Frank Alexander Middlemiss

Keturah “was an energetic, determined woman of incisive personality. After her husband’s death she remained at 8, Tudor Road for two years until Donald was married, but in 1923 moved to 17, Sandringham Road, Leyton, immediately opposite Kate and Tom. I stayed with her there for some time in 1926 while my mother was in hospital. She later paid for my music lessons at the Metropolitan Academy of Music in Leytonstone.

She continued right up to 1928 to spend most of the summer at Beach Crest, as she and her husband had done. During 1929 she was too ill to travel and Beach Crest was hardly used by anybody that year. She usually had a maid at Beach Crest. A notable one during the 20s was Hilda Spicer, who also came back with her to Leyton. The Spicers were a big family of fisher folk who lived at 11, Golden Street, Deal. Hilda's elder sister Irma Spicer was at one time a particular friend of Edward Thomas Middlemiss.”

Frank Middlemiss’s online notes

On her death she was living at 17 Sandringham Road and left £1838 7s to Donald Boyd Bearman according to probate records.

Thomas “was brought up as heir to his father’s business and took it over when he was only 22. His father had taken a lot of care over his education and used to take him travelling, including a tour of Ireland during which he actually kissed the Blarney Stone. Under Thomas Bearman III the shop prospered as a high class bakery and confectionary. Hackney had many wealthy inhabitants at that time and Bearmans catered for what was called "the carriage trade". It was also his practice to serve lunch daily to a select group of customers in the back room of the shop. Some blue-rimmed Wedgwood soup plates from this room have been passed down in both my family and Kate’s family.

“He married Keturah Sandell on 3rd June 1873 and for the first five years of their married life they lived in rooms at Fremont Street, Hackney. By 1878 he was able to buy a fine big house, Melbourne House, 8, Tudor Road, Hackney. His mother continued to live over the shop until her death in 1888. By about 1894 he was able to sell the shop and retire and during the next few years came to acquire property all over London, as well as "Beach Crest" (bought in 1897) and "The Moorings" both at Deal and a house in Sandwich Market Place. A photograph of Beach Crest, as it is now, is at the top of the Contents page of this website.

“He was a noted numismatist, specialising in mediaeval English and Scottish coins. Bernard Roth's book "Ancient Gaulish Coins" was dedicated to him. When he died, his collection was sold for £600, a considerable sum in those days. His whole estate was left to a family trust, the Bearman Trust. The original trustees were his sons-in-law, Tom Stutchbury, Charlie Carrington and Edward Middlemiss, with Tom as Secretary. On Tom's death in 1941 his son Tom became Secretary. Among many other things, the Trust administered Beach Crest as a holiday home for the family until 1975, when they sold it to Frank and Florence Middlemiss. Also in 1975 Donald Bearman, the last Tenant for Life of the Trust, died and the Trust was then broken up and the assets distributed among the family.”

Frank Middlemiss’s online notes

Probate records show Thomas left £16,079 14s 1d.

“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

Hilda “was educated at the Misses Pitman’s school in Hackney until 1890, then at Lady Eleanor Holles’ School, which she left in 1895. In 1894, 1895 and 1896 the family went on holiday to Margate (by "Eagle" steamer from Tower Bridge). These were the first family holidays they had had, which suggests that Thomas Bearman probably retired from the shop in 1894.

About 1900 Hilda met Edward Middlemiss, as the Middlemiss family was at that time living next door at 10. Tudor Road. They became engaged in 1901 and married in 1907. Hilda, having a clear soprano voice, was in the choir at Mare Street Baptist Church, took part regularly in the Nonconformist Union Choir Festivals at the Crystal Palace, and sang in several Handel and other oratorios. This was with her fiance, who had a good baritone voice. In addition she was a fairly competent pianist. She was also an excellent draughtswoman and was often employed by her father to make detailed drawings of his coins. She was a keen tennis player and, in the winter, a skater on the lake in Victoria Park.

After their marriage, Hilda and Edward lived for 3½ years in rooms at 32, Poole Road, Hackney, London, and here their first child, Edward Thomas Middlemiss, was born. They moved to 38, Canterbury Road, Leyton on the 11th March 1911. Here Edward was able to indulge his interests in gardening, carpentry, photography and in having a dog - the Airedale Bob was the first.

Hilda was a less assertive person than her sisters Kate and Edith but was a woman of strong principles and knew her own mind. She was more concerned with fundamentals than with more trivial matters; she was not worried if the house was a bit untidy or about such details as the precise time of meals as long as her children grew up with the right principles in life. Like her husband and like her sister Kate, she was very fond of animals and we grew up in close contact with dogs, cats, tortoises, etc. Many of her letters from the time of the second World War have been preserved and shed a vivid light on what housekeeping, shopping and travelling were like in the dark days of the Blitz. On reading them, the word "indomitable" comes to mind as descriptive of her.”

Frank Middlemiss’s online notes

Edward “was born on Michaelmas Day , September 29th, at 58 Brownlow Road, Dalston. London.

“He left school at 13 and was mainly self- educated. He spent some time working in his father's glass factory (he was working there in 1901, when the census describes him as a glass silverer) but also worked in about 1902- for Ever-Ready Batteries at Tottenham. He married Hilda Bearman on the 7th September 1907. From 1903 he was in the finance department of Yardley (soap and scent), Carpenter’s Road, Stratford, London.

