Christmas Letter from Jim to Elijah 1940

In 1940 James Wainwright, the son of James and Ann Maria, wrote this letter from England to his brother, Elijah in Canada:

241 Kings Rd.
C c N
Tuesday 3rd Dec/40

Dear Elij & Annie,

Your letter to hand also the calendar, many thanks. Glad to hear you are enjoying better health since your hospital experience and that all is well at your end of the universe.

You will be relieved to hear that we are safe and sound up to now, despite the terrible times we are living under, what with Blackout, Syrens, Bombs, and Guns "we dunno where we are". I suppose you will read all about what is happening in Britain in your newspapers. Nearly every night Jerry planes are overhead, sometimes we get a short turn, some nights he comes over several times. Picture to yourself, the syren goes off, everyone jumps too, dash in their shelters, if they have one, then when he passes over, dropping a bomb or two, "all clear" signal is given. You go back to bed then he decides to return with the result you have to "Ditto Repeatto". When he passes near us, the gun barrage goes off and the house rocks again. You think the blooming house is coming on top of you. We had a nine hours "Blitz: last week, about three weeks ago a large bomb dropped about 200 to 300 yds away from our house and failed to go off, they left it for four days, then drew it's fangs and removed it, we were thankful when they removed it. It is common for delayed action bombs to explode days after it has been dropped. All this happen in the night time. We don't trouble about Jerry's planes in the daytime, it is all reconnaissance flying, rarely day bombing goes on in our way, but they have a rotten time in the South & London day & night.

You will be pleased to hear all our people are safe up to now. Edna was in Sale last week, with the exception of colds, Harriet and George are well. Joe Jackson is improving wonderfully but I don't think he has got back to business. Brother Joe is well or Harriet would have mentioned it to Edna. So all the "Best of Luck" to you and yours for the New Year. Excuse writing, paper is bad write on will write you again before long & let you know how things are.

Jim

(please note, no queueing up for food as we did in the last war)

Searching for William Wainwright

The previous post that reported that William Wainwright married Mary Ellen Gorst may be incorrect due to recent discoveries. In her recorded memories Elizabeth (Betty) Marshall (nee Stubbs) remembers visiting uncles Will and George Wainwright on a farming property at Kukerin, in the southwest of Western Australia, where she believed they were farming prior to 1910.

Also, the 1913 Western Australia Postal Directory lists Samuel and William Wainwright both living at 12 Plain Street in Perth. William is also listed with a second residence at 43 Melbourne Rd., also in Perth. His occupation is listed as tobacconist. Further research shows that a William has been at the Melbourne Rd. address since 1904. He is sometimes listed as a tobacconist and hairdresser. In 1906 he is joined by a Fanny Wainwright and in 1916 by a Lawrence Wainwright at the Melbourne address. Is this our William Wainwright?

Wainwrights in Australia (1956)

Front row (seated) left to right: Elizabeth Mary Wainwright (aka Polly), (nee Granshaw), wife of George Wainwright; Annie Wainwright (nee Singleton), wife of Elijah Wainwright; Lucy Eliza Wainwright, (nee Grocott), wife of Thomas Wainwright.

Back row (standing) left to right: Elsie Wilson, (nee Wainwright), (Thomas's daughter); Norm Wilson (husband of Elsie); Sam Wainwright; Elizabeth (Betty) Marshall (nee Stubbs), daughter of Elizabeth & Frank Stubbs; Tom Wainwright, (Thomas's son); Lyn Marshall (husband of Betty); Jean, (Tom's wife); Richard (Dick) Wainwright.

This Photo was taken in 1956 when my grandmother, Annie Wainwright, visited Australia.

Wainwright Stores

For many years Sam Wainwright and his son ran a store in East Victoria Park, Perth, called WAINWRIGHT STORES. Here are 2 photos from long ago.

Samuel Wainwright

Samuel Wainwright was born in 1886 in Manchester, England. He was the eleventh and last child born to James and Ann Maria Wainwright.

In 1901, for reasons we do not know, James and his wife, Ann Maria were living in separate residences. While James and his son, George were living with daughter Elizabeth and her family, Sam and his brother, Elijah, were living with their mother in Blackpool. Sam was working as a Plumber's Apprentice. He was 14.

In 1906 Sam married Harriett Henrietta Granshaw, and they had a son, Samuel Jr., born the same year. Sam's brother, George, had married Harriett's sister, Elizabeth Mary Granshaw in 1904.

The family immigrated to Australia in 1912 and shortly after Sam opened "Wainwright Stores."

In 1916 Sam enlisted in the army and served in France during World War One, until his discharge in 1918. After the war he visited England before returning home and sent the postcard below to his brother, Elijah.
The back of the postcard reads: "These are a few mates of mine. We were on leave together and I stayed at Harriet's and had a good time. Bye bye, Sam" The postcard is dated "France 10/12/18."

