Generation 9

Children of William Frederick Cornell (1863-1922) & Marguerite Annie Douglas

Marguerite Helena Rose Cornell (1889-1972)

Born: April 23, 1889, Horley, Sussex. Marguerite Helena - or Daisy, as she was known - won a free place to a grammar school about 1900, but was not allowed to take it up because of the expense of travelling to Brighton.  A scholarship was the only way to get secondary education at the time, without paying private school fees. The number of scholarships available was very small.   Daisy was not reconciled easily to this lack of educational opportunity for herself. Daisy was employed as companion to an interesting woman, a friend of Beatrix Potter's. This woman encouraged her to read widely and be curious. They travelled to Scotland quite regularly, for vacations.

Daisy took an opportunity to travel by herself to Gibraltar to visit her brother Fred at the naval station. There she met and fell in love with Ernest Stuchbury, a torpedoman and close friend of Fred's. They married in 1920 and Daisy settled down to domestic duties. Ernest was born April 14, 1886, in Hinton, Northants.  There were two children, Margaret and John. Upon his retirement from the navy, Stutch took on proprietorship of a pub, the White Hart Inn in Cuckfield, Sussex. This suited his temperament admirably. John won a scholarship, and went to grammar school in Brighton. When the second world war started in 1939, Stutch was recalled to the navy. Both Peg and John were old enough and joined up too -  the Royal Navy of course. Daisy contributed to the war effort by keeping the pub open, and she did not grudge the considerable effort it cost her. She hired a woman to help in the house, and looked after the bar and the management of the business herself. The pub was a venue for many soldiers from the nearby training camp, and also a handy guest house for good naval persons on short leave from Portsmouth. After the war, Daisy retired into the background again, believing as she often said, that it was not right for a woman to take a man's Job. Daisy was a book reader always. She read poetry and novels, and developed interests in local history, architecture and country lore. She was known as a very good listener.

Stuch died on June 12, 1963, in Haywards Heath, Sussex and Daisy died on May 20, 1972, in Cuckfield, Sussex.

Lucy Edith Douglas Cornell (1890-1980)

Born: July 1, 1890, in Horley, Sussex. After finishing school, about age 12, Lucy went to live with her Grandmother and helped out in the candy store. At age 18 she travelled to Tacoma, Washington State, to live and work with a family. After a very unpleasant year, she went to Alaska to live with her Aunt Jessie Pulham Robinson, whose husband was Deputy U.S. Marshal for the Yukon River area. They lived in the towns of Eagle, Circle, and Tanana. In 1915 Lucy was Captain of the "Women's Farthest North" Basketball Team. She met a young American geologist, George Leavitt Harrington, and, after the voyage back to England to ask permission from her parents, married him in 1915. George joined the army in World War I, which took them to Pensacola, Florida, the War ended before George's unit was due to go overseas, and he returned to work for the United States Geological Survey in Washington, D.C.

In 1920 George accepted an oil company job in Argentina and Bolivia, and the family, which then included Bill, born 1916, and Jane, born 1920, moved down to Buenos Aires. A few years later the family moved north to the oil camps of Senillosa and Tablillas, In the Province of Salta, at the edge of the Gran Chaco forest. The hardships were balanced by tennis courts, a golf course, and servants. Summers, however, were hot, so Mother and children most years went to England, by ships in the frozen beef trade - 3 weeks going, 4 weeks In England, mostly visiting family at The Cottage, Hassocks, and 3 weeks returning. It was winter in England. In 1934 Lucy and her 3 children (David was born in Argentina in 1926) moved to California so Bill could attend University. After trying Berkeley for 3 months, during which Lou came down with malaria for the first time, the family moved to Palo Alto, where they bought a house at 566 Washington Avenue, and Bill and Jane went to Stanford. Lucy was elected President of the Stanford Mothers' Club. George retired In 1944, and they travelled in the next few years, before movlng to the Channing House retirement complex in 1963. George died in May 1972 in Palo Alto.  