“They gave him a handsome canteen of cutlery as a wedding present, some items from which are still in use in 2009. He remained with the firm for the rest of his life, latterly ranking as Cashier. His salary in 1931 was £600 per annum.

“He was a keen gardener and fond of travel. He had a good baritone voice and was active in the Nonconformist Union Choir Festivals at the Crystal Palace and sang in several Handel and other oratorios. Although he never learned to read staff notation and relied always on Tonic Sol-Fa, he became for a time Choirmaster at Cann Hall Baptist Church, Leyton, which he and his family attended during their early years at Leyton.

“However, something very unpleasant happened (I was never able to find out exactly what) and he not only resigned the Choirmastership but gave up forthwith all interest in the Church and all interest in music. This must have been some time during the 1st World War.

“In 1925 he left his family and went to live with a Miss Flo Bedwell, a fellow employee at Yardleys. It is an interesting comment on the customs of the time that, although I knew her quite well, I never learnt her Christian name; I used to call her "Auntie Bed". They lived first at Pinner, later at Thundersley (Essex) and finally at 27 (or 29) Winchester Road, Northwood Hills Middlesex.

“He always fully maintained his family, visited us regularly every week and often came on holiday with us. He was bitterly disappointed in 1925 when a promised business trip for Yardleys to New York failed to materialize, but later travelled extensively on holiday (presumably with Miss Bedwell) to the Channel Islands, a Mediterranean cruise, the Rhineland and especially Switzerland, which he loved.

“In 1926 he bought his first car, a Wolsley YO4854. He was the first in the family to have a car. He learned to drive but never did in fact drive, always leaving the driving to his son Edward. He underwent an operation for cancer of the colon in London Hospital (Royal Ward) but a few days later an abscess on the site of the operation necessitated a second operation, which he did not survive. He died on Easter Sunday, 9th April 1939.”

Frank Middlemiss’s online notes

On his death at London Hospital, Whitechapel Road E1, Edward, of 25 Winchester Road, Northwood Hills, Middlesex left £1152 14s 4d to Edward Thomas Middlemiss, motor mechanic, according to probate records.

Another probate grant the same day showed Edward “3 July to Florence Mabel Bedwell spinster. Effects £975. Resworn £900. Another Grant same day.”

Edward “was educated mainly at Mrs. Press's Oxford House School in Leytonstone and the Leyton Technical College. Leaving school at 16 he was first apprenticed to the plumbing firm of Alexander Grant (an old family friend) but had great difficulty in settling down and passed through many and varied jobs during the 20s and early 30s. About 1926 he started to train as a draughtsman by correspondence course, but soon gave it up. Finally, about 1935, he found his niche as a car repair fitter with Stewart and Ardern, the Morris specialist in Ilford.

“In 1938 he transferred to John Knight, the soap manufacturers of Silvertown, for whom he worked until retirement. For many years he maintained their vans and lorries at their Silvertown depot, acting there as Air Raid Warden during the 2nd World War. His value to the firm is shown by the fact that his job was a reserved occupation, i.e. he was exempt from service in the armed forces. He was, however, a member of the Home Guard from 1942, in addition to his Air Raid Warden and fire-watching duties. When he became too old to climb under the lorries he was made gate-keeper of the depot until he retired about 1968.

“He was a very keen sportsman, especially swimming, cycling and tennis, and claimed that there was not a sport that he had not at least tried. He was also an expert ballroom dancer.

“Ethel May Smith (16th August 1907-16th February 1991), always called "Elsie" (although her husband always called her "Apple" or "Ap"), came from a rather overcrowded home at 53 Cambridge Road, Walthamstow (demolished after the 2nd World War), and round about 1930 moved in with us at 38, Canterbury Road.

“Ed and Elsie married in July 1937 and eventually the house was divided into two flats, Ed and Elsie downstairs, my mother and I upstairs (this was in 1940). This arrangement continued when the Canterbury Road house was destroyed by bombing in 1940 and we moved to 204 Hainault Road, Leytonstone.

“Ed was a heavy smoker, as his father had been, and died of lung cancer at the age of 66. After his death in 1975 Elsie remained at Hainault Road only one year and in 1976 moved to a house at Lindfield, Sussex, close to her sister Emily (and Emily's husband Eric Ditton and their daughter Christine). For the last few years of her life Elsie was in a home at Shoreham, Sussex.”

Frank Middlemiss online notes

Donald “was a sturdy lad, much like his father and elder brother. One day in early February 1919 he went up to the snow-covered Forest with his brother and got thoroughly chilled. Unfortunately this was in the midst of the terrible diphtheria epidemic of 1919 and he contracted the disease and died within a few days.

“The bill for his funeral makes interesting reading. The bill is for ‘An elm coffin, covered with white swansdown, with nickel fittings and ornaments and an inscribed plate, and lined with cambric. To be drawn in a glass coach by a pair of horses; undertaker in attendance’. The total cost of this was £4.10. 0 (£4.50 in 1990s money) - a quite astonishing comment on the inflation of the late 20th Century.”

Frank Middlemiss online notes