In 1955 Sam's wife passed away and the following year he planned a grand journey to Canada and then on England. In Canada he was reunited with his brother, Elijah, after a separation of more than 44 years. It was a grand reunion for both brothers. Unfortunately, after the brothers were reunited for only 16 days, Elijah suffered a heart attack and passed away. After staying on for a while it was decided that Elijah's wife, Annie, would accompany Sam to England and then travel on to Australia and meet her husband's brothers that she hadn't seen for almost half a century, and their families.

Samuel Wainwright passed away on Aug. 28, 1969. He was 82 years old.

Death Ends Reunion of Brothers Long Apart

This newspaper clipping is from the Vancouver Province newspaper published on July 5th, 1956

Elijah Wainwright

Elijah Wainwright was born on Mar. 31, 1885, in Manchester, England. He was the tenth child born to James and Ann Maria Wainwright. He married Annie Singleton on Apr. 7, 1906. Their daughters Bessie and Lilian were born in 1908 and 1910.

In 1913 Elijah and Annie, and their daughters, immigrated to Vancouver, Canada. There they had four more children: George, William, Evelyn, and Melba.

Elijah had a transfer company called Wainwright Transfer and also worked for the Canadian Pacific Railway for many years.

In 1956, after not seeing his brother, Sam, for 42 years the two brothers were reunited when Sam stopped in to visit on his way from Australia to England. Sixteen days after the brothers were reunited, Elijah suffered a heart attack and passed away. He was 71 years old.

George Wainwright

George Wainwright was born in Manchester, England in 1880. He was the ninth child born to James and Ann Maria Wainwright. By 1901, for reasons that we don't know, James and Ann Maria were living apart. George and his father, James, were living with his sister, Elizabeth and her husband Frank Stubbs and their daughter, Theresa. George was working with his father at this time in the Lath Render business.

George married Elizabeth Mary Granshaw (aka Polly) in 1904. Elizabeth's sister, Harriet, married George's brother, Samuel Wainwright in 1906.

George immigrated to Australia (possibly in 1910) with his brother, William, to farm. George and his wife never had any children and George passed away on Dec. 26, 1956

Richard Wainwright

Richard Wainwright was born in 1878 in Manchester, England. He was the eighth child born to James and Ann Maria Wainwright. He married Annie Wilkinson in 1904 and in 1907 they had a daughter, Phyllis. Sometime after this, Richard immigrated to Australia.

Richard enlisted in the army during World War One and served in France from 1916 to 1918. The photograph was taken in France in 1918.

After the war Richard returned to England to implore his wife to join him in Australia, but she refuses to leave England. He returns to Australia alone and never sees his wife and daughter again.

Richard died on May 11, 1962.

Thomas Wainwright

Thomas Wainwright was born in 1876 in Manchester, England. He was the seventh child born to James and Ann Maria Wainwright. This is a photo of him taken on his enlistment in the armed forces in 1916, kindly supplied by my cousin, Carolyn, in Australia.

Thomas married Lucy Eliza Grocott on June 8, 1900. Their daughter, Elsie, was born the following year. In 1909 Tom Jr. was born.

Thomas had been working at the family trade as a Lath Maker since he was 14, but in 1914 decided to go to Australia and join his brothers who were farming at Kukerin. He left England on Jan. 8, 1914 with Lucy, Elsie, and young Tom.

Thomas enlisted in the army during World War One and served in France from 1916 to 1918. Before he retired Thomas was working as a mail contractor. He passed away June 1, 1958.

Elizabeth Wainwright

Elizabeth (Lizzie) Wainwright was born in 1874 in Manchester, England and was the sixth child born to James and Ann Maria Wainwright. She married Frank Stubbs in 1895 and the following year had a baby girl, Theresa. Another child, Elizabeth (Betty) followed in 1905. In 1910 Frank Stubbs, at only 37 years of age was killed in an accident involving a tram.

Now living as a widow, we find Elizabeth and her daughters in the 1911 census, along with her father, James, all at the same address in Sale, Cheshire, England. Sometime after this date the family moves to Australia, along with other family members. Elizabeth has tuberculosis and it is hoped the warmer climate will alleviate her suffering.

In 1913 Elizabeth's youngest daughter, Theresa, marries Sidney Broomfield in Australia. Elizabeth's condition worsens and she enters Wooroloo Sanitarium in 1916 to undergo treatment. She dies in Wooroloo on Jan. 18, 1917. She was 43 years old. Her youngest daughter, Elizabeth, is put into an orphanage. Theresa, also suffering from tuberculosis, enters Wooroloo and dies at there in 1919, leaving her husband Sidney with two young children.