Patricia Iris MILLER (née BORLEY), 1930-2020?



 

I am Mrs Patricia Iris MILLER (when I was single I was known as Iris BORLEY), and I was the middle of a family of seven. First was Edna Joy Borley (always known as Joy) who died at 14 of rheumatic fever, then Raymond, Trevor, me, Harold, Neville and Muriel.

When we were young we lived down Wetherden Road, and we used to play all sorts of games out on the paths – skipping, ball games and hop scotch. We used to go up to our Grandparents at Oak Farm where we would go round the fields to pick blackberries, nuts and flowers. They also had cows and chickens, and would sell the eggs and milk. We always went to the farm for Christmas Day which was good fun. In the school holidays, my friends and I would spend a lot of time playing and walking in the fields – it was quite safe to explore then.

On Saturdays before the War, our father would give us a penny which we would go and spend on sweets at Kay’s shop on the opposite side of the road. Mr Kay used to have a box full of sweets in ½ penny bags which we would buy – there were sometimes hairs in with them as his main job was the village barber! We had two spinster ladies living next to us, and sometimes they would put little bags of sweets through the hedge for us.

Once the War started all sweets disappeared, then rationing was brought in and everybody was issued with ration books. The sweet ration was ¾ lb per month which didn’t go very far. You needed coupons for clothes, but I was lucky as my mother’s cousin, Freddie, used to let me have his. The reason for all the shortages was the German ships and submarines had sunk the American ship which brought all the goods in. The Americans joined the War after the Japanese bombed Pearl Harbour in December 1941. After the War there was still rationing, but you could buy parachutes from the newspaper which we made into underwear, it was a white silky material.

When the War came, my Dad dug a deep air-raid shelter in the garden, all the windows had wooden shutters to block out the light, and there were also crosses put on the glass to stop it shattering. When the sirens went, we all went down and sat in the shelter, but we didn’t do it many times. Once we did hear a doodle-bug going over and we all dived under the table, but thankfully it kept going. Everybody carried their gas masks with them all the time.

On Sunday evenings the national anthems from all the countries which had been over-run by the Germans were played on the wireless.

My mother decided it would be safer for me, my sister (Joy), and brothers (Raymond and Trevor) to emigrate to Canada. We went to Bury St Edmunds for medical checks which we passed, but the Germans started to bomb the ships so it [the proposed emigration] was stopped, although there were a few children we knew who went.

Patricia Iris Miller in 1949, age 19

One Christmas there was an auction/sale at the old Church Hall as there was a shortage of toys etc. I gave my dolls, cot and bedding which were gratefully received. I also gave one of my dolls to Mr Wyatt’s daughter.

We had lots of evacuees from Bethnal Green, London. Anyone who had spare bedrooms had to take them in. Most people had some, but we couldn’t because we already had a house full. The evacuees were good friends and we all mixed together. One of my best friends was Lena Ashton and she was staying with two little toddlers at a house in Jubilee Terrace. She used to walk with me to school to take her little brother and sister to the old Church School, that was where all the little evacuees went and they had their own London teachers. Then Lena would go back to the Fox where there was a room for the older evacuees to have their lessons behind the Pub.

One Saturday afternoon I went to visit my Grandparents at Oak Farm and, when I came home, my mother told me that one of the evacuees who were staying with a neighbour was dead. She got knocked over by a vehicle – it was very sad and such a shock as we very rarely saw any traffic on the road. The mother of the other little girl took her back to London because she thought she might be safer there.

There was a German POW locally who worked on the land and made wooden toys. I used to see a lorry full of them going to work, they wore brown outfits with a yellow sign on their backs. A few eventually married local girls and stayed in this country. We had one of the toys which was two small pieces of wood with a piece of string at the top – it had a little figure which did somersaults when you squeezed the wooden supports together.

My sister, Joy, had an evacuee friend called Frances Diamond who was staying with the Sturgeon family. I had an evacuee friend called Ann Van-Engine who had two brothers with her, and they were living with the King family at 1 Wetherden Road.

My brothers, sister and I used to go to the Baptist Chapel for morning & afternoon services. We used to have an outing to Felixstowe once a year for which contributions were collected during the year. We used to have anniversaries in the spring, when we all had to be up on the stage to sing special hymns and say pieces on our own. My Mum made me a special dress with frills to wear. A lot of people used to come and hear and watch us.

