Love from France

These two lovely cards were sent by a soldier in France to his girl in Wirksworth during World War 1. They are made with embroidered silk, and one has some dried flowers enclosed. The soldier just signs himself Ben, but he must have been Benjamin GISBORN who the girl married in 1923, when she was 21 and he 31. The girl was Annie Elizabeth WOODFORD, of 3, St John Street, Wirksworth, known to Ben as "Nancy". Nancy was born in Darley Dale, her father Charles was a valet. Charles moved to Wirksworth after 1905 as a hairdresser, and by 1911 had 4 children. Nancy's mother Mary GREENHOUGH worked as a cook at Wirksworth Grammar School aged 17, where she met Annie WOODFORD aged 19 who was a Housemaid. Through Annie she got to know Annie's brother Charles (an agemate), and Mary and Charles were married in September 1898. By 1911 Charles and Mary had four children. Ben had 6 sisters, was born in Leicester, and in 1911 was a barber like Nancy's father. Could Ben have met Nancy while training with Nancy's father? Ben and Nancy had their first child Jean in 1926. | Family tree | Census entries | Research | emails |

C WW1 Clear envelope with flap, embroidered in silk. "Tendres Baisers" - Tenderest kisses.

ccc Inside the clear envelope..... cc From Ben to Miss Nancy Woodford 3 St John St, Wirksworth

D WW1 Clear envelope with flap, embroidered in silk. - stain to the `E` caused by a dried flower inside.

ddd Inside the clear envelope..... dd From Ben to Miss Nancy Woodford 3 St John St, Wirksworth

Family tree

1848 1848 1847 1847 1820 1821 William 1872 Ellen Joshua 1868 Agnes Benjamin ? Catherine WOODFORD=====v=====IVINS GREENHOUGH=====v=====BROOKS GISBORN=====v=====X 1904 | 1891 1930 | 1917 | | | | | | | |------|-------|-----|-------| |------|----|------|-----|-----|----| |----|----|-------| | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | 1874 1876 1878 1883 1887 1870 1872 1875 1877 1879 1881 1885 1846 1851 1855 1861 Annie Charles Ellen William Edith Louisa Mary Joshua Agnes James John Milly Ann John William George L E E M E E Maria Henry 2 | | | | | | | | 1 1871 1861 | 3 Mary Agnes Leicester George Charles 1898 Elizabeth Matilda 1890 Henry WOODFORD=============v===============GREENHOUGH STEANE=====v=====GISBORN 1913 | | | | |--------|--------|------| |--------|------|----|------|-----|----|-----| | | | | | | | | | | | | 1900 1902 1905 1908 1891 1892 1897 1899 1901 1903 1904 1909 Charles Annie Agnes Mary Benjamin George Eva Nellie Agnes Kate Lilly Rose Stanley E S M "Ben" 1892 "Nancy" | WOODFORD | | | | | Annie 1891 E 1923 Benjamin WOODFORD============v==============GISBORN | 1949 | 1926 Jean E 1946 Ronald GISBORN=====v=====GARDNER Mary GREENHOUGH [1] (Cook) was working at Wirksworth Grammar School with Annie WOODFORD [2] (Housemaid) and through her met her brother Charles WOODFORD [3] (Valet) and married him in 1898.

