Such a dear old fashioned title something warm and cosy sounding. Born in 1855(1) on a cold windy ridge of the Chilterns called Bledlow Ridge. Her parents were the licensees(2) of the only pub for miles called the “Boot”, they sold candles, bread and cheese and pickles as well as beer and stout; this was commonplace in those days. Education was non-existent, she could neither read or write and Bucks lace-making school was all they had with a Dame in the village. Her children taught her to sign her name which was Ellen Lord and this was just a series of loops but it passed. When she was 9 years old her parents died both in their early thirties, her father 35 and her mother 37. (3) The family was split up and Granny was sent to live with her married sister and such was the case that at 9 years old she walked the entire way to Southall, nearly 25 miles taking a complete day to get there. Inevitably she went out to service and graduated up to cook which prompted her to apply for a post with a French family; this didn’t last long, the French lady said “Ellen you are a good cook for the English, but for the French you do not know the way” - exit Granny. As I remember her, she always had pure white hair and wore tiny gold rimmed spectacles, quite plump, in fact a real Victorian Granny always merry with a terrific sense of humour.

At eighteen she married Arthur Lord, brother of Isaac Lord, High Wycombe’s largest ironmongery store and proceeded to have ten children, eight boys and two girls one of which was my mother. She almost got into the Guiness Book of Records because all 8 volunteered for the First World War and all returned safely. In addition, Grandfather looked after the German prisoners of war at Alexandra Palace in London. (The record for the most is 9). Granny was so grateful for the safe return of her boys that she gave, to mark the event, a gold wristlet watch to each of the girls, this is the watch I wear today 59 years old and still keeps perfect time. The Lord family originally hailed from Stokenchurch where my grandfather (4) was coachman at Mallards Court and I was told that one of her ‘perks’ as we would say today were the cinders from the gunroom fire and a large loaf of bread from the kitchen. So feudal it’s unbelievable but this is perfectly true. She died on Sept.2nd 1939 at the ripe old age of 85 (5) and so did not live to endure the anguish of another war.

NOTES
(1) She was actually born in 1859
(2) They lived next door to the pub. The licensees throughout the years Ellen lived in Bledlow Ridge were the Britnell family .
(3) Henry Collins died in 1869 when Ellen was 10. Two years later the census of 1871 records her and her mother living adjacent to “The Boot” and working as lacemakers. To date, no record of her mother’s death has been found.
(4) This should say great-grandfather.
(5) She was 80.