Ethel Henrietta Faulkner

She was born in Limehouse, London in 1910, the illegitimate daughter of John Campbell (a merchant seaman) and Eliza Barker. Her maiden name was later changed from Barker to Faulkner when her mother married her step-father Henry Faulkner in 1919. After leaving school she trained as a dressmaker and worked in a factory making clothes for the major London stores.

She met Charles West at St Anne's Church youth club and they were married in 1935. They moved to Kingsbury in 1938 and later to Greenford, Middlesex. Even after her 4 children were born she continued to work at home on her sewing machine, making clothes for private customers. During the 1950's she also worked for a short time in the Lyons sweet factory in Greenford. In 1958 the family moved to Northolt. About this time she decided to become a market trader, selling haberdashery in Southall market. She continued to work as a market trader in Ealing, Acton and Burnt Oak markets for the next 20 years.

After moving to Kingsbury in 1960, she went into business with her sister Emily and brother Harry, opening a haberdashery and dress material shop in Church Lane. This was not a success and the shop closed about 3 years later. The family then moved to Wembley and in 1980 she and Charles retired to Scratby, near Great Yarmouth. After Charles died in 1984 she moved to Soham for a year or so but then returned to Scratby. She continued to use her sewing machine for making her own clothes until her late '80s. She died in 2001 and is buried in Ormsby St Margaret.

 

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