Person Page - 451

     Dorothy never married - she looked after her mother, Susannah at Gentleman's Row, Enfield . When she became ill she was moved to a nursing home run by Jehovah Witnesses and all the family possessions were sold including pictures, and Bisley shooting cups. She worked for a gentleman called John Lamb, a marine engineer for Shell who was believed to be a descendant of Charles Lamb the essayist.² Dorothy Curchin was born on 15 August 1906 in Middlesborough, Yorkshire, England.^1,3 She was the daughter of Henry Wallace Curchin and Susannah Verrill. Henry and his family left Liverpool on 31 October 1917 aboard SS St Louis arriving in New York on 10 November 1917 where they stayed for 10 days before travelling onto Australia arriving one month before their last child John's birth in January 1918 to be CEO for the Commonwealth Shipbuilding in Australia to reorganise the Australian Merchant Navy for five years. Their passage was paid for by the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The Master of the ship was J H Hartley and there were 223 passengers.

Henry returned home in 1925 settling in Middlesex, where he set up company Watson and Curchin. Henry also won many cups for shooting at Bisley.^2,4,5

The family grave contains some Cuchin members and others have had teir ashes scattered over the grave.¹ She died in June 1999 in Enfield, London, England, aged 92 Old age and senility about six years after a fall when she broke her hip.^1,6

     Margaret Curchin was born in 1910 in Middlesborough, Yorkshire, England.^1,2 She was the daughter of Henry Wallace Curchin and Susannah Verrill. Henry and his family left Liverpool on 31 October 1917 aboard SS St Louis arriving in New York on 10 November 1917 where they stayed for 10 days before travelling onto Australia arriving one month before their last child John's birth in January 1918 to be CEO for the Commonwealth Shipbuilding in Australia to reorganise the Australian Merchant Navy for five years. Their passage was paid for by the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The Master of the ship was J H Hartley and there were 223 passengers.

Henry returned home in 1925 settling in Middlesex, where he set up company Watson and Curchin. Henry also won many cups for shooting at Bisley.^3,4,5

She married Alec Tonkin in Southern Rhodesia, South Africa.¹ Margaret moved to Southern Rhodesia in 1930's (about 1934 after her father died). Her family then fled Zimbabwe and went to Ontario.³ She died on 22 January 1991 in Harare, Zimbabwe, and is buried there.^1,6

     Ivan Harry Curchin was born on 4 January 1916 in 1 Percy Road, Winchmore Hill, London, England.^1,3,4 He was the son of Henry Wallace Curchin and Susannah Verrill. Henry and his family left Liverpool on 31 October 1917 aboard SS St Louis arriving in New York on 10 November 1917 where they stayed for 10 days before travelling onto Australia arriving one month before their last child John's birth in January 1918 to be CEO for the Commonwealth Shipbuilding in Australia to reorganise the Australian Merchant Navy for five years. Their passage was paid for by the Commonwealth Government of Australia. The Master of the ship was J H Hartley and there were 223 passengers.

Henry returned home in 1925 settling in Middlesex, where he set up company Watson and Curchin. Henry also won many cups for shooting at Bisley.^2,5,6

He married Grace Hall. He died on 20 May 1949 in Rabley Heath, Hertfordshire, England, aged 33 He committed suicide whilst the balance of his mind was disturbed.^1,2 He was buried in Edmonton Cemetery, Grave 1680 in zone M, Edmonton, Essex, England.¹ Ivan was sadly a "drunkard" and deserted his family. He was an excellent shot and won many cups for shooting at Bisley.² The family grave contains some Cuchin members and others have had teir ashes scattered over the grave.¹

     John Curchin was born on 20 January 1918 in Victoria, Australia.^1,2 He was the son of Henry Wallace Curchin and Susannah Verrill. He was educated at the Winchmore Hill Collegiate School, Winchmore Hill, Middlesex from 1923 to 1930. The Collegiate School was a private school founded in 1906. John Curchin was the record holder for throwing the cricket ball 192 feet at the age of twelve in 1930 so he had always been competitive and successful.

