Mabel Gertrude TODD [8230]

  General Notes:

1939 Register
Wentworth House The Green , Richmond M.B., Surrey
Mabel GTodd 20 Aug 1868 Single Private Means

Wentworth House
Richmond
Surrey
Aug 9, 1942
My dear Margo
Your letter to Grace arrived on August 7 and now I am writing to tell you the sad news that she did not recover from her last illness and passed away on May 29. I have been meaning to write long before this, but have had so much sad business and no end of letters, I know you will forgive me and understand. I expect Adria or one of the boys have told you. Poor dear Grace failed very much since Christmas, but kept well and active she complained of great pain in her neck and arm and then her voice went and she could only speak in a whisper. Dr M ask us to have the x-rays which revealed an aneurysm in her neck he told us there was no hope of recovery she became rapidly worse and was in bed for 3 weeks, at the last the pain left her and she passed away very peacefully in her sleep at 4 am on May 29 Adria and I and nurse were with her but she did not rouse up at all it was a merciful and peaceful end to a happy and useful life we miss her more than I can tell you.
Thank you so much for your nice kind letters, we love to read all about the little Edward and long to see him he must be sweet and a great joy. We heard Alston Court has been commandeered but heard from Adria that they had taken Longwood instead but she also said Ella and Charlie found the old house to cold and were coming to live near Ham Nancy's farm, but I can hardly believe it we are having a horrid summer so little sun and a lot of rain. Housekeeping is very difficult now but we get on allright.
Our little great-niece came to see us the other day she is just 4 years and a darling, very shy at first but very friendly after a short time and she told us "she was coming again soon". How clever you are to knit so much and . . . . . to spin it must be very difficult.
I hope we won't have a very bad winter, we dread the coming, one hears coal is an awful price so we shall have to be careful.
I am glad dear Harry is well, he was always a great favourite with us, we all love him.
Adria and I send our love to you all and many thoughts for the nice letter.
Yours affectionately
Mabel G Todd
Written on 2 sides of a sheet of letter paper.

Wentworth House
Richmond
Surrey
Sept 27th 1942
My dear Margo
Your nice kind letter took just 2 months to reach us. Thank you for writing I expect you may have heard by now that our dear Grace is no longer with us. She passed away on May 29. I wrote but the mails are very uncertain and often get lost I am afraid. She had been failing all the winter, not really ill, but she became fairly so and was in bed for 3 weeks and then passed away in her sleep very peacefully. It was an aneurysm in her neck and our Dr told us no hope of recovery. I cannot tell you how much we miss (sic) and what a blank it leaves in our home. We had always lived together we had been in this old house 50 years this month, a long time these days when people think nothing of moving from one flat to another.
What a darling little Edward must be now he is a lucky little boy to have such nice parents. Harry is such a dear and always a great favourite with us. He will feel poor old Edgar's passing, but we feel it is best for him poor fellow he had much suffering and weakness but was always wonderful working like that. He was much loved and respected, one feels for Van as they saw so much of each other. We are so glad Charlie and Ella are living at poor old Alston Court now and that Nancy is there too working in a farm near. It is a large place to keep up but I expect they will and shut up most of rooms. It is so difficult to get help now. We have 3 men billeted on us, they are quite nice fellows but of course it means a lot of extra work for us all. Harry would be surprised to see the little Green now all fenced in and full of vegetables. Adria seems to be sticking to her work in Cheltenham, we don't like to think of her living like that, but I do not think she could ever manage a house of her own. We see our dear niece Enid Routh pretty often and she is at Dorking now and has a nice companion a girl from New Zealand.
We often think of you all and wish we could see you, perhaps we will one day.
With with our love and all good wishes
Yours affectionately
Mabel G Todd
Written on 4 sides of 2 sheets of notepaper.

Wentworth House
Richmond
Surrey
Nov 15th 1942
My dear Margo Harry and darling Edward.
Your lovely parcel arrived safely yesterday and Adria and I send our very best thanks. It is kind of you to send us all these nice things and I know we shall enjoy them very much. I am afraid this letter won't reach you till after Christmas, we shall think of you all with love and all good wishes.
Little Edward must be a great joy to you both we have his photo framed and put out in the little room we use so much and we often long to see him walk in with you both.
We feel sad to think Charlie and Ella are not going to be at Alston court for the winter. Charlie said it was so cold and damp and they cannot get help. It is horrid to think of it empty and I fear it will suffer. Perhaps the military will take it, but they do no end of damage to places as a rule. What a lot of moves they have don't they. Not like us who have lived here for 50 years!!!
We have had 3 men billeted here since August but 2 passed exams and are now officers and have left, 1 failed and will be here for some weeks yet. I expect Harry was sad to hear about poor old Edgar. It was wonderful how he managed, he will be much missed in the village and was much loved by them all. It will be a sad Christmas for us to without our dear Grace, we do miss her so. What a busy life you both lead your garden must be a great pleasure. We are having a lot of fog as we always do here in Nov. Adria seems happy at Cheltenham, it is a lean life she leads, so far from all the family. I had a letter from Dorothy the other day, it is brave of her to go to Bournemouth. I expect we shall be seeing Van sometime in the winter, he is sure to come to see C & E at Petersham.
I hope you are all keeping well and with many thanks for all the good things.
And love to you all
Yours affectionately
Mabel G Todd.
Written on 2 sides of a sheet of letter paper.

  Other Records

1. Census: England, 3 Apr 1881, 83 High St Putney Wandsworth LND. Mabel is recorded as a daughter aged 12 born Putney SRY

2. Census: England, 5 Apr 1891, 2 The Terrace Richmond SRY. Mabel is recoded as a daughter unmarried aged 22 born Putney