Matthew Philip BROWNE

Matthew married Kelly Joanne MITCHELL on 29 Jul 2006 in Quayside, The Port House, Port Solent, Portsmouth. Kelly (daughter of Alan Keith MITCHELL and Sylvie Janet PRYCE) was born on 6 Oct 1979. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Paul married Celia Rosemary MILLS in Aug 1973. Celia (daughter of Ronald George MILLS and Joyce Olive BILLSON) was born on 7 Jul 1953 in Calcutta, India. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Birth:
Maternity nursing home for British women in Calcutta

Other Events and Attributes:

• Cremated: 24 Jan 2007 ; Portchester Crematorium. The Service was conducted by Lance Blake, a Franciscan Friar from The Rowans Hospice. Celia read the following poem:- The words of this poem reflect how the family believes Daddy would be thinking now Death is nothing at all I have only slipped away into the next room I am I and you are you Whatever we were to each other That we are still Call me by my old familiar name Speak to me in the easy way you always used Put no difference into your tone Wear no forced air of solemnity or sorrow Laugh as we always laughed At the little jokes we always enjoyed together Play, smile, think of me, and talk to me Let my name be ever the household word that it always was Let it be spoken without effort Without the ghost of a shadow in it Life means all that it ever meant It is the same as it ever was There is absolute unbroken continuity What is death but a negligible accident? Why should I be out of mind Because I am out of sight? I am waiting for you for an interval Somewhere very near Just around the corner All is well. Nothing is past; nothing is lost One brief moment and all will be as it was before How we shall laugh at the trouble of parting when we meet again! by Canon Henry Scott Holland. Lance concluded with this:- Death is only an old door Set in a garden wall. On gentle hinges it gives at dusk, When the thrushes call. Along the lintel's green leaves beyond, The light lies still. Very willing and weary feet Go over that sill. There is nothing to trouble any heart, Nothing to hurt at all Death is only a quiet door In an old wall. Author Unknown

Notes:

Dec 1995 - Heart attack.
May 1996 - Incident 1
Jun 1996 - Ventricular aneurysm resected combined with bypass surgery.
May 1998 - Incident 2
Mar 2001 - Incident 3
Oct 2001 - Near Miss

17th Jun 2006 - Admitted with "community acquired pneumonia"
23rd Jun 2006 Discharged.
12th August 2006 - Readmitted with double pneumonia.
Whilst in hospital acquired C difficile infection.

* Incidents - Ambulance to A&E - Extreme shortness of breath and lungs filling with fluid inducing anxiety and panic.

Christened:
St. Matthews Church, Gosport

Cremated:
It was his wish that his ashes be scattered on the grave of his Grandmother Eva Annie in St.Mark's Church Cemetery, Alverstoke.

Died:
Cause of Death:-
Severe cardiac failure
Ischaemic heart disease

Ronald married Joyce Olive BILLSON on 24 Aug 1946 in the Parish Church, Rugby. Joyce (daughter of Leonard Sidney Henry BILLSON and Adelaide Victoria May WILSON) was born on 18 Nov 1924 in 227, Clifton Road, Rugby; died on 6 Aug 2018 in Gracewell Nursing Home, Fareham. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Cremated: 31 08 2018, Wessex Vale Crematorium; Bubb Lane, West End, Southampton SO30 2HL

Notes:

Cremated:
Joyce’s Wonderful Life, by Celia Walker nee Mills.


