupation, although it may be more like the Norman conquest.  Tell mom "Hi" from the Angels.   

[softly softly]

Lovely story, some info for you working on the info from your posts.

Mary's birth

KERSHAW, MARY       mother's maiden name GURNER 
GRO Reference: 1861  S Quarter in ISLINGTON  Volume 01B  Page 268

Mary Kershaw married Samuel Robert Baildon in Islington

Marriages Mar 1884   
Baildon    Samuel Robert        Islington    1b   487   
Kershaw    Mary                Islington    1b   487   

I will leave census from 1891-1911 for you to research, but according to 1911 census no children were born to them

1921 census free search " Address Blue House Cottage" Bradwell on Sea.

Mary Baildon aged 59, born Islington

1939 war register "Blue House Cottage" Bradwell on Sea"

Mary Baildon dob 9th July 1861 Widow

Mary died aged 94 in Mq 1956

Mary's has a probate record on Ancestry which I cannot attach to this post but she died 28th January 1956 and she was of Blue House Cottage.

SS

Added: Samuel Robert Baildon died 27th March 1914 in Calcutta, India. His probate record on Anc* mentions his wife Mary, address 35 Palmerston Road, Bowes Park, Middlesex as per 1911 census address

[maddys52]

I agree, really lovely reading. Wonderful when connections are made like this.

RayAngel, you need to make one more post on here before you can access the personal message system. Simply a reply to this thread, then Keith can contact you in private. 

[maddys52]

You may be interested in a couple of newspaper articles that mention the Blue House - I can't attach images here on this thread, but happy to send you a copy.

 In 1926, 3 Blue House Cottage was subject of a possession case - owner John KERSHAW wanted to remove tenant John SHINN. A Mrs BARLDON [sic], neighbour gave evidence.
Friday,  Aug. 13, 1926
Publication: Chelmsford Chronicle

And sold in 1939, with Delameres Farm.
Friday,  Apr. 28, 1939
Publication: Chelmsford Chronicle

[Keith Sherwood]

All very exciting Maddys52, I agree,
But first of all I’ll respond to SoftlySoftly’s post, then RayAngel…
So, this is absolutely brilliant new family info on Mary Kershaw.  The last “sighting” of her was in a letter she wrote in 1938 from Bradwell to her cousin Alice Kershaw in London.  (Alice married into my Gurner family in 1886). I had no idea Mary had married and to whom, and therefore did not know by which surname she went after 1884, therefore.
And to think that she was still alive in 1956, when I would have been 8 or 9 years old myself - I could have met her!
Thanks so much for all this, SoftlySoftly, you’ve extended our family knowledge about Mary considerably.  And 18 years after I started this thread, too.  More about her early life in my next post to Ray Angel, explaining my family connection to the “lady with the unknown forename” next door to him in 1959…
Keith

[Keith Sherwood]

Maddy’s52, our posts crossed, more fascinating knowledge which it will take me a little while to assimilate…
K
And might have to pause till later my post to Ray as we’re getting ready to head to Duxford for their airshow commemorating this WW2 era rather appropriately, with Spitfires and so on…