My Mother And Grandparents

[poliphilo]

My nephew, Tom Fairweather, asked me a few days back if I had any pictures of my grandfather Allen. I said I hadn't, but, having gone right through the big box of photos, I find I have this.



That's my mother on the far left and my grandmother in the middle. I'm guessing this was taken in the mid to late 30s- before the outbreak of War, at any rate- and that the photographer was my uncle Dick.

Comments

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

Wow!

Tell me more. How did you find out about the Great Great Great Grandfather?

Yes, that has to be the right Edward Allen- everything lines up correctly. The family did live in Croydon- which is where your mother and I spent our early childhood.

I'm surprised to learn he was a private. The Allens were quite a grand family. I'd have expected him to be an officer. I like it that he wasn't. Maybe his choosing not to take a commission had something to do with the family being Quakers/pacifists.

[(Anonymous)]

I can't prove that the private is correct as all it says is Edward Stafford, but the other stuff looks good.

I found this page for Edward Stafford Allen http://www.gencircles.com/users/barraclough/1/data/2317
You can then click back all the way to 1672, going through a Spitalfields Silkweaver, a farmer, a mason.
What did Edward Stafford do for a living?

[(Anonymous)]

Oops I meant Edward Allen, not Edward Stafford

[poliphilo.livejournal.com]

The family owned a flour-milling business. Ailz says she remembers buying "Allen's flour". I assume he was a director of the company or something like that.