Albert Valentine Middlemiss

“A favourite story of Aunt Lil's was how her parents Edward and Elizabeth first met. Elizabeth (then Stone) travelled with a Sunday school party to Chingford Plain one bank holiday. Then, as now, there was a fair on the Plain and she, goaded by her friends, visited a fortune teller. This lady foretold a sudden meeting in the very near future with a handsome man who would become her husband. While they were still giggling about this outside the tent, Elizabeth turned to walk away and bumped into a handsome young man who, of course, turned out to be Edward. The girls all cried "Oh, the gipsy, the gipsy", and doubtless Edward wanted to know what it was all about. Anyway, the story goes that he raised his hat and apologized and the acquaintance went on from there. They had four sons and a daughter at two yearly intervals and then a gap of nine years before Mabel was born. During those nine years, four babies were either still born or died soon after birth. For some time during their married life (certainly during Mabel's childhood) Grandma Stone lived with them and, presumably, helped with the household chores.

“The family moved frequently. In 1879 they were living at Dalston, in 1885 at Clapton Park, in 1894 at 34, Glaskin Road, (a turning on the north side of Well Street - now demolished), Hackney London. 

“At the turn of the century they were living at 10, Tudor Road, Hackney, next to the Bearmans. Thus Edward Stone Middlemiss and Hilda Bearman met and became engaged. Alexander William and Elsie Nora Bearman were also interested in each other during 1900 but this was apparently vetoed by Mrs. Bearman.

“In July 1903 they moved to 83, Dongola Road, Tottenham and, some time between April and July 1904 to 43, Cadogan Terrace, Homerton, London from where Edward Stone Middlemiss was married in 1907. In later years, Edward and Elizabeth had rooms in Alexander William's house, first at 76, Devonshire Road, (now Brenthouse Road) Hackney, London then, after Elizabeth's death in 1923, at 154, Kyverdale Road, Upper Clapton. London 

“Grandma Elizabeth became blind in one eye later in life through glaucoma and had a glass eye which Aunt Lil used to take out and clean for her. Edward was much disabled by arthritis in his last years. He died during the great frost of 1928-29 as a result of falling down the four steps from the hall to the dining room and hitting his head against the fender.”

Lived in Hackney in 1891 census too along with Alexander D, Edward S, Elizabeth H, Ernest H and Albert Henry

Edward ”spent some time helping out at the Swiss Cottage dairy farm; later he was a sorter in the General Post Office. Still later he had his own plate and sheet glass business at Chilton Street, Bethnal Green. The mirrors in the overmantles at Beach Crest were produced by his firm, but later the firm fell on bad times. From 1900 he was complaining of poor business and he sold the business in late 1902 or early 1903.“

“... A favourite story of Aunt Lil's was how her parents Edward and Elizabeth first met. Elizabeth (then Stone) travelled with a Sunday school party to Chingford Plain one bank holiday. Then, as now, there was a fair on the Plain and she, goaded by her friends, visited a fortune teller. This lady foretold a sudden meeting in the very near future with a handsome man who would become her husband. While they were still giggling about this outside the tent, Elizabeth turned to walk away and bumped into a handsome young man who, of course, turned out to be Edward. The girls all cried "Oh, the gipsy, the gipsy", and doubtless Edward wanted to know what it was all about. Anyway, the story goes that he raised his hat and apologized and the acquaintance went on from there. They had four sons and a daughter at two yearly intervals and then a gap of nine years before Mabel was born. During those nine years, four babies were either still born or died soon after birth. For some time during their married life (certainly during Mabel's childhood) Grandma Stone lived with them and, presumably, helped with the household chores.”

Dr. Frank Middlemiss - personal notes

Baptisms of children on Ancestry - some still to document

Albert “like his two elder brothers, was a glass silverer in his father's factory, according to the 1901 census. He served in the Army during the 1st World War- stationed at one time in Dover Castle. In 1917, he was in Naval Squadron no. 9. He, like his brother, worked for the Hackney Board of Guardians. He married Ethel Miller (always called "Effie") on Easter Saturday 1912. He and his family settled before the 1st World War at

191, Essex Road,

Leyton.

The house suffered severe damage on several occasions from enemy action during WW2. In Autumn 1940, a parachute mine landed in the small hours about a quarter of a mile away and took out all their windows. They retreated to a cottage at Tring (see Mabel Victoria Middlemiss) until the house was habitable again, but more damage occurred in 1941 and they stayed for two months with George Whitbread in Epping. Finally, in Autumn 1944, a V2 rocket landed just 30 0 yards away and brought down all ceilings, windows, doors, etc. Astonishingly, they continued to live in the house together with Brian and Grace after this, without windows and without daylight. They did have an air raid shelter which they dug and constructed themselves in the garden, although at times, when the air raids were less severe, they slept in the living room, which had been turned into a sort of fortress. They moved away from 191, Essex Road after the war and lived with Bert and Grace (their son and daughter-in-law) first at

86, Larkshall Road,

Highams Park

and later at

34, Underwood Road,

Chingford.

Finally, about 1969, they moved to a bungalow at

Lyminge,

Kent,

near to Bert and Grace.

Dr Frank Middlemiss online notes

Ernest “worked in the office of the electricity service, latterly the London Electricity Board. He was a keen sportsman; as a boy he had been especially good at gymnastics. He was exempted from military service during the War, but took an active part as an officer in the Air Training Corps and also joined the Home Guard. He married Joan Clark and in later years they lived at

378, Larkshall Road,

Chingford,

Essex.

Joan died on the 30th December 1992. They had no children. Towards the end of his life, Ern was in a BUPA home near Stowmarket. He died after a short illness.”

Dr Frank Middlemiss online notes

Douglas “was educated at Canterbury Road School, Leyton, and later at the Leyton County High School, like his brother Ernest and like myself. The three of us were all at these schools at the same time. Douglas had a clerical position with the London Electricity Board. He married Irene ("Renee") Furnish in August 1940, when they were both only twenty, and was called up into the R.A.F. immediately afterwards. Only two months later he was posted to Canada and Renee was accorded the rare privilege of going with him. However he did not actually go until December 1940 and Renee did not accompany him. Soon afterwards he was reported to be living in 30 degrees below zero, and he arrived home from Canada in October 1942. Meanwhile their first child, James Middlemiss, had been born in August 1941. They later had two more sons - Frank (1944) and Robert (Nov. 1945). Doug was the only one of Albert and Effie's family to have children, but he made up for it by producing a large family of descendants. In the early 90s he was Chairman of the Resident's Association in Upper Walthamstow Road, where he and Renee had lived for many years. About 2002, they left their Walthamstow house and moved to Ditchingham, near Bungay, Suffolk. Doug suffered from Parkinson's disease in his last years.”

Dr Frank Middlemiss online notes