MySource:Ggoldsmith/Ralph Lewis Mills Corres.

Info from Ralph Mills My father, Lewis Mills, was born at Kingsnorth, Ashford, Kent on 20th October, 1883, although my sister calculates it as 1882. His father, John Mills, A was born in 1853 or 1854 and died in 1928. He worked as a thatcher and Hay Trusser. For the latter part of his life, certainly after the death of my grandmother, , he lived with his youngest daughter, Daisy, in the 'Old Mill', a converted windmill at Kingsnorth. This is still standing (1985). My grandmother was born in 1855, and died aged 66 in 1921, the year of my birth. John was a twin son (brother Henry) of Samuel and Charlotte Mills. I know nothing about them except that Samuel was baptised on 2nd November, 1794, and that Charlotte, who probably outlived him by a number of years, died on 16th February, 1892. Samuels parents were George and Mary. These dates were recorded in an old family bible.

My father had eight surviving brothers and sisters (out of 13 born) in the following order: Bertram, Lewis, Hilda (Dill), Harold, Arthur (Top), Flossie, Alfred, Nell and Daisy.

· Bertram married Louisa. He was a Chargehand in the Ashford railway waggon works. They had two children, Kathleen and Jack. · Dill spent most of her life in 'service', both before and after her marriage to George Newman, a cowman. There were no children and in their latter years they were the quintessence of Derby and Joan. · Harold was an army cook until he completed his regular service when he became a chef at a private school in Westgate, Kent. He married Maud and they had four children, Harold, Thora, Edith and George. · Top spent the latter part of his life as an Ashford Council workman. He married Mabel and they had four children, Ernest, Arthur-Charles, Peter and Geoffrey. · Floss married Henry Lee who became the Beadle of Wye Agriculture College. They had one daughter, Edna. Floss, who died in May, 1984 was the last survivor of the brothers and sisters. · Alfred served in the Grenadier Guards. On leaving the Army he became manager of the Shell Ashford Petrol Depot. In the early 1930's he became licensee of the Six bells in Margate and later on of The Bull at Birling, near Maidstone. He separated from his first wife Emma who had one still born child. He then took a ' housekeeper' 'Lal' who was a1ways known as Mrs Mills and whom he married when Emma died. · Nell married George Blake, a long serving cobbler in the Army. On leaving; the Army he became a recruiting sergeant. They married late in life and there were no children. · Daisy spent her early life in 'service' until she took over care at the 'Old Mill' home. She married Douglas Hickman, a fitter in the Ashford locomotive works, and they had one daughter Eileen. Dais and Doug were accepted characters. Dais was of an outspoken and independent nature with a liking for indelicate stories whilst Doug maintained a very large and ramshackle machinery workshop at the bottom of their garden. In addition to commendable output of home made wine, Daisy also usually kept chickens, rabbits a cat and a dog. On leaving school my father started work at the Kingsnorth vicarage. However, if only through pressure of space in the home he was soon obliged to seek employment elsewhere and his first such live-in job was as a houseboy near Wrotham in Kent. He probably had several 'ascending scale' jobs but he finished up in 'service' at Marlborough House in Pall Mall. He left there in about 1911 to become a groom in the Royal Mews at Buckingham Palace. It was roundabout this period in his life that my father became very popular at parties and concerts. He had a good voice and a favourite rending was 'The Man Who broke the bank at Monte Carlo'. He also sang with a Nobby Clarke from the Mews. Despite a degree of protection offered by his employment in the Mews he volunteered for the Army shortly after the outbreak of the First World War in 1914. He served with the Expeditionary Forces Canteen, with the rank of sergeant, but towards the end of. The war he was transferred to the Gloucestershire Regiment. As far as I know he never served in the trenches proper but he was often engaged in the dangerous task of taking up rations and other supplies to the front line with horse drawn transport. This was usually done at night but the enemy would fire at the source of the inescapable noise, from the horse drawn wheels. He was demobilised in 1919 and after a period of unemployment eventually obtained a post as a messenger in the Ministry of Labour in Whitehall. My mother, Agnes Mills (Nee Wilson) was the daughter of Robert Wilson and a Janet .Brown. She was born at Muiravonside, Stirlingshire on 22nd of February, 1886 and was brought up by her paternal grandmother. I knew nothing of the circumstances of her birth and upbringing until after her death as, from my earliest years; I had just accepted that my grandparents were dead. They were never mentioned and their lack of presence was of no significance in the mass of uncles, aunts and cousins that resided in the Edinburgh - Glasgow area. In any case we visited only on a biennial Scottish holiday and did not see many of the relations in London. The natural children of Robert Wilson, my mother's half brothers and sisters, were as follows: Henry and Sandy (Twins), Dick, Alison, Lizzie, Will, Nell, Annie, Robert, Oswald, John, Jean and Adam. Henry married Marion and they had two boys and one girl. Sandy (Alexander) ,a railway engine driver, married Isobella. And they had two sons, George and Robert. Dick married Liza and they had four children, Nell, Richard, Robert plus one other, name and sex unknown to me. Alison married Oswald Hoggan. They had five boys and three girls including Jess and Minnie (More about Minnie under) Liz