The Johnsons

A Memory of South Ockendon.

My Grandparents, Albert and Ada Johnson, lived in a little cottage overlooking the village green around the turn of the 19th century, where they brought up seven of 13 children. I think grandad was the doctor's gardener and grandma 'did' for the lady of the house (next door?). My grandparents' front garden was surrounded by a flint-stone wall similar to those in the pictures and was separated from the cottage by the footpath which went by the front door. Grandad had painted cut-outs of birds hanging in the trees and Mum (Mary Johnson b.1913 ) told that he used to 'cut' jackdaws' tongues and teach them to talk. No electricity when we visited (1946-53?) but can't remember if it was gas lamps or oil. I think the white pub was directly opposite. I remember the windmill and hazelnut woods. Mum went to the local village school and when she 'had learnt all they had to teach her', she was used as a monitor to teach the younger children. The best of her stories was 'scrumping carrots from the farmers' fields on the way home after we'd been out playing'. She was sent up to London 'in service' at 14 but, being 'expected to hand over all her wages to her father' and 'sent to Coventry by him for having her long hair cut - because it got tangled in the sea' (it was the mid-twenties and bobs were all the fashion), she stopped going and joined the girls working in factories (my guess).

Those I remember of Albert and Ada's surviving children were Edward, Ada, Gertrude, Harry, Albert (?), ? and ?. I'll see if I can find anything more about them in the (non-Catholic) Parish registers.

A well-known singer here in Australia, Trevor White, with whom I worked in 'Jesus Christ, Superstar' gave me the last update I had on South Ockendon - borne out by the more recent photos.

And thank you, Francis Frith, for the site.

John Pratt

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