When I was ten, my mum wanted me to go in for the 11-plus exam. Mr Stern, my headmaster at Elmswell, was going to help two other girls who were going to take the exam. When I asked him to help me, he said I had two brothers who could help me. My mother asked my Uncle George to help me – he was very kind and taught me how to do fractions and decimals. We three girls cycled down to Woolpit School where we were to take the exam. I was the only one to pass the exam to go to Grammar School.

At the Grammar school during the lunch time if the weather was bad we would go into the hall where someone would play the piano while the rest would be dancing. I learnt to do ballroom dance there which I loved. When I left school, my friends and I used to bike to the local dances which we really enjoyed. Sometimes there was a social dance held at the old Church School. Once a black American serviceman came who was stationed at Tostock, but the white Americans from Ashfield made him go as they were not allowed to mix.

When I went to the Grammar School in Bury on the train, the Bury platform was full of people. There were children going to lots of different schools and people going to work. There weren’t many buses in those days, so lots of children and adults had to bike from Rattlesden, Woolpit, and Walsham to get the train. The other platform which went to Ipswich, was full of young American soldiers and airmen.

People used to walk up to the hill to Ashfield and watch the American aeroplanes going off to raid over Germany or on their return flights. Many of the young Americans would walk down to the village to go to the pubs, and they soon had friendships with the young local ladies. Some got married, then, when the war was over, the wives went over to America to their husband’s homes. The young American servicemen went home later and, when they left the aerodrome, the English airmen remained for a while.

In those days we had plenty of places where people could work, but now many of the businesses have gone, most having been replaced with houses. The work places were Tate & Lyle opposite Grove Lane, there were five farms and some of them had employees. Ball’s garage was opposite Oak Farm. Horrie’s little shop was just past the Baptist Chapel, then there was Frank J Nunns which was a large business employing many people – they mended agricultural machinery, and I can remember watching the blacksmith replacing the horses’ shoes. Opposite was a little shop which used to collect shoes to repair at Norton. Further down there was a garage opposite the Norman’s shop [now the Mace].

Near the railway station were extra lines where coal would be dropped off for Jewers and Moys to deliver. There were two large mills, one each side of the Station Road. In New Road there was Wrights shop which sold the first TV’s, he also recharged the accumulators weekly for the wirelesses, sold freshly-made ice cream and employed men to do repairs. Rannochs used to have a business opposite processing chickens and eggs, they eventually moved to Haughley Park. There was also a little shop down Wetherden Road which was the barbers, and he did sell a few other things.

At the station there was a large brick building where there were waiting rooms, and a big office where we used to buy our tickets, and another office where customers would collect and leave parcels. At the end of the platform was the signal box, the signalman had to go up a flight of stairs to get to the room which was full of levers which he had to pull to operate the signals. It was also his job to come down to open and close the gates.

In the Thirties, Forties and Fifties, we had no water in the houses, so we used to collect water from the nearest pump. There were also no drains and sewers, so we had to have large holes in the gardens to bury all waste.

Mrs Ross used to run a girls’ Youth Club at the old Church Hall. She organised a concert and plays. I was in two plays, and I did a special dance with Jean Morrison, for which we had special costumes. I had a blue silk jacket, white blouse with frilly neck and cuffs. The trousers were blue to the knees, and I had special socks and shoes plus a white wig. Joan had a lovely lady’s dress. Mrs Ross also took our Youth Club to the Ashfield Aerodrome so we could sing carols to the Americans who were ill or injured.

I enjoyed playing darts and card games with my two older brothers, Raymond and Trevor, and their friends. In the Thirties and Forties there weren’t many people in the village and we knew everybody – it is very different now.

