Line in Record @I114@ (RIN 282435) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
CAUS asian flu
Line in Record @I104@ (RIN 282425) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
CAUS psoriasis and exfoliative dermititisLine in Record @I104@ (RIN 282425) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
OCCU a coal merchant and a shopkeeper
William's residence at the time of his baptism is recorded as 7 Bermondsey Buildings, Bermondsey, London.From a young age until the age of 14 he lived with his grandmother Louisa Miller (nee Clark) in Compasses Court, off Tower Bridge Road, Bermondsey, London. At the age of 14 he started work and resumed living with his mother in Rephidim Street in Bermondsey. Shortly after moving back with his parents they moved to Alderminster Road, Bermondsey.
It was whilst living at Alderminster Road that he met Mary Ann Bullion. The address given on his marriage certificate of Horney Lane is neither his nor that of his proposed wife but a family member, used for convenience to ensure that they would be married at St Mary Magdalen, Bermondsey, regarded by both Ripper and Bullion families as their family church.
Their first home was living with William's parents in Alderminster Road. This was close to the railway marshalling yards and was bombed during World War II. All their wedding photographs and other family memorabilia was lost at this time.
For much of the Second World War William was in the army and spent time in North Africa and Italy, being part of the Royal West Kent Regiment. He fought at Monte Cassino. His war medals are on display in the house of his son Kenneth. They are the 1939-45 Star, The Italy Star, The Defence Medal and the War Medal 1939-45.
William and Mary's first real home was at 77 Vauban Estate, Spa Road, Bermondsey.
After the war William took on his father's coal delivery business which was based in a yard at 45/49 Dockley Road, Bermondsey. This he ran until the mid 1960's. He spent much of his time delivering coal to houses and flats in Bermondsey throughout the winter, whilst Mary served coal in smaller quantities from the coal yard to people who collected it.
This time was a hard existence for them, particularly in the winter. William would frequently leave home in the very early hours of the morning to take his place in the queue of lorries collecting coal from the wharf at St Pancras. Having loaded about 150 sacks of coal (weighing 1cwt each - 50kg) he would deliver this to homes in Bermondsey before returning to pick up a further load later in the day. It was not unusual for him to return home after 9 o'clock at night, tired and grimy having delivered up to 15 tons of coal in the day. Mary would also spend her day in the cold, dark and grime of the coalyard, weighing and selling coal in quarter, half and hundredweight quantities. She also had her two sons to look after
at that time, Billy being a teenager and Ken being at junior school.In the late 1950's the family moved from 77 to 94 Vauban Estate, primarily to move away from the horrors of overlooking the adjacent glue factory. This factory also skinned hides and boiled grass in preparation for the local tanning industry for which Bermondsey was famous. The smell and dirt was awful. By moving into an adjoining block, but at the far end, the effects were somewhat alleviated.
It had always been their wish to live in a house rather than a flat and in 1962 the family moved to a house at 13 Linsey Street, Bermondsey.
It was about this time that Mary ceased selling coal from the coal yard. Their two youngest children were born, Sheila in 1960 and Raymond in 1962. Whilst Raymond was still small, the family took over the newsagents, tobacconists and confectioners shop at 31 Linsey Street and for a few years the coal delivery round was run alongside the shop.
Eventually, in the early 1970's the shop closed because of redevelopment of the area and the family moved to 19 Reverdy Road, Bermondsey. No longer having the coal round nor the shop William joined the post office delivering mail from depot to depot.
He was known as strong willed and dedicated man who worked exceedingly hard for his family. He was clearly mellowing as the pressures of his working life were lifting and he enjoyed his first three grandchildren. His joy in seeing his family develop into the warm, strong, caring and responsible people he always wanted them to be was foreshortened by his death from psoriasis in 1974.
Patricia was mentally retarded and spent much of her childhood and teenage years in a home. She died aged about 19.
Line in Record @I133@ (RIN 282454) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
CREM
Line in Record @I110@ (RIN 282431) from GEDCOM file not recognized:
RESI