Great Aunt Min

Mention of the GRIBBLES and PARROCKS has raised a couple of comments about Minnie PARROCK (1892-1984).  She is one the of oldest relatives I ever met in person but that was a long time ago.  In our part of the family she was always known as ‘Aunt Min’ or ‘Great Aunt Min’. She was in fact my Great Aunt being my Father’s (Frederick Alfred TRENDALL 1914-1983) Aunt (on his Mother’s sister).

Fig 1: Pedigree Chart showing the parents and grandparents of Minnie PARROCK

Given the fact that she was in touch with us until 1969 at least it is surprising that we know so little about her.  Few records are readily available that give us a glimpse of her life.  There are some family stories about her.  We know that she was a keen churchgoer and perhaps had an affection for a vicar that was unrequited. She never married and lived in East London/Essex for the whole of her life.  As a young boy I remember her occasional visits.  We were always briefed to be on our best behaviour.  We knew that she was an important guest because a tin of Ye Old Oak Ham was opened for the occasion.  She required a brandy or two for medicinal purposes and always returned home to Ilford in a cab. My parents did not keep in touch with her when we moved to Tottenham in 1969 – perhaps other members of the family did?

Minnie PARROCK was born at 23 Herbert Street, Plaistow, now in London but then still part of Essex, on 23^rd May 1892.  She was the daughter of Alfred PARROCK ((1871-1955) and Minnie PARROCK (COWLAND) (1871-1936).  She was baptised in the local parish church, St Mary the Virgin, on 8^th July 1892.  She was one of four children, all of whom lived into a mature adulthood.  Minnie was the granddaughter of the subject of an earlier blog: Emma GRIBBLE (1846-  ).

In March 1901 she was living with her family at 23 Belton Road West Ham.  This was a ‘respectable’ working class area at the time.  Minnie’s Father was a skilled compositor in the printing trade working for newspapers for most of his career.

In 1911 she had left home and was working as a servant.  She hadn’t gone far.  She was living in the Woman’s Settlement in Plaistow.  This was a home for single working women and was occupied mainly by servants.  It was a philanthropic institution and for a while provided healthcare in the area.  The site was eventually taken over by another charity that now specialises in creating opportunities for young people.

We lose sight of Minnie PARROCK in the records for many years.  She appears in a few newspaper report in the 1930s performing at 

Fig 2: Relationship Chart: Minnie PARROCK to Sam TRENDALL

church concerts etc.  She was clearly musical and much involved in church music in later life.  She was a singer and there is a possible mention of her in the Stage Newspaper in the 1920s as a soprano.

Fig 3: Essex Chronicle 22 March 1925

Her Mother, Minnie PARROCK (COWLAND), died in 1936.

In September 1939 a Register was created for use during the war, particularly for the administration of ration books and the production of National Identity Cards.  The 1939 Register, as it is known, is an amazing piece of work.  The whole country was registered in a matter of weeks with a very high degree of accuracy.  What’s more the register was regularly updated manually.  It was used as the basis for establishing the NHS registers and was maintained, on paper, into the 1990s.  Its importance for historians cannot be over stated.  Although not a census in the strict sense it acts as a census substitute (for England and Wales at least).  The 1931 census was destroyed in the war and there was no census in 1941 for obvious reasons.

Fig 4:  1939 Register showing 5 Hickling Road Ilford

In September 1939 Minnie was living with her widowed Father who had by this time retired.  They were the only two residents at 5 Hickling Road Ilford.  Minnie is described as a Machinist (now invalid).  The nature of her malady is not described but as she was to live for another 45 years it could not have been too serious.  She remained living at this address for many years.  Curiously her sister (my Grandmother) Nellie TRENDALL (PARROCK 1893-1970) is also listed at the address in the Electoral Roll 1964 although we know that she was living in the US.  In 1939 the Register shows us that the area was one occupied by upper working class families with jobs such as postmen, typists and shop assistants, although one neighbour lists his occupation as ‘Canadian Cattle Rancher Retired’ which would have made conversation in the local pub a little more interesting, or perhaps not – tales of prairies may have quickly worn thin in suburban Essex. Hickling Road is made up of three bedroom terraced houses so she would have had plenty of space to herself for her remaining years at home.

Alfred (senior) died in Hickling Road in May 1955, of heart disease and senility.  His death was registered by his son, also Alfred (PARROCK 1894-1973).

Apart from appearing in electoral rolls there is nothing else about Minnie PARROCK, that I have found, until her death in 1984.   She died in Chadwell Heath Hospital on 23^rd April 1984.  Her home address is given as a residential care home in Ilford.  Her death was registered by her sister Gladys (Gladys PARROCK, later WILLOUGHBY 1901-1998).  There is no record of a will or of any newspaper obituary or notices.  She left little lasting imprint on the public record.

I have mentioned some of Minnie’s siblings. But until a few years ago I had never heard of any of them.  Gladys lived until 1998 and Alfred (junior) until 1973.  Perhaps other members of the family were in touch with them but families easily drift apart.  Gladys died in Devon and Alfred in Hertfordshire.  Nellie died in the USA in 1970 so by the end of their lives they were distributed across the UK and beyond.  I will always remember Great Aunt Min, but it would have been nice to know Great Aunt Gladys and Great Uncle Alfred.

Philip Trendall

May 2020

Note:  Somewhere I have a picture of Minnie PARROCK.  Just one.  I will post it when I find it.