Ernest Hilton - Ancestor Template by son Michael Hilton

As with all family ancestors, I sent out what I called "Ancestor Templates" to family members who were still alive and might remember them, or stories about them. This particular template was answered and filled out by his son, my Uncle Michael.

General Information

Name of person answering: Mike Hilton

Relation to ancestor: Son

Name of Ancestor: Ernest Frederick Hilton

Name of ancestor’s parents and siblings: George Hilton and Clara Hilton nee Drakeley

Siblings were: Jessie Irene; Winifred May; George Stanley; Kenneth; Maurice; Evelyn Joyce.

Please note that I have birth and death details for most.

General Facts

Birth Date: 11th August 1923

Address/es: Spinning School Lane Tamworth, Edward Street Tamworth, Barcroft St Cleethorpes and finally 55 Richmond Road, Cleethorpes. There may have been others when he was in the Navy. He was stationed at Hartlepool before moving to Grimsby. I also believe he stayed with Phyllis Hedison when he first came to Cleethorpes. She was May’s friend and made the cake for their wedding.

Date of death: 24th March 2003.

Physical appearance

Height: 5' 10''

Hair colour: Dark or black? Turned white instead of grey when he was older.

Eye colour: Not sure

Anything else distinctive? He did have a large nose which was typical of the Drakeley side of the family.

Memories

What was their favourite food? He ate anything and everything. He always finished off food that needed eating and I remember him having bread and dripping. Nothing special though.

What was their favourite pastime? Like May, he enjoyed gardening. Like me he was not very good at DIY even though he did try carpentry in early days after the war. He enjoyed sport and had played football until he broke his leg playing for the Post Office. In later years he took up Bowls and the club instituted a prize in his name. Christine and I attended the celebration. He liked watching sport but it was not an obsession with him. He even started a computer course with Auntie Edna Timpson. Mum and Dad used to play tennis when younger.

What did they like to read (If anything)? He was not a great reader but obviously the Bible and papers.

What is your favourite memory of them, when did it happen?  There are many. I was always closer to my Mum when younger but after May died he came out of his shell and loved seeing his grandchildren and nieces etc.

What are some things you did together and when? Holidays most years, and of course going to church at Elim. He did go to the football once but that was enough. After Mum died he loved coming to Kenilworth

Can you share one funny story? There were quite a few. One holiday we came across a written statement on the beach that said Ernest was a lump. it obviously wasn't him but we teased him a lot. Trying to follow road directions was not easy (Chris interjected that she always remember when they went on Holiday that May would get annoyed because he always got lost.) for him and once he left the car on a patch of green in Skegness only to find on return there was a cricket match going on around it.

Can you share one serious story? When he came to Kenilworth he stayed in Bed and breakfast and the last time I saw him he was looking out of the window waiting for me to pick him up. For some reason I felt very sad for him and now I know why. Also not long after Mum died he stayed with Maurice in Southwold and was taken ill. What I didn't know was that he was diagnosed with a heart problem and was advised to have an operation. He chose not to and never let us know. Whether he was frightened, didn't want to worry us or just didn't want to prolong his life we will never know.

What was your favourite thing about them? His patience with Mum. She was often ill  as you know and took her frustrations out on him at times. He rarely let it get to him and although he knew he was not her intellectual equal he was most times happy and loved her very much.

Here are some of the pictures that Uncle Michael has also been able to provide.

Circa 1944

Ernest and May in front of the Humber Bridge, which joined the
north and south side of the river Humber in the U.K.

Ernest and his son Michael.

Ernest playing the accordion

Other notes:

1. Uncle Michael is the genealogist of this side of the family. He has done a lot of research on Ernest's side of the family. Many of my notes, stories and pictures from this side of the family come from Uncle Michael.

2. I love that addresses are provided. The 1921 census is not accessible by the public until 2021. I have not yet researched the pre WW2 survey that was done of the U.K, therefore these addresses are the best I can find of their location.

