Back in September on our tenting holiday in Gwithian, Cornwall. I was really lucky that during the middle weekend of our stay, there was a Postcard Fair at Hellesveor Methodist Chapel, St Ives. It was a very rainy morning so I didn’t arrive until about 11 but I don’t think I missed much as I had some great finds. I have scanned all the old postcards I bought and shared some on social media.

The fair was organised by Steve and Doug and this small collection of old postcards I found on one of Steve’s tables. I was trying to get ones with some writing on the back and as I sifted through I noticed some that were sent to the same household.

Either written to a Mrs or a Miss Gale, some to Beetley in Norfolk and some to Lowestoft in Suffolk, so I had another look carefully through the two piles of postcards on the table and picked out any with Gale on or any with similar writing as they may be relatives.

Then when we got home from our holiday as I was scanning and looking a little closer at the details on the back I realised that I definitely would be able to trace this family with the snippets of information.

So starting a family tree on Ancestry with Miss G M Gale, her father F B Gale, and her mother Louise and I also added a brother Frank M Gale. I thought my best bet to find the family was Frank, as I had a name and not an initial, and I was right as my first search for him resulted in this 1891 census record with him aged 4 and his family living at the School House in Beetley, Norfolk! Father was Francis B Gale b 1855 in Chichester, Sussex. Mother was Louisa A Gale b 1860 in Bramfield, Suffolk. The children were Frank M Gale aged 4 and Grace M Gale aged 9 months. Father Francis was the ‘Schoolmaster, Elementary‘ with Louisa as the ‘Schoolmistress, help‘ With the family living at the School House, Beetley, Suffolk.

I now had first names for the family and I was able to add lots more to their family tree including the next generation back, so I might be able to identify some of the senders of these postcards if they were family members.

This first postcard photo is Frank Marsden Gale 1886-1958. In 1911 he was in the Royal Navy working in the engine room of a vessel in China and the East Indies. Then ten years later on the 1921 census, still in the Royal Navy aged 34 now he is a ‘Chief ERA? So I looked it up and “In the British Royal Navy, ERA stands for Engine Room Artificer, which is a specialized position on naval vessels. ERAs are typically fitters and turners, boilermakers, coppersmiths, or engine smiths“. In 1939 Frank’s occupation was as an Engine Fitter and Turner, he is in civilian life now and has married.

But the lady Frank married in 1925, Sarah Jane, was previously married to another chap working for the Royal Navy in the engine room, doing the same job. Sarah Jane Pearce married George Cussons in 1914, and they had a daughter born in 1920 called Gladys Muriel Cussons, on the 1921 census the three of them were together as a family living at 27 Richmond Road, Gillingham, Kent. Between this census on 19 June 1921 and their marriage, in the July quarter of 1925, she must have left her husband and been granted a divorce, although I’ve not found one. After Frank married Sarah her surname and her daughter’s changed to Gale. It feels like there was an interesting story to tell about Frank doesn’t there, maybe even scandal!On the 1939 Register, George Cussons was still in the Royal Navy and married, there are too many possibilities for the name to identify a new wife.

“Dear Rill. Mother arrived home safely yesterday. Thank you for your letter, I will write during the week. Have cycled home this week & am now going back. 7pm. Hope to see you at Easter. Love from Frank” Rill is obviously a nickname for his sister, who’s actual full name was Grace Muriel Gale.

This one was sent to Mrs Gale. Her full birth name was Louisa Aldous (Marsden).

“Tell mother to look out for long letter on Monday? The dance last night was lovely. I hope you & the other invalid are improving in health. Love to all, from Gerty“. Gerty was not a child of Mrs Gale and I haven’t identified her yet….more later.

“Dear Rill. Thank you & Frank for the dear little tongs you so kindly sent me. Hope you are enjoying your holiday. Love from Auntie Gerty” Looks like ‘Rill’ was the name everyone in the family called Grace Muriel. Also, we have another clue ‘Auntie!’ So, it’s time to try and add some siblings for Mr and Mrs Gale on the tree to see if I can identify Gerty.

I decided to try Mrs Louisa Gale’s family first as I felt it was more likely to be her side of the family. Starting with her Father, Rufus Marmaduke Marsden (great name )1824-1892. He was a Timber Merchants Clerk. He married Angelina Aldous 1821-1859, on 30 July 1845 in Suffolk. The couple had six children, the youngest was Louisa Aldous Marsden, our Mrs Gale, born in the late summer of 1859. Her Mother Angelina sadly died on 21 August, 10 days after she was born. Digital death certificate showing the cause of death below.