1891 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription

Wetherden, Stow, Suffolk, England

Household Members

First name(s) Last Name Relationship Marital Status Gender Age Birth Year Occupation Birth Place
Samuel Miller Head Married Male 33 1858 Agricultural Labourer Wetherden, Suffolk, England
Sarah Miller Wife Married Female 32 1859 Woolpit, Suffolk, England
Jemimah Miller Daughter Single Female 7 1884 Scholar Woolpit, Suffolk, England
Mabel Miller Daughter Single Female 5 1886 Scholar Woolpit, Suffolk, England
Eliza Miller Daughter Single Female 1 1890 Woolpit, Suffolk, England

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription

Street, Wetherden, Stow, Suffolk, England

Household Members

First name(s) Last Name Relationship Marital Status Gender Age Birth Year Occupation Birth Place
Samuel Miller Head Widower Male 43 1858 Labourer For Drainer Farm Wetherden, Suffolk, England
Mabel Miller Daughter Female 15 1886 Woolpit, Suffolk, England
Eliza Miller Daughter Female 11 1890 Wetherden, Suffolk, England
John Miller Son Male 8 1893 Wetherden, Suffolk, England
Edith MJ Miller Daughter Female 5 1896 Wetherden, Suffolk, England
Sarah E Miller Daughter Female 4 1897 Wetherden, Suffolk, England

1911 England, Wales & Scotland Census Transcription

Wetherden Suffolk, Wetherden, Suffolk, England

Household Members

First name(s) Last Name Relationship Marital Status Gender Age Birth Year Occupation Birth Place
Sam Miller Head Widower Male 53 1858 Agricultural Labourer Wetherden, Suffolk, England
Mabel Catherine Miller Daughter Single Female 25 1886 Woolpit, Suffolk, England
John Miller Son Single Male 18 1893 Scholar Wetherden, Suffolk, England

 

Bertie Hilton MILLER

All this information kindly provided by his grand-daughter, Heather Miller

Bertie was born in Wetherden (in 1895, died 1973, cremated Ipswich) to Jonathan & Fanny MILLER (née TRICKER), and the family moved to Elmswell’s Rose Lane before 1911.
Jonathan farmed and ran a haulage business (firstly with a horse, then changing to lorries) which Bertie ran for over 40 years until his brother Ronnie took it over.
Bertie married Elizabeth (COSHALL) in Erith (Kent) in 1919*, served on Elmswell Parish Council for 42 years, and has a road named after him in the village, Miller Close. Other long-serving councillors also had roads named after them.
He was also a member of the village Bowls Club, Oddfellows, Over-60’s Helping Hand Club, and was one of the first members of Elmswell Fire Brigade.

Report of their Golden Wedding in the Bury Free Press, 1969

Mr Bertie Miller and his wife, Elizabeth, of Rose Lane, Elmswell, celebrated their golden wedding on Monday. One of the guests was Mrs Miller’s sister, Mrs Ivy Cattermole, a bridesmaid at their wedding..

Mr Miller, who will be 74 in October, was brought up at Wetherden. Early in his working life, he travelled around London and the Home Counties, and met his wife in Kent; they were married in Erith.

The couple then moved to Elmswell, where Mr Miller eventually took over his father’s haulage business. He remembers the excitement caused by the arrival of the first motor lorry to be used by his father, in 1919.

He has been an Elmswell parish councillor for 42 years, and is a long-serving member and trustee of the Elmswell lodge of the Oddfellows.

The Millers have five children, five grandchildren, and one great-grandchild.

Report of Bertie Miller’s funeral in the Bury Free Press, May 1973

The death occurred on May 13th at St Mary’s Hospital, Bury St Edmunds, of Mr Bertie Hilton Miller of Rose Lane, Elmswell. Some 40 years ago Mr Miller took over his father’s haulage contractor’s business which has been recently been trading under the name B H Miller & Son. Mr Miller had been a parish councillor for 42 years, and the council recently showed its gratitude of his services by naming Miller Close after him.

Mr Miller was also one of the first members of Elmswell Fire Brigade, a life-long member of the Oddfellows, an active member of the local Bowls Club, and also a member of the Helping Hand Club (over-60’s).

