WINIFRED TRAYNOR  1914 - 1999

The earliest picture of mam in taken in1920  and copied from one owned by her friend Maggie Lawlor whom she was a flower girl with- a few years later - at the wedding of Dick Thomas and her Maggie's Aunt.

 She was born  Winifred Traynor on January 23rd 1914 in

76 Vaughan Street Grangetown to Michael and Mary Catherine Traynor nee Gainford

and was baptised in St Mary�s RC Church Grangetown by Father E Kennedy on Jan 31st.

Her godparents were Thomas Traynor and Katherine Bennett

(see certificate issued by Fr Gerard Smyth Assistant Priest in St Mary�s in 1968 )

She attended St Mary�s School in Grangetown from the age of 5 , enjoyed Composition - and even received an award for it - in the form of a ovular brass plaque - ( see Frank.)

In 1928 at 14 years of age she began her working life in Whitby Nursing Home which was run by the Sisters of Mercy.

Her second place of work was in Hornsea where she worked as a servant in a Doctor Carroll�s house and she hated it . The lady of the house seemed to hate Catholics and  objected to Winifred attending Mass on Sundays - making sure that she made up for it when she returned.

Aged 16 years in 1930, Winnie moved to London to work in Golders Green for the Sainsbury family - and enjoyed it.

Her next placement was in a Guest House on the North Promenade in Whitby where she worked with Timmy and Winnie Sullivan  for one season . She loved it.

Then she next spent another enjoyable season in Scarborough at another Guest House.

Her sixth job was with her Aunt Kate ( Lamb )  who was the Cook  in the Marine Hotel , Seaton Carew - which we visited with Mam a few years ago . She waited on tables there and served behind the bar - and recalled a party during her time there when all the gang from Grangetown - Johnny, Tommy etc came. She remembered using the transporter to get home near Port Clarence.

Her next placement was in Guildford Street , London near Russell Square, where she worked for the Bailey family with Cassie Bennett - obviously the place where Cassie played the piano and was fired.

Her tenth job was in Hampstead , London  for a family called Frognell - a Jewish family and,  she hated it.

Her last job appears to be with the Bailey family again in  Guildford Street , London near Russell Square until :-

On August 3rd 1935 she was married to our dad John O�Neill ,  a motor fitter at Ford Motor Works Dagenham - at the age of 21 years - by Father John Heenan , later Cardinal Heenan of England - in Saints Mary & Ethelburga Chapel , Linton Road , Barking . Essex.

Her address is given as 88 Stratton Drive , Barking

Dad�s address as 185, Wilmington Gardens, Barking.

Their witnesses were James Peace, Margaret O� Neill ( my father�s sister ) and James Flanagan.

See photograph  taken in the garden - by one of the witnesses ?