Ethel Bertha Glenny (1881 - 1949)

Biography

Bertha was born in 1881. She was the daughter of William Glenny and Eliza Blackmore. She passed away in 1949.

Memories of Bryan V Goulstone: Bertha and Fanny lived with one of their brothers, probably George, in a large mansion in Sevenoaks. When I was 7 or 8 years old I visited their house. They were strict Plymouth Brethren and had no electricity as it was sinful. I think they dressed only in black, and fun was a sinful pursuit. However, they had many interesting scientific-style Victorian mechanical toys/machines which would now be extremely valuable. And I was fascinated by a hand-cranked player piano they had which played jazz tunes (punched in a paper concertina) without a pianist.

There is an interesting story I was told about these two stern ladies that I think is most likely to be true. It goes like this: When they received their money from their share of the sale of the brewery, they bought a hall in Sevenoaks for the members of their church, and maintained it all the rest of their lives. In their wills they made it clear that they were dissatisfied with the effort made by the congregation to support this asset and decreed that on the death of the last sister, which was Bertha, the hall was to be sold to Mecca Dance Halls (an anathema to their church) if the church failed to rasie a collection of funds (unknown amount) in a specified time after their death. This the church failed to do and the hall was duly sold to Mecca Dance Halls.

Sources

• “Goulstone Family Genealogy” by Bryan V Goulstone. Copy held by Kathy (Goulstone) Viney.