TOPIC:

Good Morning Everyone......

I have just obtained a possibly Unique but definitely Rare pair, a Queen's South Africa Medal and a Defence of Britain Medal of WW2.....

QSA Named: Miss B. Wells

Along with the medals there are over 25 pieces of Ephemera which I will show some of the interesting pieces here.....

Will be doing more research on this lady when I get back home to Canada and will post it then.....

What I am posting now is the medals, the naming, photos of Miss Beatrice Wells (Young and Old) there is BW in pencil on the back so I am assuming they are her, Letter signed Roberts FM awarding the medal, the Defence Medal award notification, and photos roll for QSA.....

If anyone can add information I would greatly appreciate it.....

Mike

A really nice and, as you say, unusual pair, Mike.

The book by S Gray reports her as being a civilian engaged in support services in Pretoria (p81).

Mike
On a couple of occasions I have seen long groups ( e.g. QSA, trio, LSGC) with a Defence Medal on the end but never with any paperwork to substantiate the DM. So it is nice to see the paperwork on this occasion. And the note from Roberts is a real bonus.
Well done.
Regards
IL.

djb wrote: A really nice and, as you say, unusual pair, Mike.

The book by S Gray reports her as being a civilian engaged in support services in Pretoria (p81).

I am not home and I guess the book is the Nurses book..... One thing in the papers is an envelope.......

ON ACTIVE SERVICE

Miss Beatrice Wells
Church of Christian Services
Curzon Street
London, W.

Would like to go there to find out if there is still a church and if they have any information.....

Mike

Mike - regarding Miss Beatrice Wells:

She was born on 23 July 1880. She was christened Beatrice Carkeet Dalzell Wells on 6 February 1881 in Mortlake, Surrey. Carkeet was her mother's maiden name.



At the time of the 29 September Register she was already living at 110 Marsham Court - a flat she was sharing with a "Christian Science Practitioner".



She died 21 September 1949 and here is a report of her death followed by her probate.





Doing a UK newspaper search throws up over 1,000 hits for "Beatrice Wells". As today is miserable in Pembrokeshire I will see if any more are relevant.

David.

Mike you wrote:
"Miss Beatrice Walls
Church of Christian Services
Curzon Street
London, W.

Would like to go there to find out if there is still a church and if they have any information....."

You are actually looking for The Third Church of Christ Scientist at 7 Curzon Street, Mayfair, London



I have found Beatrice on the 1921 Census and it gives her occupation as Secretary to the Directors at "T C C Scientist" of 7/8 Curzon Street, Mayfair. If you Google it you will be able to find some photos of the interior.

In 1921 she was living at 35 Church Road, Barnes - she completed the form as head of the household. Living with her are her widowed mother who was born in Fowey, Cornwall - hence the rather strange surname of Carkeet (hope I have not offended any Cornish members of the Forum). Also on the return are her married sister Olive, her niece (Olive's 4 year old daughter) and a 17 year old domestic servant. Both Beatrice & Olive were born in Barnes, Olive was just over 2 years younger than Beatrice.

Also found the family on the 1891 Census living at Beaufort Villa, Cambridge Road, Barnes when Beatrice was 10. Father's occupation = "Retired Admiralty Civil Service" and he was born in Bermuda. Eldest child, Alfred aged 15, was born in Plymouth. There was a third sister, 3 years older than Beatrice, but only initials are given "C. C. D." which sounds like "C? Carkeet Dalzell" but Beatrice is entered as plain "Beatrice Wells". The youngest of the 5 children is a 4 year old boy, "Grant C" thus probably named after his father & mother. All the children except Alfred were born in Barnes. Finally a 32 year old niece born is St Austell, Cornwall.

As far as I can tell the papers have nothing else to reveal except that Beatrice in September 1900 passed exams in Advanced Hygiene & Physiology at the Richmond School of Art & Science. There was a Beatrice Wells who sang regularly at concerts in Leicester including one in aid of wounded soldiers just after the Boer War.

David.