Person:Elsie Henderson (13)

Elsie May Henderson was born ninth amongst the twelve children of John Erasmus Henderson (1859-1934) and Agnes Sophia Williams (1864-1929). She was born on the 1st June 1898 in a small village called Walwyn’s Castle, located in Pembrokeshire, Wales. Although the Henderson children were all born in Wales they spent a lot of their childhood in Brentwood, Essex, England because in 1905 when Elsie was 8 years old, her mother packed the family up and took them all to Brentwood where she had a sister living.

Elsie worked as a household servant and then during World War One Elsie drove ambulances with the Women’s Royal Air Force (WRAF). After the war she travelled to Australia where two of her brothers had also gone for a short period of time before they returned to England. after arriving in Sydney in 1920 Elsie married Alfred Charles Borrill during 1921 at Waverley, New South Wales, Australia and lived in Bondi, where their first child was born. Alfred and Elsie had four children.

Arriving in London on 14th April 1923 Alfred and Elsie took their baby Gwen to visit family in England for a year or more. Providing Elsie's mother's newsagency in Brentwood, Essex as their postal address in England. After returning to Australia they settled in Willoughby, New South Wales at 19 Third Avenue, where they raised their family. While they were in England, a notice in the The Sydney Morning Herald on Tuesday 4 September 1923 from Willoughby council to 'untraceable owners' shows that they owned lots 25, 26, 27 and 28 on Third Avenue.

Elsie passed away on the 14th August 1971.

1. ↑ .

   NSW BDM 59170/1971