Joe left the army in early 1919 and he and Sarah for the first time since their marriage in 1915, were able to start their life together. Sadly, tragedy was not far away in their early marriage. Sarah gave birth to a son, Kenneth on 26th August 1919. Kenneth lived just 13 days and died on 7th September 1919. There is a very poignant note of his birth in her family bible; his death is noted in different coloured ink - what pain she must have felt when returning to the bible to write that date in it. I know she spent some time in hospital because I have her autograph book which has a lot of signatures from nurses. (I intend the research some of those names)
Kenneth is buried in Kirkdale Cemetery, Liverpool.
After the war, Sarah and Joe settled back in Walton, Liverpool where in 1921 they had a son, Edgar. My mother in law Audrey was born in 1924. Their family was complete. And what a family. I have never seen so many family photos - there are 100s! They were incredibly close knit. Sarah had three sisters and her father remaining alive; Joe had a father and two brothers. The two brothers were in the States at this time, where Joe and Sarah were soon destined to emigrate to (coming up in Part II!)
Edgar and Audrey c1926
After the War, Joe returned to his father's business - he owned a varnish making company that was based around the docks of Liverpool - of course a thriving area at this time.
Joe (right). His father Joseph is centre.
His family are very interesting too!
Sorting through the huge archive of documents my mother in law left
us when she died I discovered that Joe and his father worked on the building of The
Kop in 1927. Joseph's father owned the company but I’m sure Joe
would have done much of the hard graft! I discovered the name of the Company because I found a
letter on headed paper giving a reference to Joe when he headed for America..
From the Liverpool Echo March 1927
“If you inquire of George Patterson, the secretary to the
club, he will tell you that the “Spion Kop” at Anfield has, since its
inception, been particularly devoid of comfort on a wet day."
And so, it was decided to add a roof..
"With the exception of the roof trusses and the four
stanchions in the terracing, all of which will, however, be painted with
selected local bitumastic rust-proof paint from the Mersey Varnish Company,
Bootle, the remainder of the steel is completely buried in the concrete
casings.”
My husband has been a Liverpool fan for decades and for all those years, standing and seated on the Kop, my husband stood beneath the very
roof his grandad worked on!
Joe and his family at some time during the late 1920s decided to try their fortune in America - both his brothers were successful over there. I have a lot of documents and photos of their time in the States (of course I do! ) - which I will share in Part II! However, the rest of this blog will feature some of the wonderful photos of the family at the time of their post-war life in Liverpool. They are pretty stunning! This family loved a photoshoot!
This family loved their photos!I don't know who they all are!Sarah is holding Edgar.
Two of he rsisters and brother in law are at the back
Bottom left is her younder sister, Grace who lived to be 112. More about her later!
Another holiday! Joe at the back next to his father in law, Henry. Sarah is holding either Edgar or Audrey. Two of her sisters are also there.
I love this photo! It's not long after the War and they all look so happy!
Sarah and Joe are standing left, next to her sister Lilian and future
brother in law Tom Percy. Sarah's dad Henry, is seated with Edgar, he was
a shipwright in Liverpool. I have photos and union badges of his. I will follow
the family back from Sarah and Joe, so we will meet him again soon!
Onward next to 1931............and America!
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