The funeral service, conducted by the Rev F King, was held at Elmswell Methodist Church, followed by cremation at Ipswich Crematorium. The mourners were:

Mrs E Miller (widow), Mr & Mrs R Miller (son and daughter-in-law), Mr & Mrs C Nunn, Mr & Mrs G Hurst, Mr & Mrs A Williams (sons-in-law and daughters), Mrs A Snell (sister), Mrs I Cattermole and Mrs A Miller (sisters-in-law), Mr & Mrs M Selfe, Mr & Mrs A Beasley, Mr & Mrs M Hobson, Mr & Mrs R Nunn, Mr & Mrs G Eley (grandchildren), Mr & Mrs R Coshall, Mr & Mrs S Coshall (brothers-in-law and sisters-in-law), Mr & Mrs H Miller, Mr & Mrs E Morgan, Mrs S Forsdyke (also representing Mr Forsdyke), (nephews and nieces).

Others included Mrs E Armstrong (Secretary, Helping Hand Club and also representing Mr Armstrong), Mrs E Brett, Mrs Taylor, Mrs E Clarke and Mr R Manning(representatives Helping Hand Club), Mr H R B Baker (representing R Baker & Son), Mr W Elliston (also representing Mrs Elliston), Mr E Bennett and Mr F Elliston (also representing Elmswell Parish Council), Mr & Mrs W Moyes, Mr W Phillips, Mr D Hurst, Mr P Eka, Mr W Borley (also representing Mr & Mrs J Brown), Mr N Borley, Mr P Hawes, Mr W Cook, Mr A W Smith (Hepworth), Mr J Goymer (representing Oddfellows), Mrs B Bishop (also representing Mr Bishop), the Rev Colson, Mrs G Fellingham, Mrs G Bruce (also representing Mr Bruce), Mrs J Bloomfield (also representing Mr Bloomfield), Mr & Mrs F Rush, Mr & Mrs A J Wade, Mr & Mrs W Martin, Mr & Mrs L Allsop, Mr & Mrs W Gosling, Mrs Lee, Miss M Halls, and Mrs Fisher.

 

Ronald Bertie William MILLER

This information kindly provided by Ron’s daughter, Heather Miller

Ronnie was born on 28th February 1925 to Bertie & Elizabeth, being their third child (of five) and the only boy – his sisters were Ivy, Peggy, Joan and Margaret.

He attended Elmswell School until the age of 14, and his school friends were Teddy Woolnough and Denny Atkins. While he was at school, he had various jobs like paper rounds, delivery boy, and anything else he could to earn a few pence.

The family had a big horse which was used for pulling the cart which Ron used to look after. Ron spent the end of the WWII in the RAF.

When his father’s health was failing and after his subsequent death, Ron took over running the haulage business started by his grandfather, Jonathan, with a horse and cart. Up until the 1960’s, Ron used to farm two fields, in Church Road and Warren Lane, where they grew potatoes and sugar beet. The business, B H Miller & Son, was in Rose Lane. They had three lorries carting sugar from Tate & Lyle’s depot in Elmswell and Cantley sugar factory to shops and factories in Norfolk and Suffolk, also taking sugar beet to Bury’s sugar beet factory. Later, two of the lorries carted containers from Felixstowe docks.

In the early 1950’s, Ron helped to build the Memorial Hall in Cooks Road with other volunteers from the village, and his daughter, Hazel, was picked to present a bouquet of flowers to Mrs Chamberlin who made the project possible. He also helped with the over-60’s club and parties.

He enjoyed playing and watching all sports, particularly football, darts, snooker and bowls. While he was playing football for Elmswell, he broke his leg badly, but that didn’t stop him continuing to play bowls and darts.

He married Iris BORLEY, and they had two daughters, Hazel and Heather, as well as five grandsons and one grand-daughter. During his retirement, he enjoyed gardening with his wife, and spending time with his family.

 

MILLER Family Tree (as at 2015)

Kindly provided by Heather Miller

Jonathan MILLER (born 1861 in Wetherden, died 1935 buried in Elmswell Cemetery) moved to Elmswell’s Rose Lane between 1901 and 1911 with his wife, Fanny, née TRICKER (born 1858 in Stowmarket, died 1933, buried in Elmswell Cemetery).

Their nine children were Robert Frederick (born 1883), Eliza Katherine (born 1885, died 1886), Jonathan Junior(born 1888), Herbert Edward (born and died 1889), Ellen Rose (born 1890, died 1955), Andrew (born 1893), Bertie Hilton (born 1895, died 1973, cremated in Ipswich), Albert Victor (born 1898, died 1951, buried Elmswell Cemetery), and Ada Janette (born 1901). All the children were born in Wetherden.