married Ralph Dixon a miner. They had five children, Jennie, John, Katie, Lizzie and Annie. The Dicksons and their cottage at the Loan near Linlithgow was always looked on as my mother's 'home' and I spent many happy holidays there as a child. The railway at the bottom of the garden was an added attraction. Ralph Dickson was a J.P. arid a kind and gentle man. I am proud to have been named after him. Katie, Lizzie and Annie never married and even after their parents died they still remained my mother's main link with 'home'. Will married Maggie and they had two children, Chrissie and Robert. Nell married Jock Horn and they had four children, Nell, Francis, Bob and Jim Jim came to London to join the Police force about 1930 and, together with his wife Susie and three boys Richard, John and Allan, became our nearest and ever welcome Scottish relations. Annie married Matthew Kerr and they had four children, John, Edward, Robert and jennie. Robert married Lizzie and they had two children, both of whom died of consumption. Oswald married Eva, a London girl who was in service with my mother. They met when my mother took Eva to Scotland on holiday. Oswald was a railway guard and they had one son Trevor. Trevor trained as a mining engineer but, having spent his National Service in the RAF as a navigator on Canberras, now works for a subsidiary of British Airways. John married Jenny and they had two sons Robert and Ian. At one time John was reputed to be the best piper in Stirlingshire but he gave up both his family and the pipes when he joined the Plymouth Brethren. Jean died at an early age. Adam married Nellie and they had three children, Robert, Agnes and Jenny. The family migrated to Australia but came back about 1930. It seems that my mother sent money to 'Granny Wilson' until she died but I do not know when this was. likewise I do not know when my grandfather died. Minnie Hoggan is of particular interest in that Jim Horn apart, we probably had more direct contact with her and her family than any of the other relations and the family story is remarkable. Minnie married Patrick Redmond, an Irish orphan who came to Scotland and worked as a railway platelayer. He was largely self educated and eventually became a fairly senior Union official. He often stayed with us when visiting London on Union business. They had four children, James, Alison, David and Eileen, James became the Chief Engineer of BBC television and was knighted for his services. Alison married Malcolm Shepherd. Malcolm's father was given a peerage for his services to Trade Unionism and the title passed on his death. David served as an air gunner during the war and is now a senior personnel officer. Eileen married Alan Barr who is now a professor' of engineering. James and David both lodged with my parents at Kingsbury at the start of their careers in London and I enjoyed two memorable holidays with the Redmonds in Scotland. My mother's early life cannot have been easy with Granny Wilson. I believe that she went barefoot to school in the summer and her toys were make belief, i.e. bits of broken china for plates when playing 'houses'. However, this was probably the norm for her contemporary's. In her situation in particular there was little option but to leave home for 'service' as soon as she was able. This she did and I have a vague memory that she started with a post in .Edinburgh. She seldom spoke about these early days but she was always happy to talk about later on when she had graduated to work for the 'gentry'. In this later service she still worked hard and long hours (by modern standards) but I never heard her speak ill of the period or of her employers. Her favourite employment in Scotland was as a housemaid in Dunrobin Castle, close to the Moray Firth, the home of the Earls of Sutherland since the 14th century. It seems that she was liked by the 'Old Duke' and was the only maid permitted to dust some of the priceless china, and she also work in Lancaster House adjacent to St James Palace. For a short period this was the London Museum during which time we were able to see her old room in the roof and the top of the grand staircase from which the maids would peep at the distinguished guests at the many grand balls and other functions below. Whilst employed by the Sutherlands she came down to work at their London addresses. Another post .was a Sudely Castle near Winchcombe, Cheltenham Her last post before marriage was at Belgrave House, Belgrave Square, during the First World War period. She was working for Lord and Lady Scarborough (or Lady Boyne?) but for most of the war the house and servants were let to the American Ambassador. This meant that my mother escaped the worst effects of rationing and was also able to assemble food parcels for my father in France, unaware that he was enjoying considerable canteen 'perks'. It was here that she met Aunt Eva and it seems that a common trick of the pair was to heat up pennies on the stove and toss them out to any organ grinders playing in Lowdnes Place. My mother and father met at a Police Ball at Chelsea Town Hall about 1911/12. This was a very exclusive affair at a guinea a ticket and my father wore tails borrowed from the Mews and my mother a dress from the Duchess of Sutherland. Thereafter their off duty meeting place was under the clock of St James Palace. they were engaged about 1914, my father was taken 'home' to Scotland on his second leave from France, and they were married on 6th June, 1918, with my father still in the Army. The wedding was in St Paul's Church, Knightsbridge and the reception was held in Belgrave House. Their wedding present from Lord and Lady Scarborough was a view of Abingdon Bridge painted by Lady Scarborough's sister. This is still in my possession.