Jennifer FOSTER

Notes:

Jennifer is issue from her mother's first marriage

John + Lynne FOSTER. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Notes:

Foster is her name by first marriage.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Address: 1945; Address:
  10, Thornhill Road, Foleshill, Coventry
• Cremated: 23 Dec 2002, Canley Crematorium, Coventry

Notes:

In 1941 he co-founded Grey and Rushton Precision Tools Ltd., Far Gosford Street, Coventry. The company specialities included a range of vernier calipers, sine bars, go, no-go gauges etc. Many checking tools and gauges were made for Rolls-Royce. He once showed his son in law Corin a minute rod with a sphere on the end the size of a pinhead. He said it had been rejected because it wasn't quite spherical !!

They celebrated their Golden Wedding on 21st April 1995.

Eulogy read at Coventry Crematorium

1916-2002

John Rushton was born on the 13 August 1916 in Hillfields, Coventry. He had an elder sister Mary and brothers Harry and Jim.

He attended Frederick Bird Junior School. He was a member of the choir at his parish church of St Marks, (which is now the annex of the Coventry and Warwickshire Hospital), and was confirmed there.

After leaving school he gained an apprenticeship at the Coventry Gauge & Tool Co in Fletchamstead Highway. He was made a Freeman of the City after qualifying as a precision toolmaker.

From 1938 to 1941 he worked at the Standard Aero Co. With a colleague he formed a company - Grey & Rushton Ltd - in Far Gosford Street, producing precision engineering tools. The factory later moved to Leamington Spa, but has since closed. One of their "Vernier" measuring tools is now held in a museum in Australia.

During the Second World War he was a sergeant in 13th Battalion of the Home Guard. After a day's work in the factory he used to spend at least 4 hours on duty, protecting our streets and homes.

In 1939 he met the lady who was to become his wife, a dressmaker by the name of Elsie Ward. They met at an olde tyme dance at Courtaulds ballroom. They waited till the war was almost over, then they were married on 21 April 1945 in St Margaret's Church, Ball Hill. They bought a house in Brookside Avenue, Chapelfields, and had three children, Kay, Lynne and John Jnr. Later the family moved to Woodfield Road in Earlsdon.

Johns' hobby for many years was rifle shooting. He was a member of the Alvis Rifle Club and at one time he was president of the Coventry & District Rifle Association. He was also a natural musician, loved listening to music, played the piano by ear and could get a tune out of practically anything.

He and Elsie moved to Lawley Close after the children had grown up, and John became a regular at the Lime Tree Social Club. Many there will remember his spontaneous tunes on the mouth organ.

John was a gentleman who had great respect for "old fashioned" values of truth, honesty, and good manners. His word was his bond.

He died on 16th December 2002 aged 86 after being hit by a car on his way to the Lime Tree club. He will be greatly missed by all who knew him.

Died:
Description: (injuries received after being hit by a car)

John married Elsie WARD on 21 Apr 1945 in St. Margarets Church, Walsgrave Road, Coventry. Elsie (daughter of Thomas William WARD and Elsie TAYLOR) was born on 5 Feb 1917 in Coventry; died on 24 Apr 2005. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Address: 1931; Address:
  "Ryton" 46, Barton Road, Branksome, Bournemouth
• Address: 1945; Address:
  40, Kingsway, Stoke, Coventry

Notes:

Elsie was born in Coventry, but her family moved down to Bournemouth, where she was apprenticed to a dressmaker. She returned to Coventry in 1938.
During the war she worked for a while as a machinist at Hood and Sidescreen, Union Street, Coventry.
Her dressmaking skills have been very useful over the years, both domestically and as a source of income. She did much alteration work in her later years for a shop in Earlsdon.

Notes:

Married:
Description: A Rushton & T W Ward

She was living at 40, Kingsway, Coventry.

Description: After they were married, this was their first home.

Description: 1963. This was a new house.

Other Events and Attributes:

• Census: 1901, 7, Melampus Street, Barrow in Furness
• Address: 1908; Address:
  2, Kitchener Street, Barrow-in-Furness
• Occupation: 1933; a machine miller in an engineering works

Notes:

Census:
Description: Shaping Machinist

Died:
Description: Hypernephroma of kidney

Buried:
Grave space number 45 in Square number 64

John married Alice PROCTER on 17 Oct 1908 in Walney Parish Church, Barrow-in-Furness. Alice (daughter of James Thomas PROCTER and Elizabeth Jane CRABTREE) was born on 1 Jun 1887 in 91, Windermere Road, Lancaster; died on 16 Jul 1961 in Coventry. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Address: 1908; Address:
  65 Powerful Street, Barrow-In-Furness
• Address: 1939; Address:
  10, Thornhill Road, Coventry

Notes:

Birth:
Jun Q 1887 8e 769 Lancaster

Notes:

Moved to Coventry from Barrow on the recommendation of his father who had moved in 1911

Other Events and Attributes:

• Address: Address:
  Devon Street, Birmingham ?
• Census: 1891, 60, New Street, Coventry
• Address: 1901; Address:
  196 Bloomsbury Street, Nechells, Aston
• Address: 1913; Address:
  34 Court, Spon Street, Coventry
• Occupation: 1913; a machinist
• Occupation: Abt 1925, Coventry Chain Company; an examiner (inspector)

Notes:

Had an aunt who was a housekeeper at "Queenswood" Nr. Coventry Station.
It is thought that the owners of this house fostered Thomas William Ward and brought him up as a "Gent".
He kept a shop in Coton Road, Nuneaton, catering for canary fanciers. He made wire cages, drinking bowls etc. He had an advert on the Safety Curtain at the cinema near St. Georges Hall, (Bond St. ?) Nuneaton. He gave up the shop for health reasons ( possibly a legacy of rheumatic fever contracted earlier in life which may have damaged his heart).
The family moved in with his wife Elsie's father at 7, Sunnyside, Nuneaton, who by this time was a widower.

Address:
Childhood

Census:
Living with his Grandmother - Louisa Dodwell - who was living with her daughter Annie B and husband William Kemp

Address:
Census

Thomas married Elsie TAYLOR on 26 Apr 1913 in St. Paul's Church, Stockingford, Nuneaton. Elsie (daughter of William TAYLOR and Sarah Ann COTTON) was born on 19 Mar 1894 in (no 15?) Sunnyside, Stockingford, Nuneaton; died in 1955 in Gulson Hospital, Coventry. [Group Sheet] [Family Chart]

Other Events and Attributes:

• Address: 1913; Address:
  133 Croft Road, Stockingford, Nuneaton

Notes:

She had red hair and a lovely singing voice. When she was about 14 years old she won a gold medal in a competition held in a theatre in Nuneaton. She wore a dress made of crepe paper with a blue sash.

Died:
Sep Q 1955 9c 614 Coventry

Notes:

Married:
She was living at 133, Croft Road, Stockingford, Nuneaton before her marriage.