december 24th 1906 BM to hilda albina stringfellow

coventry, warwickshire

0 miles

the message

“I am sorry not to have called but have never been out since seeing you, am under the Dr and shall be for some time. Come when convenient

yours

BM”

All good wishes for Xmas 1906”

the sender

There are no clues to the identity of BM. All that is known is that he or she is not well.

the recipient

Hilda Albina Stringfellow (1877-1944) was the daughter of Harry Stringfellow (1849-1879) and Hannah Watts (1838-1918). Harry has proved difficult to locate in the census. He married Hannah in 1876 and died before the next census. Hannah went on to marry Thomas Jones (1835-?) and that is why the card is addressed to Miss Jones. Thomas was a Machinist.

Hilda was a Music Teacher. In 1910, Hilda, using the name Stringfellow, married Ernest John Locke (1871-1934). Ernest was a Clerk in a Motor Factory in 1911.

the tree

the places

Coventry, Warwickshire

what the card says to us

The picture shows Holy Trinity Parish Church in Stratford-On-Avon (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Church_of_the_Holy_Trinity,_Stratford-upon-Avon) which does not appear to have any link with the family.

Nothing is known about the sender except their state of health.

The use of “Miss Jones” is interesting as Hilda was born with the name Stringfellow. In 1901 and 1891 she is in the census as Jones. She marries as Stringfellow and after that she uses Locke. That suggests that using Jones was a convenience, but her birth certificate was Stringfellow which meant that was the name she had to be married under.