Robert Frederick married Hannah DUTTON, moved to Wickham – had four children, girl (name unknown), Vera, Hilton, and Ronald.

Jonathan (Junior) moved to Kilham (1911 Census) where he was working as a farm servant and living with the HARAH family.

Ellen Rose married Walter KNELLOR in 1914 – they had one daughter, Dorothy (1915-2003) who married Bertie FORSDYKE and they had one daughter, Celia (living in Elmswell).

Albert Victor married Frances Albina HALLS – they had no children and are buried in Elmswell Cemetery.

Bertie Hilton married Elizabeth COSHALL (born 1898 in Crayford, died 1977, cremated Ipswich) in Erith before moving to Elmswell’s Rose Lane. Their children were:- Ivy Ada (born 1920, died 1989) who married Charles NUNN, Peggy Rose Victoria (born 1921, died 20012) who married George HURST, Ronald Bertie William (born 1925, died 2001) who married Patricia Iris BORLEY, Joan Elizabeth (born 1927, died 1992 in Colchester), and Margaret Pauline (born 1940) who married Alan WILLIAMS.

Ada Janette MILLER married Arthur Herbert Tobit MULLEY (1901-1952) in Elmswell in 1923. Their three children were:- May who married Edmund HORGAN, Doreen who married Derek PRATT, and Herbert. In later life, after Arthur Mulley’s death, Ada married Mr SNELL and moved to Ipswich.

Ronald’s wife, (Patricia) Iris (née BORLEY), and grandson Daniel and his family still live in Elmswell’s Rose Lane.

Ada and Ellen also have descendants still living in the village.

 

Louis & Florence BORLEY

 

Kindly provided by Heather Miller

Louis & Florence BORLEY lived in Oak Farm, Ashfield Road, Elmswell. Louis ran the farm and was also a hurdle maker. Florence ran a laundry service which she had done in Stowmarket before they married. Florence’s maiden name was CROSS, and she came from Woolpit. The family were regular attendants at the Baptist Church in Ashfield Road.

They had four children – Vera (who married William Borley), Eva, George and Olive.

George worked in the office at the Bacon Factory and served in the RAF during the War. He attended the Methodist Church regularly and it was a great sadness when he died at the early age of 39 from cancer. Eva and Olive helped around the farm and house, and lived at Oak Farm until their mother’s death in 1972, when they moved to a semi-detached house in Ashfield Road.

 

John William BORLEY married Ellen MILLER and was the local builder – he is mentioned in the local magazine and commemorated for building the Bier Shelter in the cemetery. Their children were William, John, and Ruth.

 

Elmswell 1950-70’s Memories of Heather MILLER

I was born in the summer of 1954 to Ron and Iris MILLER, and we lived at Jubilee Terrace with my sister, Hazel, until I was 3, when in 1957 we moved to Rose Lane where my Mum still lives. Although Jubilee Terrace had no running water, drains, sewer, or rubbish collection, when we moved to Rose Lane, we did have running water and drainage, but it was 1960 before we had a proper inside toilet.

The school we attended until the age of 11 was in School Road, and the teachers were Head Master Mr Kirby, Mr Proctor, Mrs Hurrel, and Miss Goddard. I am the third girl on the front row of the 1961 school photo. We still had a free small bottle of milk with a straw at the morning breaks. As we lived near, we went home for lunch, but I can remember the cooks were Mrs Peachey and Auntie Doreen (Mrs Pratt). At break times, the girls played games like skipping, juggling balls, pick-up sticks and jacks in the back playground. Mrs Cook, Mrs Handyside and Mrs Toombs ran the Girls Brigade which was held once a week at the Wesley Hall – it was really good fun.

I was lucky to be a bridesmaid five times – first for my Auntie Margaret at the Methodist Chapel, then for my Uncle Neville in Bury St Edmunds. Next was for Jenny Hurst (in about 1965) which was quite an occasion in the village as it was a double wedding with her twin sister, Josephine, at St John’s Church. My sister Hazel’s was the fourth wedding, again at the Methodist Chapel, and the last time was for my friend, Janice Fairley, at St John’s.