On July 1, 1980, a great 90th birthday party was held in California. Lou's sister Stella came from England, children, grandchildren and great grandchildren, and old friends from Argentina, were all present to celebrate. On December 12, 1980, Lucy Harrington died in Palo Alto.

Frederick Charles Douglas Cornell (1892-1952)

Born: June 23, 1892, Horley, Sussex, the third child and first son bom to William Frederick and Annie Comell. He had three brothers and three sisters, although one brother died at age 4 of diphtheria. Fred joined the Royal Navy's Boys Training at age 16, in 1908, entering the Royal Navy proper in 1910. He served on many ships in several English and foreign ports and fought in both World Wars (see service record).
Married: Vera Haigh West on November 27, 1934, in Brighton, Sussex. Vera was born on March 3, 1902 in Exeter, Devonshire, the daughter of George West Coombes, a painter and decorator. She became a State Registered Nurse, a career she worked at on and off throughout her life. Fred and Vera met in early 1934, through Fred's sister, Stella, who was also a nurse and a friend of Vera's.   Fred was staying at the White Hart Inn at Cuckfield at the time and they married in November

During peace time, between the wars, Fred taught the intricacies of radio to the Royal Air Force at Cranwell, Lincolnshire, near where his two daughters were born in 1937 and 1938. With the outbreak of World War II, he was back in the Navy for the duration, finally released in August 1945. Because of imposed secrecy, the family did not know which ships he was on and Vera went through agonies of suspense when the news carried stories of ships being torpedoed. With the war won, Fred returned to his teaching and the family lived in Swindon, Wiltshire, before moving to nearby Wroughton, with Fred teaching at the Royal Air Force stations at Yatesbury and Compton Basset, Wiltshire. Fred had a bad heart, however, and died of coronary thrombosis in 1952 at age 59. He was buried in Wroughton. Vera took her daughters and returned to Devon. Vera later followed her daughters to Canada, where she died in Toronto on February 8, 1974.

William Richard Cornell (1895-1899)

Born: 1895, Clayton, Sussex.
Died:. ca 1899, Clayton, Sussex, aged 4, of diphtheria.

Alexander Douglas Cornell (1897-1959)

Born: Apr 1, 1897, Clayton, Sussex. His occupation was that of Electrical Engineer.
Married: Jessie Louisa Sloan on December 1, 1928, in West Dulwich, Surrey. Alec and Jessie adopted the son of Alec's brother John, after his wife died in 1938. The family lived in Bromley, Kent.
Alec died on March 28, 1959, Jessie on November 26, 1981, both in Bromley.

John Douglas Cornell (1899-1964)

Born: Jan 29, 1899, Keymer, Sussex. John lied about his age, joined the army and was sent to France during Word War 1.  During his army service he lost an eye.  After the war, his occupation was that of Bailiff and later he was a carpenter.
Married: Bertha Elliot on December 21, 1935 in Hurstpierpoint. Bertha was born in 1899 in Hurstpierpoint. She died in 1938 at age 39 in Brighton, Sussex. After Bertha died, John went out to Africa and resided in Kenya until shortly before his death on Jan 28, 1964, in Honiton, Devonshire, where he was buried.

Stella Douglas Cornell (1901-1982)

Born: Jan 15, 1901, Keymer, Sussex. Stella decided to train as a nurse and earned her RN in 1923 from the Middlesex Hospital in London. She also obtained a certificate in ophthalmology from the Moorfield Hospital, and got a job as Theatre Sister at this ophthalmic hospital, in Maidstone, Kent. Then she took a housekeeping course, as a preliminary to rising in administration. She was rather disillusioned when she found that harvest festivaI offerings at the chapel were to be costed and subtracted from housekeeping budget, and decided to throw it all over for love.
Married: Edwin Thornton on April 4, 1934 in Maidstone, Kent. Edwin was a friend of Stella's brother, Fred.  He was born August 29, 1893, in Southwark, London and, when he met Stella was serving his stint in the Royal Navy. When they decided that his naval pension was not enough to live on, shortly before Ann was born, Ted got a job first with Philips on an assembly line, and then with the BBC in Daventry as a maintenance engineer. There were three children, Ann(1935), Edna(1936) and Richard(1942).   Ted was called up before open hostilities were declared in 1939, and was on active service patrolling the coasts of Norway on a minesweeper. It was so cold he put on every sweater that Stella knitted for him, one over the other. Stella responded to national call for nurses, and was busy running first aid classes for civilians. In May 1940, Stella went with the children to the Isle of Man for the duration of the war, since it looked as though Ted would be stationed there. He was, but only for short periods. Stella continued to give first aid classes on the lsle of Man and made many friends.

