Feb 022012
 
Behind 42 Baltic Road Tonbridge, Kent, England abt 1949
My Grandmother Lilian grew up in a two up, two down terrace home at 38 Baltic Road Tonbridge Kent. Her father Robert Henry Philpott worked on the South east & Chatham Railway, as did many people in town.
Robert Henry was born 29 March 1877 in Hythe Kent. He married Alice Jane Lewis 23 December 1899 in Erith. They had thirteen children (although I can only find 12 so far) of whom my Grandmother Lilian was the middle child.
Lilian lost her husband in WW2 and she and my father David, the young boy in this photo emigrated to Australian in 1949.

Left to right: Robert Henry Philpott Dulcie Sumbling (Dad’s cousin) Alice Jane Philpott nee Lewis, Mavis Ben (Dad’s cousin) and my father David Smith 

Robert and Alice’s eldest daughter Florence married William Sumbling and they moved into 42 Baltic Road which was two doors down and there is still two of the Sumbling family living there today.

  2 Responses to “Wordless Wednesday”

  1. What a wonderful image. Are the buildings in the mid ground separate from those at the top of the image?

  2. They are a whole row of Terrace houses which share walls all down a sloping street. The first parts of the buildings visible at the back are the kitchens which all had wood burning stoves, that is divided into two, half belonging to each house. The main building is literally two rooms on the bottom and two rooms above with a very steep staircase going up. They managed to raise 12 children in this house although realistically most left home at 14 so it was a case that the older ones were not at home when the younger ones were around.

    Nowadays they have extended ont eh top and put in a bathroom upstairs. My Grandmother remembered being bathed in a tub in the kitchen and when my Dad went back in 1954 he went across the road a few doors up to bathe in their bathroom.

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