Me: born at The German Hospital 25/04/51 near Ridley Road (now sheltered housing)
Mum and Dad married at Stoke Newington Registry Office – same as Jan and I. – very working class.
Mum: Elsie Ray Tandy. Born in Lambeth Walk South London, lived in Gundulf St (Fitzroy St now demolished as part of improvements to Lambeth Walk). 2 Brothers, Bill and John. Bill has left no history to follow. John was still alive at Christmas 2013 and sends me a card. Mum’s mother (Bus-Nan because we went on bus to see her) little known about her, and her father unknown, said to have ginger hair, not sure if they ever married and maybe left home without trace. Not even sure of Nan’s name.
Dad. Arthur Earnest Frean Harrison Born in Stoke Newington, went to Mildmay Road School, (same school as the Jan’s father). Lived at 34 Prince George Road since birth?
3 sisters
- Lilly (married Howard Selwyn Yates said to have family with senior church connections, maybe Bishop, and someone in this side of the family had married Spanish Winemakers in Cadiz) Lillies son, Ian, my cousin, lives in West Sussex(2005). His wife, Pam, died 2020
- Christine (Girlie). Unmarried, was a seamstress, then worked at the London Hospital as Library Assistant.
- Hilda – married and lived off Seven Sisters Road South Tottenham – died fairly young of lungs problem.
- Other siblings that died young/at birth maybe 3
Dad’s Mum – Hilda (originally Hilda Schafer) – my ‘Downstairs Nan’ (lived downstairs)
Had 4 sisters and 2 brothers. 1 sister married to a director of Shell and retired to Hastings. 1 of the brothers was drunkard and said to have lost all the family money on this side on dog racing, piano playing and drinking.
Hilda was daughter to Edward (?) Schafer (my great grandfather) He had clothing business dealing with fine Ermin said to supply St.Pauls Cathedral. He had a wife maybe with surname Dumbleton, maybe from a servant background, rural, very religious.
Edward Schafer came from Saxony (Germany) and had a brother who went to USA and said to have become rich and wealthy. This Germany connection resulted in the infamous letter from Germany after WWII begging for food. They lived in Dresden which was bombed in the latter days of the war which saw a fire bomb destroying the city and many civilians. The letter maybe with Janice from Girlie’s belongings, or with Ian). I have seen the letter – ‘too important to talk about’ – it was seen as an embarrassment/shaming incident to the family
Dad’s Dad – my Grandfather Arthur born near Hoxton, was Locksmith (of some repute and it was said created a lock for a bank safe which would have made him rich if it was patented) and had 3 sisters and 3 brothers 1 of whom died in WWI
Of these siblings:
Charlotte (Lottie) lived in Victoria Grove and I can remember visiting, very formal, fading wealth, precious. One of her children moved on to live in Ruby Road in Walthamstow (where Pete bought his first house)
The oldest male was Earnest and he was said to have drunk all the family wealth away (more family wealth! More family drinking)– he was a well-dressed (over dressed) flashy and foolish and lost the business that was created by his father, my Great Grandfather. He moved to Chingford
Great Grandfather, first mention of a Frean Harrison Was a leather book binder and had a factory employing 30 people in City Road. Relatively wealthy, had servants and all of his children had their own property and went to private schools.
He was married to my Greatgrandmother who was a Cake Maker, and her father had a fancy cakes business in DeBeauvoir Road, Stoke Newington
FREAN – need to do the research to find out why we have Frean as part of the family name.
Stephen Peter Arthur Frean Harrison 