Peace brought grey years of austerity and tightening belts. In 1947 Stella started work at the Daventry Hospital. It was a former workhouse, regarded with fear by some of the local people. it was a home for the poor, the old, the destitute and, until 1948, for the simple-minded as well; it was also a small hospital. Stella worked on continuous night duty, and continued with volunteer activities for the St. John Ambulance. Stella was a bundle of activity in retirement. She started a flower club, and travelled., In 1975 she was chosen as one of the worthy citizens of the Peterborough diocese to be given Maundy coins by the Queen. It was a proud day!  Edwin died on June 7, 1974, in Daventry, Northants.  Stella died on June 17, 1982, in Oxted Cottage Hospital near Limpsfield Chart, Surrey, cared for by her daughter Ann during her illness.

Children of Eleanor Edith Cornell (1873-1954) & Charles Henry Brown

Edith Mary Brown (1902-?)

Born: March 1902 in Cuckfield, Sussex.

Louisa May Brown (1903-?)

Born: September 1903 in Cuckfield, Sussex.

Ernest George Brown (1905-1987)

Born: 1905 in Cuckfield, Sussex.
Died: 1987 in Haywards Heath, Sussex, age 81.

Children of Edwin Philip Cornell (1876-1956) & Ethel Louise Templar

Edwin Philip Cornell (1901-1976)

Born: December 10, 1901, East Dulwich (Camberwell District).  Edwin (Ted) left school while the family lived in Eastchurch and started to work for Short Brothers in Eastchurch as an apprentice fitter.  When the family moved to Stanford, he left Shorts and worked for Haden Brothers, hot water engineers.  In Lympne he assisted with the installation of the hot water system when the first permanent buildings were erected.  With the recession after World War I, Edwin became unemployed and in July 1921 joined the Royal Air Force.  He completed his training as an aircraft rigger and was posted in 1922 to No. 56 RAF Squadron in Hawkings.  In 1923 the Squadron was moved to Biggin Hill and took part in the Hendon Air Displays each year.  

Married: Phoebe Down on July 18, 1925. Phoebe's father was Beeching Down, who ran Westenhanger Brick, Tile and Pipe Works.  Phoebe was born in December 1897 West Ashford, Kent. Ted and Phoebe had two children. Phoebe was a founder of the British Legion, Women's Section, and helped reform the Women's Institute.  She was a member of the church choir until her death in March 1975.  The attendance at her funeral was an indication of the esteem in which the village held her.

Ted was posted to Iraq in 1926 and joined the No. 30 RAF Bomber Squadron, whose duty it was to help keep the peace.  Apart from maintaining the aircraft in flying condition, the rigger had to fly as gunner and bomb-aimer and take aerial photographs when required. The heat and dust played havoc with the aircraft and forced landings were a hazard.  In two years' service this happened once to Ted, luckily close to friendly natives who helped him and his pilot back to base with their persons intact.  After completing eight years in the RAF, Ted was released on reserve for four years and he worked for the Belusbourne Flying Club for some time before the "depression" forced its closure.  He then worked at Westenhanger Brick yard until recalled to the RAF just before the outbreak of Word War 2, when he was stationed at Upavon and South Cerny during most of the time, attaining the rank of Flight Sergeant.  After the war, Ted returned to his work at the brickyard until it closed in 1953.  He then worked as a security officer for a flying club at the Lympne Aerodrome for six years until his retirement.  He helped to reform the British Legion and served as Sports Secretary, Secretary, Chairman and President.  Ted became a Parish Councillor and Clerk to the Council and served on the Elham Rural District Council for fifteen years.  He fought to keep Westenhanger Station open and to retain a Post Office in the village, if only for 90 minutes per week.  For many years he was a Trustee of the Parish Room and did many repairs to the building, to keep the cost down.