Census

------------------------- 1911 Census for 3 St John Street Wirksworth Derbyshire WOODFORD, Charles Head Married M 37 1874 Hairdresser Derbyshire Derby WOODFORD, Mary E Wife Married F 38 1873 Derbyshire Wirksworth WOODFORD, Charles Stanley Son M 11 1900 At School Derbyshire Darley Dale WOODFORD, Annie E Daughter F 9 1902 Derbyshire Darley Dale WOODFORD, Agnes S Daughter F 6 1905 Derbyshire Darley Dale WOODFORD, Mary M Daughter F 3 1908 Derbyshire Wirksworth FELTHOUSE, Percy G W Assistant Single M 24 1887 Assistant Hairdresser Staffordshire Burton -------------------------- 1901 Census for Upper Hackney Greenway Terrace, Darley WOODFORD, Charles Head Married M 29 1872 Valet (Domestic) Derby, WOODFORD, Mary E Wife Married F 29 1872 Bole Hill Wirksworth WOODFORD, Charles Stanley Son Single M 1 1900 Darley Dale -------------------------- WOODFORD, Charles married GREENHOUGH, Mary Elizabeth Sep 1898 -------------------------- 1891 Census for 36, Belgrave Street, St Werburgh, Derby WOODFORD, William Head Widower M 43 1848 Iron Moulder Wolverhampton WOODFORD, Annie L Daughter Single F 17 1874 Housekeeper Derby WOODFORD, Charles E Son M 15 1876 Printers Compositors Derby WOODFORD, Ellen E Daughter F 13 1878 Under Nurse Derby WOODFORD, William H Son M 8 1883 Scholar Derby WOODFORD, Edith M Daughter F 4 1887 Derby -------------------------- 1891 Census for Grammar School House, St Jno Street, Wirksworth BERRIDGE, Alfred Head Married M 40 1851 Head Master Of Grammar School Aberystwith BERRIDGE, Ada M M Wife Married F 38 1853 Nottingham BERRIDGE, Hy M K Son M 11 1880 Scholar Lower Norwood BERRIDGE, Grace L Daughter F 9 1882 Scholar Lower Norwood BERRIDGE, Mauriel Daughter F 8 1883 Scholar Lower Norwood GREENHOUGH, Mary Elizth Servant Single F 19 1872 Cook Domestic Servant Wirksworth WOODHOUSE, Annie Elizth Servant Single F 17 1874 Housemaid Domestic Servant Wirksworth [surname should be WOODFORD, registrar's error] ---------------------- 1891 Census for North End, Wirksworth #76---North End---[Wirksworth]--- W077a Joshua GREENHOUGH Head M 44 M Miner Wirksworth W077b Agnes GREENHOUGH Wife M 44 F Wirksworth W077c Louisa GREENHOUGH Dau S 21 F Wirksworth W077d Joshua GREENHOUGH Son S 16 M Stone quarry lad Wirksworth W077e Ernest GREENHOUGH Son S 12 M Scholar Wirksworth W077f Milly GREENHOUGH Dau S 6 F Scholar Wirksworth ---------------------- 1881 Census for Bolehill #85---Bolehill---[Wirksworth]---(RG11-3419-5-p14) W679a Joshua GREENHOUGH Head M 34 M Lead miner Bolehill W679b Agnes GREENHOUGH Wife M 34 F Bolehill W679c Louisa GREENHOUGH Dau 11 F Scholar Bolehill W679d Mary E. GREENHOUGH Dau 9 F Scholar Bolehill W679e Joshua GREENHOUGH Son 6 M Scholar Bolehill W679f Agnes GREENHOUGH Dau 4 F Scholar Morewood Moor W679g James E. GREENHOUGH Son 2 M Scholar Bolehill W679h John GREENHOUGH Son 5m M ---------------------------------- 1881 Census for 36, Belgrave St, St Werburgh, Derby WOODFORD, William Head Married M 33 1848 Iron Moulder Wolverhampton WOODFORD, Ellen Wife Married F 33 1848 Campden, Gloucestershire WOODFORD, Annie Daughter Single F 7 1874 Scholar Derby WOODFORD, Charles Son Single M 5 1876 Scholar Derby WOODFORD, Nellie Daughter Single F 3 1878 Derby NORTH, Rodney Lodger Single M 21 1860 Printer Compositor London Marylebone ---------------------- WOODFORD, William married IVINS, Ellen Dec 1872 at Shipston ---------------------- WOODFORD, Annie E married GISBORN, Benjamin Sep 1923 ---------------------- GISBORN, Jean E married GARDNER, Ronald Sep 1946 in Birmingham District. ---------------------- GISBORN, Benjamin died March 1949 aged 57, Belper district. ---------------------- 1911 Census for 78 Morton Road Leicester GISBORN, George Head Married M 50 1861 Shoe Finisher Leicester GISBORN, Agnes Wife Married 20 years F 40 1871 Cotton Winder Leicester GISBORN, Benjimman Son Single M 19 1892 Barber Leicester GISBORN, Eva Daughter F 14 1897 Hosery Winder Leicester GISBORN, Nellie Daughter F 12 1899 Leicester GISBORN, Agnes Daughter F 10 1901 Leicester GISBORN, Kate Daughter F 8 1903 Leicester GISBORN, Lilly Daughter F 7 1904 Leicester GISBORN, Rose Daughter F 2 1909 Leicester ----------------------- 1901 Census for 84, Morton Road, Leicester GISBORN, George H Head Married M 40 1861 Shoe Finisher Leicester GISBORN, Agnes Wife Married F 30 1871 Cotton Winder Leicester GISBORN, Benjamin Single M 10 1891 Leicester GISBORN, Eva Daughter Single F 4 1897 Leicester GISBORN, Nellie Daughter Single F 2 1899 Leicester GISBORN, Agnes Daughter Single F 0 (7 MOS) 1901 Leicester ---------------------- GISBORN, George Henry married STEANE, Agnes Matilda June 1890 Leicester ---------------------- 1861 Census for 6, Milton Street, St Margarets, Leicester GISBORN, Benjamin Head Married M 41 1820 Framework Knitter Hinckley, Leicestershire GISBORN, Catherine Wife Married F 40 1821 Framework Knitters Wife Great Basling, Leicestershire GISBORN, John Son M 11 1850 Scholar St Margaret, Leicestershire GISBORN, William Son M 6 1855 Scholar St Margaret, Leicestershire GISBORN, George Henry Son M 0 (3M) 1861 St Margaret, Leicestershire GISBORN, Ann Maria Daughter Unmarried F 15 1846 Scholar St Margaret, Leicestershire LAMPORT, John B Lodger Unmarried M 48 1813 Errand Man Deaf And Dumb Hinckley, Leicestershire -----------------------

