|
|
MY GRAN, EUNICE BOWMAN WAS BORN ON 23rd. AUGUST 1898 AT BIRD STREET, INCE - IN - MAKERFIELD, WIGAN, LANCASHIRE. SHE WAS THE SECOND OF TWELVE CHILDREN TO THOMAS AND SARAH CROOK. IN 1905 EUNICES FATHER, THOMAS DECIDED TO MOVE TO THE NORTH EAST TO LOOK FOR WORK AS MOST OF THE COTTON MILLS IN LANCASHIRE WERE CLOSING. A LOT OF PEOPLE FROM WIGAN CAME TO THE NORTH EAST LOOKING FOR WORK ABOUT THE SAME TIME. THEY CAME TO THE NORTH EAST ON A STEAM TRAIN WHICH WAS QUITE AN ADVENTURE FOR EUNICE. THEY ARRIVED IN THE NORTH EAST AND SETTLED IN FELLING, LIVING AT FIRST WITH EUNICES UNCLE HENRY AND HIS FAMILY. EUNICE CAN'T REMEMBER MUCH ABOUT HER SCHOOL DAYS AS SHE WAS EXPECTED TO LOOK AFTER HER BROTHERS AND SISTERS. EUNICES LAST SISTER WAS BORN IN 1920. BY THIS TIME EUNICE HAD A FAMILY OF HER OWN. AT THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR I EUNICE STARTED WORK AT ARMSTRONG - WHITWORTH AMMUNITION WORKS IN NEWCASTLE. THERE SHE MADE SHELLS FOR THE GUNS. SHE EARNED MORE MONEY THAN HER FATHER WHO HAD FOUND WORK IN THE COAL MINES AND WAS EXPECTED TO "TIP UP" MOST OF HER MONEY TO HELP THE FAMILY.
ON CHRISTMAS DAY 1919 AT CHRIST CHURCH, FELLING EUNICE MARRIED ROBERT PEARSON OF BILL QUAY, NEAR GATESHEAD. BOB AND EUNICE HAD FOUR CHILDREN - NORMAN (1920 - 1987), THOMAS (1922 - 2007), DORIS (1924 - 1997) AND CONSTANCE (b.1926). SADLY BOB PEARSON DIED 1N 1928 AGED ONLY 28 OF TB LEAVING EUNICE WITH FOUR CHILDREN TO BRING UP ON HER OWN. AT THE OUTBREAK OF WORLD WAR II EUNICES TWO SONS, NORMAN AND THOMAS JOINED THE ARMY AND FORTUNATLY BOTH RETURNED HOME SAFELY. ON 13th. DECEMBER 1941 AT THE REGISTER OFFICE, JARROW EUNICE MARRIED A SECOND TIME. HIS NAME WAS FRANK BOWMAN. FRANK AND EUNICE HAD TWO DAUGHTERS, SHEILA (b.1942 - d.1942) AND ANN (b.1945). EUNICE NEVER HAD MUCH MONEY AND PROBABLY SAW MORE MEAL TIMES THAN MEALS, BUT SHE USUALLY GOT BY DOING ODD JOBS FOR PEOPLE.
SHE EVENTUALLY ENDED UP WORKING IN A FISH AND CHIP SHOP AT WINDY NOOK WITH HER SISTER ANNIE. SHE WORKED AT THE FISH AND CHIP SHOP WELL INTO HER 80s. WHEN ANN GOT MARRIED IN 1964 EUNICE MOVED INTO A BUNGALOW AND HAS LIVED THERE 'TILL ABOUT 2007. OUT OF THE SIX CHILDREN EUNICE HAD ONLY TWO ARE LEFT - CONSTANCE AND ANN. SHE ALSO HAD 17 GRANDCHILDREN, 30 GREAT GRANDCHILDREN AND 5 GREAT GREAT GRANDCHILDREN. SHE HAD AT LEAST 30 NEPHEWS AND NIECES. SINCE THE DEATH OF HENRY ALLINGHAM AND HARRY PATCH EUNICE BOWMAN IS CURRENTY THE THIRD OLDEST PERSON IN ENGLAND. SO ON 23rd. AUGUST 2009 EUNICE WILL REACH THE GRAND OLD AGE OF 111.
|
|
 | | ROBERT PEARSON
1900 - 1928 | |
 | | FRANK BOWMAN
1901 - 1950 | |
 | | EUNICE BOWMAN | |
 | | EUNICE BOWMAN | |
 | | EUNICE BOWMAN | |
 | | EUNICE (CENTRE) WITH SISTER ANNIE AND BROTHER THOMAS | |
 | | EUNICE BOWMAN | |
 | | EUNICE BOWMAN | |
 | | DORIS WITH MUM EUNICE | |
 | | EUNICE WITH GREAT GRANDCHILDREN LEWIS AND KAYLEE McNALLY | |
 | | EUNICE WITH HER SISTER HARRIET | |
 | | EUNICE BOWMAN AT 100 | |
 | | ANNIE (LEFT) WITH HER SISTER EUNICE
(RIGHT) | |
 | | THOMAS AND SARAH CROOK | |
To add a comment you must first login or join for free, up in the top left corner.
|
|
