A History of Women's Lives in Scunthorpe by Carole Mcentee-Taylor

Author:Carole Mcentee-Taylor [Mcentee-Taylor, Carole]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Tags: History, Europe, Great Britain, General, Social Science, Women's Studies
ISBN: 9781526717191
Google: Xkg5xQEACAAJ
Publisher: Pen & Sword History
Published: 2019-03-30T04:15:28+00:00

1929

Ida Sturman (née Whitehead) was born in 1929 and moved to Scunthorpe in 1939. She was one of six children. Ida worked at Littlewoods and met John Sturman, known as Jack, when she was 16. The couple married the following year when Ida was 17 and Jack 21. Jack eventually became the Mayor of Scunthorpe in 1966-67.

School diary: 7.1.29 The school was reopened this morning after the Christmas vacation as a Junior Girls’ School with 370 on the roll. All the girls are under 9 years of age. This number (370) comprises the junior section of the Old Doncaster Rd and Crosby Girls’ school, 222 being from Doncaster Road.

Edith Sharpe was born on 25 July 1900 in Stratford, Essex to Albert Emmanuel and Ellen Jane Sharpe (née Norris). She had an older brother Albert William (b.1893) and older sister Mabel Frances (b.1896). On 22 October, the family went to South Africa where her two younger brothers, William Coneybear (b.1905) and John George (b.1908) were born.

The family returned to live at 96 Silverdale Road, Tunbridge Wells, Kent. Ellen had died in South Africa and Albert was now a widower. In 1915, Edith’s brother Private (10919) Albert William Sharpe of the South Wales Borderers died in Gallipoli.

After the war, Edith returned to South Africa and married Joseph Bowers (b.1875) on 19 April 1920 at St Cyprian’s Church, Durban, Natal. Not long after they were married Joseph died and in December 1920 Edith, now a widow, returned to England with her brothers William and Jack.

In 1921, Edith married again. This time to Thomas W. Summers. The marriage was later dissolved. On 29 October 1927, Edith married William Leary Stuffin at the Register Office, Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire. At the time Edith was living at 42 Cottage Beck, Scunthorpe and William at the Old Station House, Frodingham.

On 9 September, Edith, who was now 29 and living at 26 Sheffield Street with William and his mother, went into town to do some shopping. On her return she told her mother she wanted to lie down on the bed for a short time. A little while later her mother heard a crash and two screams. She rushed upstairs and found her daughter bleeding from a wound on her left side.

William Leary Stiffin explained that he’d borrowed a gun so he could go rabbit shooting and left it propped up in a corner of the bedroom that he and his wife shared. He’d been sure that the gun could not be accidently knocked over. Beside the gun was a box with three cartridges in. There were now only two.

Constable Marwood, who had been called to the house, stated that he’d spoken to the young woman and Edith had repeatedly said that it had been an accident. She’d been messing about and had not thought the gun would go off. The policeman added that he had no idea how she’d shot herself, but he was sure the wound was selfinflicted.

The jury at the inquest decided they were satisfied Edith had deliberately killed herself and bought in a verdict of suicide while temporarily insane.

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.