Joyce Olive Mills made her dramatic entry to the world on the 18th November 1924 in Rugby; by a difficult breach birth (she was very proud to tell this). She felt that this had set a marker for her, as, in those days, so many such births ended in tragedy for both mother and baby, and so lived her life with determination and endeavour . She was the eldest of three children born to Len and May Billson. By her own account, she was a serious child who seemed to have an adult head on her from the word GO! She loved her brothers, Fred and Ron but always thought their games were too babyish for her! They both emigrated to the States in their 20s so she saw very little of them or their families during her life.
Her greatest love as a child was being at school. She was a voracious learner, Maths was her favourite subject, and she was always top of the class - something which she remained fiercely proud of her whole life. She attended Rugby High School for Girls and whilst achieving academic excellence, also enjoyed sports and being in the school netball team as goal shooter and captain; and in the hockey team, playing at right back.
Her school days were cut short after gaining distinctions in all her School Certificate exams (the equivalent of A star GCSEs) when her father wouldn’t allow her to continue her education. So, at 17, she left school to work in the accountancy offices of the local council in order to contribute to the household. This was her biggest, but only, regret of her life as she would have dearly loved to have gone to university to continue her studies and achieve her potential.
However, this cloud had a silver lining! The mother of Joyce’s best friend had taken in a lodger. A young man of 19, Ron Mills, had moved from his home in Hampshire to work as an apprentice in the electrical engineering industry which was based in Rugby. By his account, as soon as he saw Joyce he knew he was going to marry her and so began their friendship soon blossoming into romance and their marriage in 1946.
They lived in rooms for nearly four years but in 1950 when they announced the imminent arrival of Corin, their landlady refused to have a baby in the house and they had to move out and live with the Joyce’s parents. They desperately wanted their own house but had no deposit. This is when their Indian Adventure idea began to take shape. Ron had been offered a job with BTH in Calcutta to help the heavy electrical engineering industry after India’s recent independence. It was the answer to their prayers as it would allow them to accrue enough money for that all important deposit. So together with Corin, an 18 month old toddler, in 1951 they embarked from Southampton on a three-week sea voyage to India, First Class, all paid for by the Company. Mum’s recollection of this voyage was not a happy one as she suffered badly with sea sickness but still had to attend to Corin’s needs! The next stage of the journey was a 3 day sleeper train ride across India from Bombay to Calcutta. Again, another very trying time!
Life in India was very different. She had servants for everything, even an Ayah (nanny) to look after Corin! Joyce’s days were mostly spent socialising with the other European ladies. It was a life of luxury, but she admitted to being very bored with it! Whilst there, I was born. It hadn’t been a good pregnancy as Joyce had contracted dysentery, which continued for months after the birth. Her health was poor, and Ron couldn’t afford to send her to the hills to escape the heat of Calcutta, so the company flew her home, whilst Ron had to stay and complete his contract.
The journey home on a Lockheed Super Constellation required three stops for refuelling. During the stop in Beirut, Joyce, being so accustomed to having servants do all the fetching and carrying, she left 3 month old Celia in her carrycot in the airport café, only realising when a request came over the tannoy for a certain Joyce Mills to return and collect her baby! They finally landed at Heathrow, which then was just a collection of corrugated sheds, and were met by Ron’s father.
Her memory of the flight included noting that as they flew from East to West, the sun in front of the plane never set.
After the best part of a year living with her in-laws in Gosport, Joyce’s beloved Ron returned, and they moved to Sheffield where he had secured a job. They were able to put a deposit on their first house using the ‘India’ money and this was where Brian was born. Her little family now complete, Joyce found herself, for the first time, with no support network of servants or family but her strength of character saw her through a hectic life with three small children.
After a couple of years spent in Sheffield, Joyce and Ron moved back to Rugby to another new house in Old Bilton where their young family grew up. During this time she was an active member of the local Townswomen’s Guild, and was Chairwoman several times. Once the children were all at school, and still relatively short of money, Joyce made the decision to pick up her education. At aged 40, she learnt to drive and then attended Coventry Teacher Training College, taking a two-year accelerated course to become a teacher. True to form, she gained a distinction for her Certificate in Education.
Joyce then worked as a junior school teacher and revisited her love of netball by coaching the school netball team. They were very successful and won lots of their matches – something which she was rightly proud of. Her teaching career spanned 20 + years and included specialising in special needs education in which she gained several promotions. She loved teaching and like everything she turned her hand to, made a great success of it. She said it had made up for just a little of her disappointment at not going to university!
As her children became adults, she welcomed their partners, Lynne, Paul, and a few years later, John and June with love and warmth, enfolding them into her family. They held a special place in her heart.
In 1977, Joyce became a grandmother first to Emma, and then quickly followed by Matthew, Elena, Zoe and finally, James. She and Ron absolutely loved this new role and were the most wonderful grandparents who doted on their grandchildren who loved them back in equal measure! Many happy times were spent at their house in Pratts Bottom..... a place name which still gives much amusement to everyone!
After retiring from teaching, Joyce and Ron enjoyed several happy years travelling abroad for holidays in Cyprus, going to the theatre, concerts, the opera and the ballet, visiting museums and galleries and generally enjoying the freedom to do what they liked when they liked!
Unfortunately, this lifestyle was cut short by Ron having a heart attack and his health deteriorated considerably. It hit Joyce hard and she suffered greatly with anxiety. The next 10 years were difficult for her but she showed her strength and managed to carry on, although it did take its toll. After her beloved Ron died, Joyce became very depressed and the next 5 years were her darkest, experiencing loneliness (she’d never been on her own) and never really recovering from her loss.
Over several years, Joyce once again warmly welcomed new members to the family, Emma’s partner, now husband, Chris, Matthews’s wife, Belle, Elena’s husband John, James’ wife Sarah and recently Zoe’s partner Darren.
2 years before Ron died, their first great grandchild, Daniel was born, closely followed by William! A source of great joy to them both. After Ron’s death, Joyce was blessed with more; Along came Poppy, Isabelle, Jenson, Benjamin, Keeka, Harriet, Josie, Edith, Joshua and Esmee. They have all brought new, untold joy and love into her life. She was so proud to boast that she had 12 beautiful great grandchildren!
Joyce was first and foremost a home maker, a family woman, a beloved wife, a caring and loving mother, a devoted grandmother and great grandmother. During the last years of her life, her greatest joy came from knowing that her children were happy and successful good hearted people who held the same ideals by which she lived her life and that they in turn have raised their children to be the same, who are also in the process of doing likewise with their children. We are her legacy, a family who love, care and support each other no matter what.
Rest in peace, our lovely Mummy, Nana, Great Nana. You may have gone from view but you’ll never leave our hearts. We all loved you very much and trust that you and your beloved Ronnie are together now for all eternity.
'Til we meet again …….



