Tag: Barber

Sandown High Street – a card sent in 1919

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This card was sent from Sandown, on the Isle of Wight,  on 26th September 1919.

The photograph shows a busy shopping street, the shops have their awnings out and people are out shopping and strolling on  a pleasant day.

This card is the first in my collection to be written by Winnie Barber. She is writing to her father.   Her message reads:

Dear Dadda,
Received registered letter safely and shall look for you tomorrow evening at time mentioned. Weather still good. Blackberrying today. Afraid of railway strike. Still hope for best. Love from both, Winnie

The railway strike began at midnight that evening (26th September) and lasted for 9 days until 5th October, so if George Barber had planned to travel by train from Palmers Green it seems unlikely that he arrived the next day.  I wonder whether Winnie and her companions had to extend their holiday in Sandown?

A modern view of the same location, which looks reassuringly unchanged 100 years after the postcard was sent!

A postcard from Tayport, Scotland

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Postcard 2

Barber 2003
Scotscraig Lodge, Tayport
Barber 2 back005
The message is written upside down – perhaps to prevent the postman from reading it?

This is a  good coloured view of Scotscraig Lodge, Tayport, Scotland, sent to Mrs Barber on August 2nd 1907. “With Best Wishes” is embossed across the front of the card.

This view appears to show the East Lodge of the Scotscraig estate in Tayport. The estate was owned for many years  by Commander William Maitland Dougall, RN and was sold after his death in 1918.

At the moment I haven’t been able to find any definite information about the address from which the card was sent.

The message reads:

Scott’s Land

Queen’s Road

Tayport

Dear A & G  (Annie and George)

The stewardess said we had the roughest passage of the season It was lovely until we went to bed when we were off Yarmouth. Then every one was bad even the stewardess.

I was sick during the night but not the next day. Ely was bad all the way & even when we got to the house.

Love Kitty

Was Kitty one of  Annie’s sisters:  possibly Catherine M Crerar (born c1880).  If so, then “Ely” who suffered so badly from sea sickness could perhaps Ellen B Crerar (born c1883).

I’m intrigued to know from where they departed: had they travelled from London?

The First Postcard

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Postcard 1

Barber 1001

This lovely coloured view of the Lighthouse at Llandudno was posted on August 30th, 1906, which makes it the earliest in the collection.  Unfortunately the stamp has been removed but otherwise it’s in good condition.

Barber 1 back002

The recipient is George H Barber Esq, of 1 Moffat Road, Palmers Green  London N.

The sender’s name is hard to distinguish  but it could be John S B.

The message reads

Thursday

Dear Geo,

Have done Bettws y Coed then round the Isle of Angelsey

Yours ever

John SB

As the card is addressed to George, with no mention of his wife, I wonder whether the sender is a work colleague, although the “Yours ever” might suggest that John is a relation.

Some background information

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The collection starts with a card sent to George H Barber in 1906.

A quick look at the online census collections  has enabled me to find out a little of the family background to the story told by these postcards, and to begin to be able to understand  the lives of these people who have been so familiar to me (through their postcards)  for over 50 years.

George Henry Charles Barber was born in 1871 in Bethnal Green, London. His father, also named George Barber, was a draper’s assistant who was originally from Foulsham in Norfolk.

George Henry Charles Barber married Annie Crerar on October 2nd 1900 at the parish church in Hornsey, London.  Annie, born in 1870,  was the daughter of  Alexander Crerar, a printer originally from Perth in Scotland.

At the time of their marriage George gave his occupation as  “clerk” and Annie was a milliner.  According to the 1901 census George and Annie  began their married life at 76 Lausanne Road, Hornsey, not far from Annie’s parents who lived in Hornsey Park Road.

A daughter, Winifred Emily, was born in 1902.   By 1906, when the first postcard in the collection dropped through their letter box, the family were living at 1 Moffat Road, Palmers Green.

The story of their postcards begins….