Laura Lavinia's Girls In The Selsey House

A Memory of Selsey.

Ellen Laura (Ibbett, Clack, Hodgson) Preston, arrived from Canada and recorded: My sister Jessie and brother Lawrence met me for lunch in London and looked up my sister's train for Selsey, Sussex, with whom I was to stay. My sister's home was a massive house facing the ocean. Her husband was under secretary of the Great Northern Railway. They had four children all grown up and a well-furnished home mstly of antiques. Kept a house maid. One daughter studied needlework at Queen Mary's Academy in London - the other girl stayed home with her mother. One Lad in school, the other one in an office in London. My sister and I traveled about Sussex visiting relatives every day. The house was thatched and a huge size - at that date, seven millionaires lived there. Their friends were aristocrats and Lord Geddes was a continul visitor there. He was blinded in the second world war so kept a housekeeper for his mansion. His wife was either dead or desrted him I was told. We also had an old gentleman visitor call often, a Mr. Francis Bennett Preston (of Green Lane cottage). He was an electrical engineer, but retired, wife died, and he kept a maid and a gardener. I noticed he kept an eye on me! Invited me to spend time with him listening to his stereo radio, some lovely records - choirs, singers and choruses - also played Ave Maria for a finish before he rove me home to my sister's place around 10:30pm. It was getting time I was thinking of leaving for Canada as I had my return fare, but when I mentioned this he said, "will you marry me?" I submitted, and a month after, we were in London Registry Office - married! A simply affair, but a tremendous wedding dinner to our chosen relations and friends.
Ellen Laura Ibbett (18 Aug 1883 - 1 Dec 1970) was a daughter of Laura Lavinia nee Fruen (an Auriol) and Arthur Charles Ibbett.
Memory supplied by Rosemary Abram great great granddaughter of Laura Lavinia Fruen