On 7 April 1861, the date of the 1861 census Rufus was living with his six children and his widowed Mother Elizabeth was also living with them. Just three days later Rufus married his second wife Louisa Maria Lock 1830-1874. She would have been a great help with looking after his children. The family are together on the 1871 census with Rufus described as a Commercial Clerk/Landowner. His wife Louisa was just 44 when she died, very likely as a result of Tuberculosis. Digital death certificate below for Louisa.

Three years later on 1 December 1877 Rufus married his third wife Matilda Ann Drewell 1842-1917. Rufus was now 53 years old and Matilda was 35, in the December of 1880 Matilda gave birth to a daughter Gertrude Emily Marsden 1880-1972. At last we have found Gerty!

Here’s a quick list of Rufus’s wives and children’s names just in case you might have them on your family tree.

Gertrude Emily Marsden was born on 30 December 1880 in Wangford, Suffolk. Gerty married Stephen Louis Giraud on 1 September 1903 in Suffolk. They had two children, Gertrude Evelyn Marsden Giraud in 1907 and Peggy Marsden Giraud in 1910. Gerty died on 4 March 1972 at 91 in Wandsworth, London. In the census of 1911, her husband Stephen’s occupation was a Journalist, Newspaper Editor/ Manager. In the 1921 census below he is a Printer’s Manager for a Newspaper proprietor. Their daughters are 15 and 11 now.

By 1939 he was a Publisher, the family were all living at Moss Hall House, Ballards Lane, London.

I googled Stephen Louis Giraud and found this article by Candy Bedworth about Pop-Up Books in the Art Magazine written in 2022, with a small part here: “The First World War saw the increase of production of labour and decrease in movable books production. People and materials were needed in the war effort, and imports/exports of children’s books declined. But then through the 1930s and 1940s, there was something of a renaissance in pop-up publishing. Stephen Louis Giraud produced annuals for the British Daily Express newspaper and created the Bookano Series. These did not have the detail and skill of earlier pop-up, but as inexpensive, brightly coloured books, they were incredibly popular. Some argue that the Bookano books are the first true pop-up books for children because the pop-ups can be viewed from a full 360 degrees, not just the front side facing the viewer”. 

Here’s just one that he produced: Hans Andersen’s fairy stories: with pictures that spring up in model form:(Hardcover) Giraud, S. Louis (Stephen Louis) Published by London: Strand Publications.

More about him as a Publisher here: Stephen Louis Giraud

For Auld Lang Syne “From Teddie Reynolds“. Maybe an old pupil’s child?

” Mileham. We wish to run a double session on Wednesday, with interval of one hour. Am I within my rights in doing so, if I state the fact in log book. Hope you are all well Please excuse my amateur efforts but wife thought you might take sufficient interest in babies for Mrs G to wish for photo. Yours J“

“A Happy Xmas to all, sorry no time to write, have been staying out, only returned yesterday. This is the back of our house & two of the servants. Love to all. Bessie?“

What a lovely photo of Gerty‘s two daughters sent to Mrs F B Gale, Louisa, of course, if you were married then you took the initials/name of your husband in correspondence as in this case, Francis Barkham F B Gale.

“Gertrude Evelyn Marsden Giraud, age 5 yrs 10 mths. Peggy Marsden Giraud age 2 yrs“. Gertrude never married and died on 21 August 1970 in London. Peggy married Norman Saunders in 1938 and they had two children. Peggy died in 2002 aged 91.

The writer of this postcard has given us a great clue here as to what Grace may have been doing, I think that she also was teaching like her parents.

“Hope you with your new head are doing well. So glad you have co. Love to Kitty. Don’t forget my little ?“

This is Francis and Louisa Gale below on the 1921 census, they are both retired now, and they have Louisa’s eldest sister Elizabeth Angelina visiting, she is also retired, she was a Housekeeper and remained single and was in service most of her life, Elizabeth died in 1926.

This was nice to read and I suspect that the couple are Gerty and her husband Stephen, the publisher. As there is mention of their daughter Peggy giving 4 shillings to Aunt Mary, one of Louisa’s sisters.

This below is Mr Francis Barkham Gale, Headmaster.

Here’s the family tree I’ve compiled on Ancestry for the Gale family, are they your ancestors? : Gale Family Tree

Till next time then……..