Nora Margaret ALLEN [474]

   Another name for Nora was Dossie.

  General Notes:

Nora's father died when she was young and they moved to Littlehampton. Her mother eked out a small pension by taking in children whose parents were on foreign service, and sharing their governess (Miss Gripper - Kip).
Nora then boarded at the Beehive Windsor (funded by a family friend) studying literature, history, french and german, in which she was fluent. After working in Germany to assist the family finances, she returned to London took her Higher Local Exams and obtained a teachers diploma.
She returned to her old school where she taught for 5 years before she married. With her husband she founded Oakwood School in 1912, ran it whilst he was at the war, and through the influenza epidemic of 1919 when the entire establishment was afflicted. She wrote "miraculously we all recovered".

1939 Register.
Summersdale Lodge Chestnut Avenue , Chichester M.B., Sussex, England
Nora MPlayford-Fenn (Fenn) Officer 28 Oct 1884married Unpaid Domestic Duties

Nora and Dick celebrated their golden wedding April 16th 1962

1975 Death December quarter, Chichester 18 1453 - FENN Nora Margaret P, born 28 Oct 1884
Ref: Rosie Flower

Buried at St Marys Sennicotts with her husband her inscription reads " Also Nora Margaret his devoted wife 1884 - 1975".

Nora wrote a 53 page history of she and her husbands life entitled "Sir and Sen" "The Founding of Oakwood School"
A copy of this was kindly given to the writer in 1999 by C.K. Stuart Jaeger F.I.A.L. M.d'E. of Oakwood Chichester and may be found to read in the "Books" section of this website.

Image Courtesy J Fox 2015.

  Other Records

1. Nora Margaret Allen: Images from her life.
As a Child, then to marry, in later life, a card to Nancy Fenn c1970 with scenes of The Old Brew House their retirement cottage, grave at St Mary Sennicotts.

2. Census: England, 5 Apr 1891, Littlehampton SSX. Nora is described as a visitor (to a school run by a Miss Wallace) aged 6 born Rouffey (sic) Sussex

3. Census: England, 31 Mar 1901, Bexhill SSX. Nora is described as a pupil aged 16 born Roffey SSX

4. Census: England, 2 Apr 1911, Bexhill SSX. Nora is described as an assistant teacher unmarried aged 26 born Roffey SSX

Nora married Capt Richard Playford (Dick) FENN M C [438] [MRIN: 134], son of Lieut R.N. Theodore George FENN [8] and Margaret PLAYFORD [9], on 16 Apr 1912. (Capt Richard Playford (Dick) FENN M C [438] was born on 17 Nov 1880 in Park Cottage Easeborne Midhurst SSX, died in 1967 in Oakwood Chichester and was buried in St Marys Sennicotts, Chichester..)