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George Thomas Whittle (1902-1992)
| George Thomas Whittle | ||
| Birth: | 1902 Addlestone, Surrey, England, United Kingdom | |
|---|---|---|
| Death: | 1992 Weybridge, Surrey, England, United Kingdom | |
| Father: | George Whittle (1877-1945) | |
| Mother: | Jane Sedgwick (1883-1979) | |
| Skills: | Gas Stoker, Boilermaker | |
| Spouse: | Betsy Jane Williams (1903-1976) | |
| Wedding: | 1924 Weybridge, Surrey, England, United Kingdom | |
| Spouse (2): | Catherine McLean | |
| Wedding (2): | 1945 Weybridge, Surrey, England, United Kingdom | |
| Sex: | 
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| Edit Facts | ||
Contents |
Biography 
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BirthEdit
George Thomas Whittle was born in 1902 in Addington, Surrey. His parents were George Whittle, a labourer who came to Weybridge with his father aged eleven to build roads. His mother, Jane (formerly Sedgwick) married his father earlier in 1902. Her family had been punnet makers in Brentford, but later opened a laundry in Weybridge. George was the eldest of thirteen children.
Early LifeEdit
George's family were very poor, however George and his siblings had a happy childhood. Their house in Radnor Road, Weybridge, had only three rooms. They later expanded to the next house along and George's uncle and aunt plus their son also moved in. The house backed onto the Thames, and every year Jane would say, "Look at the washing, it'll all go down the Thames if I don't get it in." This is because the Thames used to flood.
The children lived in seperate bedrooms (for boys and girls). The girls room was at the end of the hall and the girls had to got through the boys room to get to bed. As they did, the boys would playfully attack the girls. They slept 'two up, two down' - four children in each room.
When they were young, George and his siblings played around the town, climbing trees, picking flowers and watching horses. There was a nice cafe up on a hill which the children loved but their parents were too poor to afford for them to eat there. So, Jane made hot cross buns and lemonade and they took it with them and ate at the cafe, and it was very special for them.
George, like his siblings, was educated locally at the school at the bottom of Monument Hill, Weybridge. There was an infants, boys and girls school. Reaching about fourteen, the girls took domestic work and the boys worked as errand boys while going to school part-time.
Young LifeEdit
George bought a 'horse and proper varnished carriage' and kept it at the Lincoln Arms. Compared to the family, he got quite good wages. He was a stoker for the electric light company. There were two boilers and George and his father were the head stokers. They worked all day until 10 o'clock at night. George upgraded to a motorbike and took his sisters wherever they wanted to go. The family called it good wages and George made enough to start a family.
First MarriageEdit
In 1924 George married Betsy Jane Williams. They had nine children, including one son who died in infancy.
Second MarriageEdit
Just after the war George married Catherine McLean. There are no known children.
Later LifeEdit
George retired early and lived a long life in his home town. He could often be seen riding his bicycle. He died in 1992 in Surrey aged ninety.
Children
Sources and notes
Contributors