3. It is interesting that Grandad only went to on football game. From what Uncle Michael has told me, he actually helped build the foundation of the Grimsby Town stadium at Blundell Park. The atmosphere at a typical football game in the U.K is very different to American sports games which tend to have a much more family friendly atmosphere.

Interviewing Auntie Winnie: Part 2

Today I am posting the second half of my interview with Auntie Winnie back in 2013.
The first half can be read here.

Do you have any personal stories you would like to share? Any memorable events/occasions?

Your Grandad was a very pleasant lad, he used to play with children in the street and play very happily. They made their own pleasure with hoops and marbles and tracking around the streets. It was safe in those days. We all had a very happy life and he joined Crusaders(1) which he loved and he used to play the organ some Sunday evenings. One Pastor who used to come to mams a lot always used to chase your grandad under the table was great uncle Maurice, and we all had a laugh. I remember when we had the anniversary service at the assembly rooms when your grandad was helping to move
the piano when it fell on his toe and he broke it. Everyone was trying to make him laugh so he would not cry.

If there is anything you have learned in life that you wish to share with others what is it?

Being born into a lovely Christian family we were taught real Christian values which we knew it would help us through the difficult times we would have to go through. We were taught to pray over things and ask God to help, which we did and that was a big help to us. The worst thing that happened to me was when I was 18 I had rheumatic fever. I had been in bed for almost 7 weeks when four people from church asked Irene how I was. She told them I was very poorly, so they asked
if they could come to our house and have a prayer meeting for me. Mam said they could. After they left I sat up in bed with the pain gone and when the doctor came in he said to mam, a miracle has happened and she told him about the prayer meeting and he said I wish I had a few more patients who would do that.

Do you know how your parents met?

My parents met a Bolebridge Street Mission in Tamworth, both Christian people.

Did you ever meet any of your Grandparents? If so, do you remember anything about them?

I met both sets of grandparents. Dad's mom was called Sarah Sharret before she married dads dad also called George Hilton the same name as Dad. Moms mom’s maiden name was Pickering and when she married she was grandma Drakeley. When her husband died she married again and her new husband was called John Walker. Mom then had two sisters from Grandmas first husband and then three half-brothers from grandmas second husband.

Did you go to school and if so where did you go? Do you remember anything about the school or any stories that are worth sharing?

I went to Marmion School in Spinning School Lane in Tamworth. All my siblings went to the same school. We stayed at the same school until we left at the age of 14. I loved school and I was quite a bright child. The teacher called me out to the front one day to praise me because my work was good, but as I was very young I thought I had been naughty and I started to scream. As we only lived across the road from the school, mom heard my screams and came running into my classroom. The teacher assured her that I wasn't in trouble but quite the opposite.

Can you describe one or two ways that life has changed since you were born?

We didn't have much money in those days, we couldn't afford any luxuries, not like families of today, but we had a wonderful life and lots of fun, which we made ourselves. Today its all technology.

When did your family get their first car? and T.V?

We did not have a car even when I married we still did not have one. When I was small we had a wireless and gramophone. We did, however, have a telephone. I think we were one of the first in the area to have one. The people mom worked for (house-keeper) were very rich and it was them who had the phone installed.

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Here are some things of note from this half of the interview.

1. I love the stories about Grandad as a child. I doubt there was anywhere else I could learn these particular stories at this time. It also seems just like Grandad that something would fall on his toe while he was moving it. 

2. Auntie Winnie is one of several people in my extended family that have experienced a miracle. My Great Grandmother Annie Griffiths had one that was well documented. 

3. I particularly love the details of where Winnie's parents met, and those she could provide about her grandparents. I know my Uncle Michael has researched that side of the family quite extensively, but this also makes it easier to begin some of my own if I wish.

4. Last but not least, the details Winnie remembers of her own school is a story worth cherishing.


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(1) I believe Crusaders to be the same church organization I went to as a young child. It was set up with activities that happened at church and was a place to socialise and learn about God.