Did I tell you about our Alice? She was well known and the
grandchildren knew better than to try and nick the grapes
from the Vine outside her street door! She was a large persona although only 4
feet 11. Alice ruled all her kids with a rod of iron. She always wore
a snow white apron. She cleaned the street every day outside number 53's
door and scrubbed the step daily. Alice 
used to threaten all the
Grandkids if they tried to lean over the fireplace to touch the brass
elephants who lived over the kitchen range. They were always highly polished. I loved those Indian
Elephants. She would yell "You--Josie, get away from the
fire"! Many
years later those very Ellies were found on the top of Uncle George
Geoghegan's wardrobe, black and wrapped in newspapers after his
death. My Cousin Cheryle, who inherited them offered the elephants to me. I treasure
them tho
they are not as bright as when Alice had them. But they are mine now!
And I can touch them whenever I wish.
Our Nan was a good
customer of Watneys and she liked to pop into the 'others' to lend
her ear to the latest 'goings on'. Latterly
she rented a room to Elsie Cook a Salvationist! A photo appeared
in the local press of them admiring the grapevine in front of Alice's house. The Family Oracle identified Elsie as his Brother Mick's wife Kate, a mere
difference in age of some 40 years.
Mick and the real Kate met while he was in Scotland on leave from the Navy where they married in a chapel*.
When they got back to Trafalgar Street to meet Mum, Honeymoon or not,
Alice parted them until were "Properly Churched". She marched them off
to The English Martyrs** and a week
later they were Properly Wed and lived happily afterward. As they
approached their 60's they were informed that a Registrar had not
attended their second marriage, and Catholic Church Marriages, in that
case, are not legal. The third Marriage Certificate*
states clearly that Mick and Catherine (our Kate) are now in fact
legally married and that they had gone through 'A Form' of Marriage
previously in a Catholic Church. Only in England, fans! Imagine the
Third Time Lucky party. I've got the pictures and the Certs.
Alice is Buried in Nunhead Cemetary the
grave only identifiable because her Grandaughter, who had died before
reaching her teens, is also within.
The spouse of Jane, George Pickering, moved into a small
house opposite Alice Geoghegan's with his new lady and two of
their children. It's not recorded how they got along. Some time later Ann Geoghegan, Mother
of Jane, also lived in 124 Trafalgar St. It has become clear over the the 200 years that wherever they were Born, most of them made their
way to Walworth; even Jane nee Goldstien, who was born in the East End of
London died in Walworth.
Despite certificates held which all state that these were Geoghegans, on the 1911 Census they declared thamselves as Doyles. Go figure!
For Starters Furthermore It Gets Worse Michael And Ann Our Alice Wrapping It Up
Photo Album