I used to love riding my little red bike round the village, running errands or visiting my Great Grandmother at Oak Farm, and Grandparents at The Green, Woolpit. Grandad Miller, who lived next door to us, would send me to Kinsey’s shop opposite the Fire Station for his 1oz of Golden Virginia and a packet of green papers; he showed me how to roll a cigarette which was quite a good party piece, although I never took up the habit. There was no age limit for buying tobacco, or it hadn’t reached Elmswell! If I was lucky, he would give me a three-penny joe (sweet).

Mr & Mrs Fairley built a large bungalow at the bottom of Rose Lane and, around 1961, moved in from Rattlesden with their five children; Janice was the middle child, and we became very good friends. We decided we would like to learn to swim, so we caught the bus to Stowmarket every Saturday morning to attend swimming classes in the outdoor pool, which I can remember was usually very cold! We would have been aged about 11 (1965), and had just started Beyton Secondary Modern school which didn’t have a swimming pool at the time. We were asked to collect paper and cardboard to raise money for the school’s Swimming Pool Fund, so Janice and I would use my Grandad’s cart to collect paper and take it to Mrs Christmas, the domestic science teacher, who lived in Church Road. It’s amazing how much we used to cram into the boot of her little Austin 1100. We would travel to Beyton School on an old bus owned by Mulley’s of Ixworth, and we used to catch it outside the Railway Tavern. The buses were so old I thought they were going to break down.

At the same time, I joined the Elmswell Youth Club which was run by P.C.Sheppard, where I enjoyed the table tennis and badminton. Once a month there was a dance with a local band; I loved the dancing, but the music was very loud and made your ears throb afterwards. A bit later I started playing football for the Woolpit Bluebirds; there were a couple of other girls from the village, Susan Southgate and Carol Elliston, who played too.

In the 1960’s, building work started on the allotments at the end of Rose Lane, which is now Pightle Close, where there were three shops (wool shop, hairdressers, and grocery shop) which I used to go to for my Mum after school. Sometimes I would go to the Mace shop, old Post Office, or Wrights in New Road.

Most of my school holidays were spent with my Dad on his lorry, delivering sugar. We used to get up at 5am, drive to Cantley Sugar Factory, load up with sugar and deliver it around Suffolk and Norfolk. On Saturday mornings, I would help wash the lorries and pump up the tyres. Dad used to do most of the servicing, but for bigger jobs and toward the end, he would get Des Bevan in. In the earlier days, the lorries used to delivery sugar beet to Bury Sugar Beet factory, and two of the lorries later carted containers from Felixstowe Docks. I can also remember Dad move a few local residents in the village.

For a few years, we hired a caravan for a week at Great Yarmouth where I can remember it often rained and we spent the afternoons playing cards with Auntie May, Uncle Ned and Cousin Dennis (the Horgans) and Auntie Dorrie. We also went to a few shows, and I can remember seeing Bob Monkhouse and Bruce Forsyth. After a couple of years, Dad decided to bring his lorry, so he went off during the day to cart sugar.

Life seemed to be so much slower in the Sixties – there were not many cars about as most people walked or biked. Many of the residents worked in the village, mostly at the Bacon Factory or Rannoch’s at Haughley Park. At 7.30am during the week, I would hear the hooter at the Bacon Factory sound for the start of their working day, also at lunch time and again at the end of the working day.

I can remember one of our neighbours, Mrs Dolly Hurst, would in the afternoons be leaning against the front gate knitting, and my Grandad Miller would walk to the top of the lane and stand against Reg Cooper’s gate with a few other elderly men, passing the time of day.

In about 1970, the Fire Station started running dancing classes, where I went with my Mum and occasionally my sister. We enjoyed the dancing, which was run by Mr & Mrs Martin, who also took us to their Ixworth dancing classes and club.