The Winchmore Hill Collegiate School (motto Conjunctis Viribus i.e. All pull together) was private fee-paying school founded by John Stephen Temblett Wood, former Senior Tutor at Archbishop Tennyson's School in Leicester Square, London and his wife Jessie Louise, nee Blackburn, in 1906 at Farm Road, Winchmore Hill. The school was sited in a purpose built school building, now converted into flats, with their own large school house built alongside the classroom block of six large classrooms. It was initially for both boys and girls, but by 1923 all girls went to the Palmers Green College and the school became a boys only school until it's closure in 1965.

The Temblett-Woods also founded, built and operated the Palmers Green College for Girls and preparatory boys at Fox Lane, Palmers Green which opened in 1909. About 100 girls and 150 boys appeared on the rolls of both schools on a yearly basis from 1909 until 1939 when on the outbreak of the war the Palmers Green College was closed down for good.

After John Temblett Wood's death on the 8 January 1930 his son, Kenneth John Temblett-Wood MA (Cantab) MC, joined his mother at the school with Kenneth assuming the title of Headmaster.

Kenneth and his sister Olive Madge were registered as Temblett-Wood at birth albeit their father had merely adopted his mother's family surname of Temblett as an additional forename about 1897. Kenneth had a very distinguished war record and was awarded the Military Cross at the age of just 19 in France.

John also attended Merchant Taylors' School from 1930-34, which his brother Ivan had also attended.

John and his father won many cups for shooting at Bisley.

Flight Lieutenant John Curchin DFC 42396 is remembered on the Runnymede Memorial, England. John was a Spitfire pilot who fought in the Battle of Britain and was posted missing in action. It was reported that he collided with a Meeschersmitt over the Straits of Dover. He was a hero (8.5 victories) of 600 and 609 Squadron.

The London Gazette mention John Curchin on several occasions. The issues published on:

26/4/40 Confirmation of rank as Pilot Officer on probation
23/7/40 Confirmation of rank as a Pilot Officer
1/11/40 DFC Citation
18/7/41 Promotion from Pilot Officer to Flying Officer

Johnny Curchin and his chum Sydney 'Ropey' Hill, were known as the "Heavenly Twins", they flew together. From the 609 Squadron Operations Log, “Biggin Hill. June 1941. … It is sad to relate, however, that two of the pilots lost were the "Heavenly Twins" Johnnie Curchin and Sydney Hill. 609 was never quite such a gay Squadron again."^3,2,4 He died on 4 June 1941 in Dover, Kent, England, aged 23 He was shot down missing in action.^1,2

     Grace Hall was born on 8 October 1920 in Bethnal Green, London, England.¹ She married Ivan Harry Curchin, son of Henry Wallace Curchin and Susannah Verrill. She married John Foreman John was Grace's second husband.¹ She married Erich Robert Klein Erich was Grac'es third husband.¹ She died on 3 August 2003 in Somerset, England, aged 82 She died from Asphixia from an haemorraged duodenal ulcer whilst sleeping, following a series of strokes over a number of years.¹ She was buried on 11 August 2003 in Yeovil, Somerset, England.¹

     John Curchin was born on 6 July 1941 in White Gates, Codicote, Hertfordshire, England.^2,1 He was the son of Ivan Harry Curchin and Grace Hall. John was a recluse, never quite got over fathers death. He was nursed by his sister Christa in Croydon until his death. He never married.¹ He died on 13 February 2001 in Kenley, Surrey, England, aged 59 from brain cancer.^1,2,3

     John Woollams was born about 1851 in St Martins, Shropshire, England. He was the son of John Woollams. In the census of 2 April 1871 he was listed as the brother in law of Joseph Tunley John worked as a gardener.¹

     John Foreman married Grace Hall John was Grace's second husband.¹

     Erich Robert Klein was born in Austria.¹ He married Grace Hall Erich was Grac'es third husband.¹