Florence Mary Blencowe  [4245]

1887-1978

Father Nm: John George 1839 St Mary Magdalen Oxford died Headington Mar 1892- Oldest Known Ancestor: Richard Blincow, C1660, Bicester.

Mother Nm: Emma Young 1855. Newport Wales died 1938 Abingdon

Marriage Dt: From BFA research; “Married twice in Vermont U.S.A., but in Aunt Clara’s will her name was Steele”. Note the records do not seem to support this as a fact.

1. 1 Sep 1921 Barton Vermont
2. 23 Nov 1954, Coos, Vermont
   

Spouse Comments:

1. Victor Frank Hunter (1874-1944)
2. George Maker (1887-1972)

K Comment: Sister Mabel Edith Territorial Forces Nursing Sister died on duty in France.  Brother  Arthur Harold who served with the Oxford and Bucks Light Inf.

Children: Frank Cheney Hunter (1925-1925)

(Research): GR[B] Headington Dec 1887 1891 Census.

1891 Census 20 Kingston Rd Oxford

1. John J Blencowe 51 Baker and Grocer
2. Emma Blencowe 35
3. Mabel E Blencowe 11
4. Walter W Blencowe 8
5. Lucy A Blencowe 6
6. George H Blencowe 5
7. Florence M Blencowe 5
8. May M Blencowe 10/12
9. Lydia L Dansby 45

Educated at Hampden House Brill and St Faiths Convent School Oxford

1901 Census 20 Kingston Rd Oxford

1. Blencowe Arthur Son 9
2. Blencowe Emma Head Baker and Grocer 45
3. Blencowe George Son Tailors Asst 15
4. Blencowe Lucy Dau 16
5. Blencowe May Dau 10
6. Blencowe Walter Son Grocers Asst 18
7. Blencowe Mabel Dau Post Office Clerk 21
8. Blencowe Florence Dau 13

1905

Attended Oxford Technical School at passed Domestic Cooking exams –
Oxford Chronicle and Reading Gazette – Friday 06 October 1905

1909

Trained and served as a Nurse at Northampton General Hospital 3 yrs 8 months from 15 Feb 1909 to 9 Oct 1912.

1911 Census Northampton General Hospital Billing Road Northampton

1. Blencowe Florence Mary 23 Nurse

1912-1916

Private Nursing in a medical and surgical home ( Bournemouth) 1912-1916. Florence had followed her older nursing sister Mabel who was in Hampshire in the 1911 Census.

Note: Application for Army service from Aston Grays home, Ruola Rd, Bournemouth and one reference on QAIMNS is matron Aston Grays home, Ruola Rd, Bournemouth.

Note no mention of being in North America at this time.

Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service- Reserves Badge/Medal

WW1

Blencowe Florence Mary, Reserve Nursing Sister, Queen Alexandra’s Imperial Military Nursing Service. 

1916

• 26^th May. Accepted to QAIMNS Reserves. The Reserves made up the majority of Nurses who served this organisation in WW1.

• 30^th Jun. Registered at Bramshott.
• Sep. Bramshott Military Hospital (treatment for the infected finger that became permanently disabled). A medical record for 1917 also suggests that Florence was admitted to the Queen Alexandra’s Military Hospital At Millbank which was most likely for the injury to the finger.

• 7 Nov 1916 Sick Leave, Taken off Strength in Aldershot
• 13^th Nov 1916 Kinmel Park Military Hospital, (Rhyl, Wales). A hospital was established at an army base. 890 beds.

1918

• 4^th Mar. Promoted to Nursing Sister at Military Hospital Kinmel Camp.
• 21^st Sept. Requests move to a hospital closer to Oxford after 22 months service at Kinmel Park.
• 14^th Oct. Transferred from Kinmel Camp Hospital (Rhyl Wales) to 1st Birmingham War Hospital.

1919

• 28^th Mar. Transferred to Berrington War Hospital Shrewsbury.
• 17 Jun. Letter requesting discharged another position obtained elsewhere.
• 4^th Jul. Discharged. 31 Bainton Rd Oxford.
• Address 4th Dec 1919, St Johns House, 12 Queens Square London WC.

Note:  A series of correspondence between Florence and Authorities about the validity of her claim for an infected finger at Bramshott shows she had quite a struggle to get recognition for this war-related injury and subsequent compensation. The Files are here Florence Mary Blencowe Army Nursing Records.

After the War

1920 Emigrated to the Vermont

There were lots of Americans and Canadians at Kinmel Camp where Florence was in 1918 and this may have alerted her to the opportunities in the new world.

It seems in 1920 she secured a nursing job for the Beauregard family in Brownington, Vermont, and presumably passage paid she travelled in mid-1920 to take up the job.

Her travel to Vermont is recorded in Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935

Name: Florence Mary Blencowe, Gender: Female, Age: 32, Estimated Birth Year: abt 1888

Date of Arrival: 19 Jun 1920, Vessel: Grampian, Port of Arrival: Quebec, Port of Departure: Antwerp, Belgium and Southampton, England, Roll: T-14706. Destination Fairfield Illinois

Note: After arriving in Brownington she met Frank Hunter a widower and retail Grocery Merchant in the nearby town of Orleans, Florence and Frank married in September 1921 in Orleans.

1921

• 1 September. Barton Vermont married Victor Frank Hunter merchant

1924 Trip to England

• • Before August . In the summer of 1924 Frank and Florence travel to England to visit her family at 51 Bainton Rd Oxford
  • 1 August. They depart Southampton on a return trip via Quebec to Vermont onboard the Cunard Liner SS Adania
  • 9 September. They complete the last leg of the trip Quebec to Vermont

1925 Loss of a Child

Frank 50 and Florence 38 conceive a child but at this later age it was to be a heartbreaking situation as the son died after birth.

1930 Census

61 East St Barton, Orleans, Vermont

Frank Retail Merchant and Florence

1940 Census

61 East St Barton, Orleans, Vermont

Frank owner of General Store and Florence

1944

Widow

1953 Trip to England

In what may have been a trip to tell the family of her upcoming 2nd marriage, Florence Mary Hunter travelled to Oxford sometime in early 1953 and then a record shows she returned in September via Quebec Canada in Sep 1953.

1954

Remarried to a WW1 veteran of Canadian descent  George Arthur Maker (1887-1972) of Barton Vermont

1972 Widow

For second time Florence is widowed.

1978 Death

Died 24.2.1978 Orleans Vermont, buried Pleasant View Cemetery Florence Maker Hunter

 

Gallery

Note: there are 27 service records for this woman that exist that are not shown in this gallery for copyright reasons.