After leaving school at 15 (1969), I worked for John Rannoch’s with my sister in the Accounts office – I took over Jill Redit’s job when she left to have a baby. I also worked at Young’s Seafood in Grove Road, before moving to Germany after marrying.
Children I remember in my same school year:
Janice Fairley, Barbara Toombs, Julia Turner, Paul Peachey, Russell Lomax, Boyd Britain, Gloria Manning, Glenys Roper, Paul Scase, Nicholas Crook, Richard Rookard, Heather Rose, Brian Howe, Terry Southgate, Isobelle Nunn, and David Neeve.
Older children:                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                      Anne Baker, Ann Rudland, Iris Waller, Dawn Lomax, Sally Ann Spanton, Brian Bendal, Anthony Stiff, and Hazel Bloomfield.

 

BORLEY and MILLER FamilyTree – as at February 2015

Kindly provided by Heather Miller

Branch 1

John BORLEY (1787-1869, was born in Haughley, married Tabitha BAKER (1790-1860) on 29th Dec 1812. Their seven children were:-
John (1813-1861), James (1814-1815), William (1815- 1899), Loius (1819-1834), Eliza (1823-1884), George (1827-1902) and Harriet (1831-1855, buried at Elmswell Church).
Branch 1

William BORLEY, John & Tabitha’s third son, married Elizabeth (SURNAME?) (1817-1841) and they had one daughter Elizabeth (1838-1841), both mother and daughter died in 1841. William is shown on the census as moving back with his parents until he re-married Elizabeth RAWLINSON (1833-????), and they had a son called John BORLEY (1862- 1941). John was a builder and is recorded and commemorated as building the Bier Shelter in the cemetery. He married (Ruth) Ellen MILLER (1871-1954), both buried in Elmswell Cemetery. John & Ellen had a son, William John (1900-1994, cremated Risby) and daughter Ruth (1901-????)

William BORLEY was a builder/carpenter who married Vera Lucertia BORLEY (1905- 1968). Their children were Edna Joy (1926-1940, buried in Elmswell Cemetery), Raymond Alistair (1927-present), Trevor Western (1928-2008, buried in Elmswell Cemetery), Patricia Iris (1930-present), Harold Leslie George (1935-present), Neville Roussel (1938-present) & Muriel Josephine (1943-present).

Trevor BORLEY married Fay (SURNAME?), moved to Wetherden, returning to Elmswell on retirement. They had three children – Helen, Margaret & Terry.
Iris (Patricia) BORLEY married Ronald (Ronnie) MILLER, lived in Elmswell and had two daughters – Hazel & Heather (1952-present).

Neville BORLEY married Eileen (SURNAME?), moved to Bury St Edmunds and had two sons – Iain & Marc.

Harold BORLEY married Alsa (SURNAME?), moved to Ipswich and had three children – John, Adrian and Clare.

Raymond and Muriel did not marry.

Branch 2

George BORLEY, John & Tabitha’s fifth child, married Elizabeth WRIGHT (1833-1891). Their four children were:-
George Arthur (1867-1891, died same day as mother, and buried at Elmswell’s St John’s Church), Harriet Elizabeth (1871-????), Louis Henry (1872-1953) and Frederick William (1871-1942).

Harriet BORLEY married Horace GREEN and moved to Framlingham, they had one daughter – Vera.

Frederick BORLEY married Sophie Ellen (SURNAME?). He was a farmer and they lived in Mulberry Farm next to Oak Farm. They had one son, Frederick George (1904-1988), who was the local gravedigger.

Louis Henry BORLEY (farmer & hurdle maker) married Florence Lucretia CROSS (1881-1973), born in Woolpit, ran a laundry service from their home, Oak Farm, Ashfield Road, which she had done in Stowmarket before they married. The family were regular attendants at the Baptist Church in Ashfield Road. Their four children were:-

Vera Lucretia (1905-1969, died of heart/thyroid problems) married William BORLEY

Evelyn (Eva) Maud (1909-1992),
George Louis (1913-1952, cancer), and
Olive Muriel (1916-1976, stroke).

George worked in the office at Elmswell’s Bacon Factory and served in the RAF during the WW2. He attended the Methodist Church regularly, and it was a great sadness when he died at the early age of 39 from cancer. He did not marry.

Evelyn (Eva) and Olive also did not marry, but helped around the farm and house. They lived at Oak Farm until their mother’s death in 1973, after which they moved to a semi-detached house in Ashfield Road.

Vera Lucretia married William John BORLEY – see third paragraph above, under Branch 1.

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