We
published an article in Issue 5 which touched briefly on the
lives of Jessie Stentiford and her husband, Charles Leleux and were
pleased when it brought us in touch with two of their descendents. We
were intrigued to learn of the years of research carried out by two
brothers - their great grandsons - John Humphrey and Bruce
Humphrey - in a quest to discover the history of the family into which
Jessie had married. They join us this month as guest contributors and
we hope that any reader who can add to this story will make contact
and perhaps lead them into a new area of research.
Rose
Jane Stentiford's story is typical of that of dozens of girls born
into in our group of families. It hardly seems possible that anyone
could have required a teen-age girl to do so much for such small
returns. Rose worked a day that began at dawn and ended long after
dusk. She grappled with housework, washing, ironing, cooking, running
errands, and carrying coal and buckets of slops, up and down endless
stairs, seven days a week, twelve months a year. There were no other
servants kept in her household and her life must have been very
lonely. Whoever said these were "the good old days"?
Keep
in touch,
Muriel
and Richard
