Biography of Edith Lilian Swinnerton

Malcolm Smith's Family History Archive

Biography of

Edith Lilian SWINNERTON

[Ref. R.14]

Edith Lilian Swinnerton was born at 54 Whittier Street in Liverpool on 31 October 1906, though her birth certificate gives the date as 1 November 1909. The story is that there was some confusion about the date as many of the family were present at the birth and there was much celebration, so much so that when the registration was made six weeks later, a concensus of opinion was taken and agreed that the birth had been on 1 November.

Edie was educated at Tiber Street school between the ages of four and fourteen. Whilst at school, she took part in gymnastics, then continued at Princes Gate Girls Club, winning prizes and also teaching classes.

She had an interest in flowers and she became quite proficient in flower arranging. On leaving school, she wanted to be a florist but her mother insisted that she did something sensible. Consequently she went to work in the offices of J.Collinson & Co, shoe makers in Bold Street, Liverpool and became accomplished at bookeeping. She remained there until she left Liverpool to be married. There was good comradeship between the staff and some of the girls formed a photographic society to have their portraits taken.

Edie had been walking out with a man called Moore but when he decided to emigrate to South Africa, she broke it off with him. His brother, Stanley, married Edie's sister Emmie. Edie then met Marcus Parsons at a dance and they courted for seven years before they were married. By 1908, the Swinnerton family were living at 101 Ponsonby Street which was a "two up and two down" terraced house, so the large family had litle space. However, they generally got on well except that the boys would pinch the cakes that Edie baked for her finacée when he visited. Dancing formed a major part of social life then and Edie and Marc would often go to the Rialto at Toxteth Park along with some of their respective siblings.

Edie's fiancée had moved south to find work during the depression. He was living rented a flat at 19 Caprera Terrace, Plymouth when he married Edith on 19 October 1935. Edie had changed her religion from Baptist to become Roman Catholic in order to matty Marc. She came down to Plymouth and the wedding took place at the church of St.Mary and St.Boniface in Cecil Street. The couple stayed at 6 Empire Road in Torquay for the first night of their honeymoon. A saucy telegram was sent by someone at a time designed to interrupt the honeymoon at an inconvenient time. Upon their marriage, Marcus and Edith moved to a more modern flat in Salcombe Road in the Lipson area of Plymouth. There is an invoice for furniture which was ordered the day before the wedding.

By 1936, Marcus and Edie were living at 12 Barton Avenue in Paignton, which is where their son Michael Tomes Parsons was born on 6 July 1936. Their neighbour, Betty Appleby, assisted at the birth, also she and her husband Courtney accommodated some of Edie's sisters who had travelled down from Liverpool for the birth. Three months later, Edie herself lodged with Betty whilst Marcus travelled down to London to look for work.

Once Marc had settled in London, Edie went down to join him at 34 Harlesden Gardens. Marc's brother Frank lodged with them whilst he was out of work but having found a job moved into a ground floor flat. The landlord of the flat was not keen to have a baby in the building and only accepted if Mike was kept quiet. Edie used to walk out a lot to keep Mike out of the house and would meet Marc from work at 9pm. She also used to feed Mike whenever he cried in the flat to the point that when she took him to the doctor he told her that the baby had indegestion. The flat overlooked a convent next door and Edie said that she drew comfort from the serenity of the nuns in their garden.

They did not remain long in Harlesden as Marc was offered a job in Felixstowe in 1936. They had just found a house in Harrow that they liked but they forewent that and travelled to Felixstowe to look for a house there. They found a house at 27 Looe Road on Christmas Day and when Edie looked through the window and saw a lovely brick fireplace, that was enough for her to make up her mind.

The Parsons became friends with the Smethurst family who were their neighbours and Mike would play with their children. Edie recalled that she and Doris Smethurst took the children to the beach the day that war broke out as there seemed to be nothing else special to be done. Marc was employed on secret work in connection with radar and, at the outbreak of war, the department was dispersed around the country.

Marcus was despatched at short notice to Leighton Buzzard so their furniture was placed in storage and Marc taken with his colleagues by army lorry. Edie was left to her own devices so she jumped on board the lorry with son Michael. Edie found work at Beechcroft School in Leighton Buzzard through contacts of the Smethurst family. It was a private school and Edie taught gymnastics by way of something to do. The school proprieter was "a bit posh" although he had no formal training. The school fees were quite high and he added £5 per term for gymnastics when Edie started formally as a teacher. She received a letter of appreciation when she left the school.

It was not long before Marc was transferred to the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough. He and Edie first found lodgings at 3 Coleford Bridge Road. They later found a top floor flat in a house in Hawley Lane which Marc thought Edie would like because of the view. She did like the view but not the location as it was a long way from the shops and she had no means of transport.

After a while they found a bungalow to rent at 13 Manor Road, and they remained there for 30 years. Their friends, the Smethurst's, moved to Yeovil and their friendship continued. They would come and stay at Manor Road when Edie and family went away for their annual holiday at Hayling Island which was a regular event for many years.

On 13 April 1943, Edie gave birth to twin girls, Brenda Audrey and Wendy Dorothea. Wendy was very much underweight and spent the first three months of her life in hospital.

Behind the bungalow were fields in which a horse called Turpin lived. When the war was over, the local families held a victory parade in the field. Son Michael left home in the mid 1950's, then Wendy in 1960 and Brenda in 1967.

Edie took a job a tobacconist shop in Farnborough called Smokes. She and Marc then started to travel abroad and in 1958 took a holiday in Italy with her brother Frank Swinnerton and his wife Audrey. They visited Italy again and also went to Spain and Jersey. They made a visit to Canada in 1963 to visit relatives and also in 1969 went to Ireland to trace Marc's ancestors.

Marc retired in 1971 after which he and Edie moved to Verwood in Dorset to be near their daughters. Many of their relatives made the journey to see them in their new house at 50 Woodlinken Close, Marcus only enjoyed two years retirement in Verwood before he passed away on 21 November 1973.

Daughter Brenda was a part-time hairdresser working from home so, Edie used to help her by taking the appointments and doing the shampooing. In return, Brenda would ensure her mother could get around and would drive her to the shops or station, and Edie would contribute to the cost. She did take driving lessons in an attempt to be independant, but found that she had no aptitude. She also kept busy by babysitting for family or friends and joined a ramblers club for a while but found the walking too difficult.

Around 1978, Edie moved to another bungalow at 31 Pine View Road in Verwood, which was nearer to her daughter, so she could walk to the house rather than be collected or rely on buses. She remained there until she passed away at home on 22 July 1992, having succumbed to cancer of the lungs, probably due to the fact that Marc had been a heavy smoker. She was buried with her husband at Verwood Cemetery.

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