Writtle Essex |
(a) Timber Cottage, Lordship Road
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This early photo (copied from the book 'Writtle We've Loved') has the caption 'Looking down
Lorship Road on the left, wooden cottages (demolished about 1952) and the old barn'. Home to Daphne Duck nee Fitzjohn and during the war her sisters Peggy Gardner and Joan Mills, their younger brother Bertie, their mother Sarah and Daph's daughter Valerie Duck and Peggy's son Brian Gardner. Peggy lived in Writtle during the war as an escape from London. Sarah continued to live there until it was demolished when she moved to a pre-fab in Hunts Close. We thought that the wooden house had once been a pub as it still had Saloon Bar etched in the glass on the front door and it was said to have been moved from another site in the village. It had little in the way of foundations and leaned precariously over the pavement. Through web researches a link was found to 'Writtle Archives' and an enquiry revealed that part of the house had in fact been relocated from 'The Hollies' opposite the Wheatsheaf pub but had originally been a sweetshop. Information received from 'Writtle Archives' cand be viewed on pdf file Writtle Archive Brian's earliest memories are from this period. Peggy moved to Hillcrest Road with husband Percy immediately after the war. Daph moved to Fosters Close and Joan to Mayfield Road. |
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| The Moss family lived here |
(c) Fosters Close (Oxney Green)
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Charlie and Daphne Duck (nee Fitzjohn) lived here with family Valerie and Michael. Albert and Beatie Fitzjohn also lived in Fosters Close along with their son Peter. After Charlie died Daph moved from the house to a bungalow next door, whilst Peter Fitzjohn moved into Daph's house. The photo shows second cousins Steven Gardner and Dawn Hodge sitting on the stairs of 2 Fosters Close, then the home of Charlie and Daphne Duck, their common ancester was Sarah Fitzjohn who was Great Grandmother to both of them. |
 "2 Fosters Close")
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| Joan Fitzjohn married Ron Mills and lived firstly with Ron's mother in Crompton Street Chelmsford, then Mayfield Road, Writtle. The photo c. early 1950's of Brian Gardner and young brother John with Rover the dog, was taken in the garden of the house which was a concrete type of single story structure. This house has now been demolished. Joan and Ron then lived for a time in a static caravan in Chelmsford before moving to Yorkshire to join their adopted daughter Denise and family |
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| Sarah Fitzjohn's final home - a pre-fab. Referred to in local paper report. |