Died: May 1976, aged 74.

Violet Ethel Cornell (1903-1979)

Born: January 25, 1903, Bampton (Witney District), Oxfordshire.
Married: Richard G. Aldridge (known as Dick), in 1927 at Eastbourne.  Dick was born about 1905.  Vi and he had one son.  Dick died just after the Second World War, in 1946, at Bristol, age 41; Violet died on March 25, 1979, in Bristol, aged 76.

Stanley Albert Victor Cornell (1905-1905)

Born: March 11, 1905 at Brondesbury Park, N.W. London. Stanley died an infant, on July 8, 1905.

Norman Harradance Cornell (1907-1975)

Born: October 12, 1907, on Hayling Island, Hants.
Married: Winifred Irene Hine on May 18, 1936 at Minehead, Somerset. Winifred was born on April 29, 1908, at Brighton, Sussex, daughter of a painter and decorator.  She grew up in Eastbourne and was a friend of Norman's sisters, Marjorie and Vi.  Norman and Winifred had one daughter.
In 1938 the family moved to North Kent and in the early part of World War 2, Norman volunteered for the RAF.  After initial training, he was posted overseas to Singapore.  After only a few weeks, Singapore fell to the Japanese.  Norman was taken prisoner and spent the next three and a half years in various POW camps and just about managed to survive to the end of the war.  He arrived home a few weeks before Christmas 1945 and, after a year's recuperation, was demobbed and able to resume his work as an Insurance Agent.
Norman died on August 2, 1975 in Gravesend, aged 67.  Winifred died February 6, 1990, aged 81.

Marjorie Isobel Cornell (1909-1975)

Born: May 16, 1909, Pevensey Bay (Eastbourne District).
Married: Frank Kirby on March 24, 1934, in Wimbledon. Frank was born on May 4, 1904.  He worked for the Midland Bank and became Manager of the Bromley branch.  Frank had a good tenor voice and sang with the Royal Choral Society in London.
Marjorie died on October 12, 1975, aged 66; Frank died on August 2, 1977.

Ronald Vincent Cornell (1912-1983)

Born: December 21, 1914 at Pevensey Bay.
Ronald was educated at Bexhill Grammar School and later trained as a motor engineer.
Married: Betty Pamela Benge on December 26, 1938.  Betty was born on February 5, 1920.
Ronald served in the Royal Army Service Corps during World War 2.  After the war he resumed his career in the motor industry.  He and Better had four children.
Ronald died: January 16, 1983 in Eastbourne, aged 68.

Children of Emily Woollard Cornell (1873-1936) & Frederick Wyrley Bardell

Edwin Bardell (1899-?)

Born: 1899 in Rattlesden, Suffolk.

Blanche Emily Bardell (1900-?)

Born: 1900, Blanche was known as "Dolly".
Married: Leonard Aubrey (Jack) Ford.  Leonard was born in 1893.  Blanche and Leonard had three children.

Ethel Bardell (1904-present)

Ethel's married name is Mason and it is believed that Ethel lived for some time in Auckland, New Zealand.

Alice Bardell (1906-?)

Born: 1906.

Sybil Bardell (1908-?)

Born: 1908.

Arthur Frederick Olaf Bardell (1916-1982)

Born: December 5, 1916 in Ipswich, Suffolk, England.
Married: Barbara Joan Upson on July 18, 1945 in Ipswich.  Barbara was the daughter of Ethel Leach and was born on October 6, 1922 in Sleaford, Lincolnshire.  Arthur and Barbara had three children.
Arthur died on February 19, 1982 and Barbara on February 22, 1993, both in Ipswich.

Dorothy Bardell (?-?)