WINIFRED HERBERT’S details and documents on ANCESTRY – https://www.ancestry.co.uk/family-tree/person/tree/23784401/person/1447466113/facts
WINIFRED, born 27th January 1906 was a clever child and went to King Edward’s Grammar School, Handsworth, Birmingham. She became a Sports Teacher and at one time taught at Sutton Coldfield Grammar School. She later held a position at a private school in Pennsylvania, U.S.A.
She was home in West Bromwich on holiday when the Second World War started in September 1939 and she immediately joined the WRENS as an Officer.
There is a photograph of her in the HERBERT photo album with MARINA, DUCHESS of KENT inspecting some WRENS.
After the war she became the Welfare Officer at the London Polytechnic. At the same time she was Chairwoman of the All England Ladies Netball Association. In 1955 she retired and went to “keep house” for her parents at “Willowbrook”, Roughton, Worfield, Bridgnorth.
When WINIFRED used to stay at Grange Road, West Bromwich for two weeks holiday, her Mother used to say “Peace at last thank goodness she has gone back to London”. Whatever possessed them to give her a home is a mystery. The relationship between WINIFRED and her Mother and Father was a disaster. She was a very domineering woman and ruled the roost. By the time ELSIE died in 1968 they were hardly on speaking terms.
ELSIE made her daughter-in-law, NANCY wife of CLIFFORD, promise that she would never have WINIFRED to live with her, no matter what happened in the future as she would ruin her life just as she had ruined hers.
When “Willowbrook” was sold in 1971 to pay the debts, WINIFRED moved to a rented bungalow “Orchard House” Worfield. In 1979 she moved to a rented cottage by the river at Aberangell, Mid, Wales. In 1984 she moved to 55 St. Agnes Close, Moseley, Birmingham which was a flat in sheltered accommodation owned by the Harden Housing Association.
She died in Selly Oak Hospital, Birmingham from a burst aorta on 7th July 1990 and was cremated at Lodge Hill Cemetery on 23 July. Jagger, Son and Tilley were her Solicitors.
FRED gave WINIFRED £1,000 worth of Barclays Bank shares in 1949 and when she died in 1990 these shares comprised the bulk of her Estate which came to some £45,000 She was always complaining that she had no money and CLIFF once sent her £100 to mend the roof on the cottage in Wales.
She left £5,000 to NANCY HERBERT, a few smaller legacies and the remainder between her nephew ROGER HERBERT’S children, James Herbert and Rachael MacLeod and her niece ANGELA RUTH OSBORNE.