When I was away last week I had a message from a descendant of Thomas Lippiatt and Sarah Jane Sheate who lives in New Zealand. This is part of his message “I was excited to find that you have a wedding photo of Thomas Lippiatt and Sarah Jane Sheate.
Sarah Jane is my Great Grandfathers cousin. Their Fathers being brothers”

He went on to say that one of their Grandchildren “Peter Reginald Davey married 1st Eva (Anna) Wing the Actress who played Lou Beale in EastEnders, Their son is Mark Wing-Davey who is involved in the theatre” How fabulous is that! This lovely chap Micheal is now in contact with the descendant in the UK who now owns all the family photographs that I found. Micheal was also kind enough to share the wedding certificate with me too.

Anna Wing was born Eva Lydia Catherine Wing on 30 October 1914 in Hackney, London to parents Albert Wing & Eugenie Sawyer, they had married on 7 September 1901. Her family had lived in London’s East End for several generations, and her parents ran a fruit & veg shop. She is best known to all of us of course for portraying the Beale & Fowler family matriarch Lou Beale on BBC’s East Enders from 19 February 1985, until the character was killed off in 26 July 1988. Anna Wing Died 7 July 2013 (aged 98)  Hackney, East London, England. In 2009 she was awarded an MBE Member of the Order of the British Empire for her services to drama and charity. Picture below.

Although the couple had a son Mark Wing Davey in 1948, they only seem to have been married for about three years from 1947 to 1950. Mark Wing Davey is an Actor and Director. I have updated the big family tree on Ancestry to include the new additions, link here.  Lippiatt, Searle etc Family Tree  . Some more links below for Anna Wing.

Anna Wing on Wikipedia   &   Anna Wing on Find A Grave Memorial on

I have five blogs on here about the huge family and the wonderful collection of old photos I found.

Link to Part 1 of my Blogs about the family. Lippiatt, Searle, Hobb & Alder Family  .

A ‘Family Album’ gathering to mark the passing of Lou Beale, matriarch of Albert Square and Britain’s favourite television granny, who “has died peacefully in her sleep” so that actress Anna Wing couldwithdraw from the cast of the BBC-1 top-rated serial to work on other projects. Lou is seated with Ian (Adam Woodyatt) and Michelle (Susan Tully). Standing are, from left: Arthur (played by Bill Treacher); Pauline (played by Wendy Richard), Kathy (played by Gillian Taylforth) and Pete (played by Peter Dean)

Till next time then………………..