| Name | John Joseph O'CONNOR (1), Father |
| Birth | 22 Jan 1911, Puller Road, Barnet, Herts.3 |
| Death | 28 Jul 1977, Grantham Hospital222 |
| Burial | 2 Aug 1977, Grantham Cemetery |
| Occupation | Cycle Dealer |
| Other Homes | 20 Buckminster Gardens Grantham / 6 Castle Causeway Sleaford |
| Residence | 1967, Welby Street, Grantham |
| Will | None118 |
| 1841 census | - |
| 1851 census | - |
| 1861 census | - |
| 1871 census | - |
| 1881 census | - |
| 1891 census | - |
| 1901 census | - |
| Father | Thomas Francis O'CONNOR (1878-1928) |
| Mother | Ethel MACNAMARA (1881-1914) |
He had no sense of smell.8
In his twenties he lived near Upperbridge Road in Chelmsford.102
He moved to Grantham near the outbreak of the war and worked "all hours" at British Marco's armaments factory next to Buckminster Gardens. He tells of the time a bomb dropped very close to him - it would have killed him - but it and others had been sabotaged in Germany.
In 1945 he was moved for a job to Ilkeston for about 18 months.
He was known in Grantham as Jack O'Connor, that being the name over the cycle shop he opened in 1947 at the bottom of Welby Street, numbers 1 and 2,1 (now a Chinese restaurant). Later, after the divorce, he had difficulties with the business, putting a for sale sign up on 8th March 1954, but renewing the lease three days later,9.
Later he moved up Welby Street, buying a grocer's shop, and for a while selling groceries as well as mending and selling second-hand bikes. He later opened a shop in Lincoln, employing his son Michael as a general labourer - my first paid job! I can remember having to colour the cement floor of the shop with red polish, and helping to saw a bookshelf in half - across its thickness. I also managed to tip a bucket of water down the stairs over one of the carpenters.
He opened a further shop in Sleaford around 1966, living over there till about 1969. He designed his own frames and had them manufactured by Raleigh - the "Jack O'Connor" frames. His son Kevin has one of the surviving bikes. His manager at Lincoln cheated on him and this caused him to lose all the shops in due course.
He was "a very keen racing man" upto his 60th year. "In his younger days he was well-known on the East London and Essex roads, as a member of Chelmer Racing Club, and Southend and County Wheelers."1 He was a member of Kesteven Aces, Grantham Road Club, Witham Wheelers and Notts and East Midlands VTTA, and was elected in 1963 as the only honorary life member of Witham Wheelers. He died "after a weekend out with Wheelers" at 10 Commercial Street, Grantham.1
| 1 | Kathleen Mary YOUNG, Mother |
| Birth | 9 Aug 1916, Cock Green, Felsted, Essex26 |
| Death | 20 Dec 1994, Nursing Home, Bingley35 |
| Burial | Jan 1995, Grantham Cemetery |
| Occupation | Book-Keeper |
| Other Homes | New Cottage, Felsted : Welby Warren, Nr. Grantham |
| Residence | Sep 1994, 2 Buckminster Gardens, Grantham, Lincs |
| Will | Will & Admons, proved 1995116 |
| 1841 census | - |
| 1851 census | - |
| 1861 census | - |
| 1871 census | - |
| 1881 census | - |
| 1891 census | - |
| 1901 census | - |
| Father | Edwin John YOUNG (1882-1967) |
| Mother | Rosa Annie CHILDS (1892-1987) |
Her friendship with Polly (or Violet as she was christened) began when she was three and she wandered over the road and said "Mrs. BAKER, can the little Baker girl come to my birthday tea?" She did, and many more through the years.21
At eleven years of age, the Headmaster of the village school submitted names to the High School and Intermediate School for the Scholarship Exam. Although consistently top of her class her name did not go forward. If your father was a doctor or professional man your name went forward. But also in those days parents could ask the school's permission to sit the examination, and so she was accepted as a candidate. Her Mum and Dad were thrilled when she passed. In those days the people who could afford to pay for books went to the High School; those who were hard up went to the Intermediate. It was all free. She was at the Intermediate School in Braintree for four years, from 1928, to 1932, (aged 12 to 16). The school itself was the mansion of the Courtauld family, the silk manufacturers of the town, Braintree. It was given to the Education Authorities.