A Poem for my Nanna by Emma Bolton.

We had a wonderful Nanna
One who never really grew old
Her smile was made of sunshine
and her heart was solid gold.

We had a wonderful Nanna
In her cheeks pink roses you'd see
Her eyes were as bright as shining stars
And tha'ts the way she will always be.

We had a wonderful Nanna
We're all here to wave her goodbye
So Nanna, cuddle up with Grandpa
With that chocolate box in the sky!

Other Events and Attributes:

• Baptism: 16 Jun 1898, St. Mary's Church, Alverstoke
• Census: 1901, 59, Coburg St. North Shields, Northumberland
• Census: 1911, 88, Clayhall Road, Alverstoke
• Military: 9 Jul 1943, Whitehall Cinema, East Grinstead ; The East Grinstead Incident. 9th July 1943 At the time he was the Military Assistance Officer at Great House Court, Fairfield Road, East Grinstead. Captain W.G. Mills was at a cinema in East Grinstead watching a film. An air raid started and the cinema took a direct hit. He organised the orderly evacuation of the cinema and was mentioned in despatches. See:- http://news.bbc.co.uk/local/sussex/hi/people_and_places/newsid_8829000/8829228.stm and:- http://spartacus-educational.com/2WWwhitehall.htm
• Cremated: 4 Feb 1971, Portsdown Crematorium

Notes:

According to Ron Mills, a relative, whom he thought may have been Jesse Mills, was prepared to pay the costs of sending William George Mills to Winchester College. George's mother Eva Annie insisted that he go straight into the Army instead.
He did so as a bugler.

Was this the reason behind a possible rift between the Mills and Williams families?.
It is clear that William George was prevented from knowing anything about his relatives apart from some very sketchy details.



Birth:
The copy of his birth certificate is dated 18th October 1901 and stamped
"Royal Commission Patriotic Fund". This is just five months after the death of Thomas William.
The assumption is that Eva Annie may have had a grant to pay for the burial of her husband.
Ron & I visited the offices of the Patriotic Fund in London during May 2003. They don't have any records of grants to individuals.

Baptism:
Page 312 No. 2490

Cremated:
Cremation Reference 34261

His ashes were scattered :-
North Border 13/14 posts, South of Chestnut

Died:
Description: Cerebral Thrombosis Ateriosclerosis Disseminated Sclerosis (MS)

William + Eileen Grace FRANCIS. Eileen (daughter of William John FRANCIS and Alice Maud Mary SAIT) was born on 10 Jan 1900 in 70, North Street, Gosport, Hants.; died on 28 Oct 1988 in Royal Naval Hospital, Haslar, Gosport. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1911, 67, North Street, Gosport, Hants
• Occupation: 1912, Priddy\'s Hard Ordnance Depot, Gosport; Work involved filling shell cases. Her Mother took out a Life Insurance policy at a penny per week as it was a dangerous occupation.
• Cremated: Nov 1988, Portsdown Crematorium

Notes:

Worked at Priddy's Hard (Ordnance) before she was married

Cremated:
Cremation Reference 99985

Her ashes were scattered :-

North Border 13/14 posts, South of Chestnut

Died:
Description: Cardio respiratory failure plus other causes

Other Events and Attributes:

• Occupation: Post War; Engineers draughtsman at BTH in Rugby (British Thompson Houston)
• Census: 1901, 68, Hydethorpe Road, Clapham
• Census: 1911, 68, Hydethorpe Road, Clapham
• Military: 1918, 68, Hydethorpe Road; Absent Voters Lists 1918 The voters details for the 1918 General Election were initially supplied by the next of kin of the household of the soldier to local voter registration officers. Once this process was completed, the names of those in the army were sent to the Adjutant General’s Department of the War Office, who then arranged to send voting cards to soldiers who were in the United Kingdom and ballot papers to men in France, Flanders and Italy. Men serving in more distant theatres of war were allowed to vote through use of a proxy voting form.

Notes:

Birth:
Description: 1901 Census - Born in Brixton Hill

Died:
Description: Cardiac arrest & Peripheral vascular disease

Just prior to his death he had to have a leg amputated.

Leonard married Adelaide Victoria May WILSON on 18 Aug 1923 in Streatham, Surrey, England. Adelaide (daughter of Joseph Frederick WILSON and Sarah Elizabeth WOOD) was born on 22 Oct 1897 in 1 Mary's Cottages, Eastcote Street, Stockwell, London.; died on 14 May 1965 in Rugby. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Address: 1901; Address:
  17, Paradise Road, Stockwell, London

Notes:

Died:
Jun Q 1965 9c 894 Rugby

Notes:

Married:
Sep Q 1923 1d 1167 Wandsworth