Research

The webmaster searched Ebay using "Wirksworth" and found two silk embroidered cards for auction, from "Ben" to "Miss Nancy Woodford, 3 St John St, Wirksworth, Derbyshire", unposted, WW1 period, see 1 and 2. Using "The Classic 1,000 Baby Names", found statement: "Nancy, see Anne". Using 1911 Census in "Findmypast.co.uk", found Annie living at above address, giving parents and year of birth. Using "FreeBMD", found maiden name of Annie's mother and mother's date of marriage, same for grandmother. Guessed that boyfriend may have survived WW1 and married Annie when she reached 21 in 1923. Using "FreeBMD", found date of Annie's marriage and full name of Ben. Using "Findmypast.co.uk", traced Ben's family back and saw that as firstborn he was named after his Father's father. Surnames WOODFORD and GISBORN are both unusual enough to avoid much ambiguity. Clues among data showed I was probably dealing with the right people, such as "hairdresser and barber, both girls on staff at Grammar, and Grandfather Benjamin" Built this webpage containing images of cards from Ebay, a Family Tree and Census and Marriage results. By this time I was quite attached to the cards, so bid for them both, and won with only two counterbids on 03 Apr 2013. Searched FreeBMD for death of Benjamin GISBORN 1923-1980, single find March 1949 aged 57 in Belper district. Age and District correct. Searched FreeBMD for marriage of Jean E GISBORN 1930-1980, single find Sep 1946 to GARDNER, Ronald in Birmingham District. When I received the cards I'd won, found both were made in France but unposted, intricately made in 3 stages, and both have a flap to insert a little card.

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