Back- Kathleen Ruth BIRCH, Rosie BIRCH (nee Standen), Freda BIRCH,
Front- Jimmy BIRCH, Eileen BIRCH & John BIRCH
I was chatting to my mother about the BIRCH family and she related the following story.
When she was a little girl in the 1930s, she remembers being taken by her mother Elizabeth BIRCH and father Henry Sisley BIRCH, to a BIRCH farm (she thinks it was at Hythe) to visit and recalls playing with three children Eileen BIRCH (aged 6), Jimmy BIRCH (aged 4) and baby John BIRCH (aged 2).
She says they were visiting, because the mother of the children (Rosanna BIRCH (nee PUNYER)) died in 1934, and my grandma was asked to take on the care of the three children, by their father Richard BIRCH (born 1903).
Because my grandma, already had three children of her own, Kathleen (my mother), Freda and (Albert) James, she had to refuse.
The next Christmas my grandma received the photo opposite, which would suggest the children were at 37 Fort Road, Hythe.
Thanks to my cousin Barbara COUGHLAN, I now have a full explanation of the above family links.
The 3 mystery Birch children, Eileen, Jimmy and John were brought up by their grandmother, Rosie BIRCH (nee STANDEN) with the help of Bessie BIRCH (nee CLOAKE) help, until Richard BIRCH (born 1903) their father remarried Marion BURCHETT (b.1914 - d.1998).
My grandmother was asked to help because my grandfather Henry Sisley BIRCH was the Great Uncle of the children.
Eileen went on to marrry Frank WHAYMAN and had two children, Trevor & Helen and now have grandchildren and live in Hertfordshire.
James (Jimmy) married Freda SMITH and had two children Gareth and Bridget and now also have grandchildren and live in the Chicester area.
John married Shirley PITCHFORD and had two children, Stephen & Susan and now also have grandchildren. John & Shirley live in Hythe Kent.