Person Page - 195

     Alice M Bishop was born on 20 January 1911 in Woodstock, Buckinghamshire, England.¹ She married Sidney Harold Greathead, son of Sidney Arthur Greathead and Florence Hannah Field, in 1958 in Wednesbury, Staffordshire, England.² Her husband Sidney died on 1981 in Sandwell, Lancashire, England.^3,4 She died in May 1990 in Dudley, Staffordshire, England, aged 79.⁵

     Frederick Abbley was born on 29 October 1855 in Walgate, Yorkshire, England.² He was the son of William Abbley.² He married Margaret Wells, daughter of John Wells, on 25 August 1880 in The Centenary Chapel, Weslyan Methodist, York, Yorkshire, England, The ceremony took place after the issue of a certificate and was witnessed by Thomas Wells and Jane Walker.

Frederick was a confectioner and gave his address as Hungate, York. Margaret lived at Grosvenor Terrace, York. Both their fathers were described as deceased.³ His wife Margaret died on 2 July 1887 in 2 Lime Street, St Saviour, York, Yorkshire, England.⁴ He married Isabella Margaret Huitson, daughter of William Huitson and Elizabeth Greathead, on 8 March 1890 in The Centenary Chapel, York, Yorkshire, England, The ceremony took place following a certificate being issued and was witnessed by James Cook and Marg Cook.

Frederick was a widower and confectioner living at 2 Lime Street, York. Isabella had not previously been married and gave her address as 2 Parliament Street, York.^5,3,6 He died in 1897.²

     Frank Greathead was born on 2 May 1914 in Royal Oak Hotel, 171 Holyhead Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.^3,4 He was the son of Sidney Arthur Greathead and Florence Hannah Field. He married Nellie Mary Sharpe on 8 February 1941 in Register Office, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, Opposite the Crown and Anchor Pub, Frank said when in full of hope and out with an anchor.^5,4
Frank and Nellie were both already enlisted and got weekend leave to have a double wedding in Birmingham with their best friends. The story goes that after a while they had a blue (Aussie for an argument!!) and Nellie put in for overseas duty in anger. When they made up Frank also put in for overseas - hoping they would get posted together but Nellie ended up on the Queen Mary in the first women troups to arrive in Egypt, she also served in Palestine and Italy while Frank was posted to India and Burma. Frank ended the war about two months early, being sent home to recover in hospital in England with Disentry. They had corresponded throughout the war, but as you can imagine - being apart for five years made Nellie hesitant as to whether they would be able to continue the married life they had started after living separately for so long. She went to visit Frank in hospital and they obviously decided to give it a go. Jobs were really difficult to get if you were a returning soldier, also accomodation was extremely scarce in England after the war. Nellie got pregnant with Kay pretty well straight away and they had two rooms upstairs of a house that they shared rent with an elderley gentleman. Nellie suffered repeats of Malaria that she had got from Egypt and suffered extreme "itchy feet" i.e. she couldn't settle down after the freedom she had known in the Army overseas - she said that she used to go down to the train station in Birmingham to "smell" the trains leaving and wonder where they might be going. Frank started his own business in partnership with a friend - they were Electricians. Their work was mainly in the Jewellery business and it was about this time that there was a massive slump in this area and they went broke. It is not known for sure what they did then but they ended up in Northfield with Frank working at the Waterworks. The job came with a house Mary was born here. They both felt that they wouldn't get ahead as well as they wanted to, the both missed the warmer weather and the adventures foreign countries had shown them - so they decided to emigrate.

They looked at Canada (too "bloody" cold, Nellie retorted according to Mary), New Zealand (they had a policy at that time the native born New Zealanders would get preference over immigrants for land purchases and jobs) and Australia - where Nellie's only sister and family had emigrated to about five years earlier. So Australia it was. Kay was ten and Mary was three. They first arrived and moved in with Nellie's sister and husband for about two months. Then they bought a terribly run down derelict house which had been empty for about a year. The windows were boarded up and cobwebs were everywhere - a real nightmare. Lots of work to make it liveable - newly emigrated English friends helped to get it liveable. They had to build an outdoor dry loo - no sewerage! There was a ceremonial planting of a honeysuckle climber on the wall to help combat the summer odours!