New Cottage was burned to the ground when she was older than12, and before 1936; and when Dorrie was about 8, i.e. around 1932,22. She always had a fear of house fires after that. A new New Cottage was built in its place, paid for from insurance money,22 . She told her grand-daughter, Christie, she lost her hockey stick in the fire and was sure the "new wall hid the stick" - there was a space apparently where the new wall and old wall had a space between them, suggesting the new house was built using some of the old walls. She found a money box in the rubble after the fire.
She also told Christie she worked in the Butcher's shop in Felsted as an assistant but didn't like seeing the butchery. She always wanted to be a hairdresser because then it was seen as a good job to have. She used to go strawberry picking., rode on Jassy the dog, and didn't like "water-gruel". She told Christie she went ballroom dancing. Christie has one of her dresses - grey silk and lace.
She worked for a firm in Chelmsford, Essex, Mason's Tyre Factors for a Mr. Field, from 1933 to 1939.46 In 1939 she moved with the family to Welby Warren, near Grantham, Lincs.
In September 1940 she went to hospital with mastoid trouble. She left five weeks later and her husband John suggested she got a job - he was working all hours at British Marco's armaments factory,8. She applied for a job at Escritt & Barrell's as a general clerk on the 3rd of October 1941, and started on 13th of that month, on trial at 45 shillings (a week presumably), £2.25.
Michael was born in 1944. On April 9th 1948 she moved with John to 20 Buckminster Gardens. A year later Kevin was born.
In May 1951 she again had mastoid trouble and was rushed to hospital for an immediate operation on 31st May. She had facial paralysis and no hearing in one ear from this operation for the rest of her life. Michael remembers visiting her and being given knitted dolls which she made during the days in hospital.
She left Dad in August 1952, divorcing in 1953. She lived with Michael and Kevin at Aunt Dorrie's, 57 Victoria Street at first.
She wrote diaries : Saturday March 20, 1954: "M & K went for a haircut. I came home. They had not arrived. Found them up the road covered in mud and water. Kevin was walking on his trousers! Informed me they'd had a smashing game of boats. . ."9
Her diaries for 1953 (cuttings only), and for 1954 and most of 1955 are filled with hopes and dashed hopes of getting a house. Finally on Thursday 6th October 1955 No. 2 Buckminster Gardens is hers.9
Mum kept diaries for several years. Here are some samples from the 1985 - 1993 diaries:
October 28th 1985: "Nice day, cool. Painted sunroom windows. Gardening, clearing up generally. FOUND FORK. Great rejoicing! Nestling under japonica bush. Knitting (evening) frantically."
October 5th 1988: "Cooler and windy. Shopping early. Morning FOOD. Afternoon weeding 'Africa' so I'm getting there. Rain stopped me finishing it."
Mon 10th April 1989: " Heavy showers. A very busy day. Scrubbed arm- chairs, washed, ironed, defrosted fridge, filled holes, washed paint, dusted polished, etc. etc. 4.30 sat down for a cuppa and television was giving 'old' people exercises for the hands. I was trying to rest mine! Very rewarding day!"
May 8th 1992 : "Defrosted fridge. Not a very good day weatherwise - strong, very, wind. Spent quite a bit of time fitting a new Ironing Board cover - none made to fit it now (bought in 1955). Not 'going' very well today - face bright red, (not drink)."
May 28 1992: "Did washing - nice day so got dry. Felt lonely when Kevin Ann and Christie all gone home. Lovely to have all my jobs done; looks so easy to Kevin but not to me. Must be getting OLD? Did pots at back and front. Begonias etc. Blackbird still comes each morning for food (very tame) and the big "baby" bird. Watered everything."
June 11th 1992: "Mr. Goodall has a huge pile of hedge-cuttings - would not fit in small bedroom! Dread to think about the bonfire. . ."
Her remains are scattered on Polly's grave, Stebbing Church.
| Marriage | 11 May 1940, Register Office, Dunmow, Essex36 |
| Marriage Memo | Witnesses: Rosa A Young / Adelaide F. O'Connor / Norah E. Gale |
| Divorce | 29 Jun 19538 |
| Children | Michael John |
| Kevin Peter |
| 2 | Jean Marjorie ROGERS |
| Father | William Edward ROGERS |
| Mother | Lily SNOW (1905-1972) |
| Children | Richard John |
| Christopher Mark | |
| Teresa Joy |