Frank got a good job with overtime immediately - there was a shortage of tradespeople then, and they also bought a very old second hand car pretty soon thereafter. The family lived in the old house for ten years, renovating, put on extensions and making it lovely, only to have it pushed down after they sold it for flats to be built! Frank and Nellie moved to the countryside after they retired and then back to the outer suburbs when they needed the security of having a hospital nearby. Their life was quite comfortable there. They never regretted going to Australia. Frank always said that they could never have done so well in England. They went back to England twice together for visits and Nellie went once with a friend, after Frank died. They went briefly for Frank's mother's death in 1968 leaving their daughters in Australia with her sister, their Aunt. Both Frank and Nellie always regarded themselves as "English" and both had Union Jacks on their coffins with an RSL (Returned Services League) funeral. They wrote to their family in England and enjoyed hearing how they were getting on. When Nellie passed away Kay and Mary knew that their Mum really wanted them to go and see England and meet with their relatives. They went in August/September 2001. Frank played the piano very well.^4,6 He and Nellie Mary Sharpe emigrated on 1 April 1957 to Australia on Strathnaver (P&O line) on the £10 migrants package with their children Kay and Mary.⁴ He died on 13 March 1990 in Australia aged 75.^2,4

     Florence Gertrude Greathead was born on 14 February 1903 in Royal Oak Hotel, 171 Holyhead Road, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.^4,5,6 She was the daughter of Sidney Arthur Greathead and Florence Hannah Field. She married Bill Arrowsmith in 1944 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.⁷ She died in June 1992 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, aged 89.^1,8

     Annie Elizabeth Morris was born on 1 November 1901 in Redruth, Cornwall, England.¹ She married William Henry Greathead, son of William Greathead and Ann Sophia Ellis, in 1930 in Birmingham, Warwickshire, England.² Her husband William died on 11 January 1946 in 27 Soho Street, Smethwick, Staffordshire, England.^1,3,4 Annie received Probate on her husband'e effects on 20 December 1946 together with Dorothy Eveline Trussell who was the wife of Charles Leonard Trussell.⁴ She died on 2 July 1982 in Croftlands Wheel Trefusis, South Downs, Redruth, Cornwall, England, aged 80.^1,5,4 She did not leave a will. Administration papers were issued on 19 July 1982 in Bristol. Her effects were described as not exceeding £25,000.⁴

     Betty Margaret Tucker was born on 22 August 1932.² She married John William Geo Greathead, son of William Henry Greathead and Annie Elizabeth Morris, in 1957 in Smethwick, Staffordshire, England, 1st wife.³ She died on 20 May 1994 in Halvasso, Ashfield Road, Elmswell, Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk, England, aged 61.^4,5 Administration papers were issued with a will on 30 June 1994 in Ipswich. Her effects were described as not exceeding £125,000.⁵

     Nellie Louisa Greathead was born in 1882 in Balsall Heath, Worcestershire, England.^1,2,3 She was the daughter of William Greathead and Ann Sophia Ellis. In the census of 5 April 1891 in 57 Longmore Street, Kings Norton, Warwickshire, England, she was listed as the daughter of William Greathead Nellie was a scholar.⁴ In the census of 31 March 1901 in 5 Cosford Street, Balsall Heath, Birmingham, Warwickshire, England, she was listed as the daughter of William Greathead Nellie was a barmaid.³ She died on 16 October 1929 in Alcester Road, Hollywood, Wythall, Worcestershire, England, She was unmarried.^1,5,6,7 She did not leave a will. Administration papers were issued on 30 January 1930 in Birmingham to her brother William Henry Greathead a public house manager. Her effects were valued at £1676 12s 9d.⁷

     William Greathead was born about 1781 in Warwickshire, England.² He was the son of William Greathead and Sarah Irons. William was listed as the head of the family on the census of 7 June 1841 in Tanworth, Warwickshire, England, William was a blacksmith, his daughter Sarah, son in law and grandaughter were living with him.³ In the census of 30 March 1851 at Tanworth, Warwickshire, England, he was listed as the father in law of William Green William was described as a pauper blacksmith and was living with his daughter and son in law.⁴ He died in 1852 in Solihull, Warwickshire, England.⁵