Mary Elizabeth (Henwood) Partridge (1894 - 1976)

Born 9 May 1894 in Walthamstow, Essex, England

Ancestors

Wife of Harold James Partridge — married 26 Feb 1927 in All Saints Church, Woodford Wells, Essex, England

Died 25 Dec 1976 at age 82 in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire, England

Biography

Mary Elizabeth Henwood:

Mary Elizabeth, known as ‘May’, was born at Walthamstow, Essex on the 9th May 1894, and christened in St. Stephen’s Church on the 8th of June.^[1]

According to her brother Arthur, May worked as a shorthand-typist at a Marine Insurance company in London. It is probable that she began this employment around 1912, but during the First World War she enlisted, was trained and worked as a nurse.

At thirty-three years of age she married Harold James Partridge, the ceremony taking place at All Saints Church, Woodford Wells on 26 Feb 1927.^[2] Later that year, or early in 1928 Harold and May emigrated to Australia, settling in Melbourne. They lived in Australia for five years, and their two children were born there, but then they decided to return to England. They set up home in Welwyn Garden City, Hertfordshire.

At the outbreak of World War II her husband Harold re-joined the Merchant Navy. In the winter of 1939/40 he completed a successful return voyage to Canada. After another short assignment he was engaged as 3rd Officer on the St. Dunstan. This ship was sunk on 25th August, 1940, but Harold survived. He was next assigned to the SS Ardanbhan as 2nd. Officer. The Ardanbhan was of medium size – 400 feet in length, five thousand tons, and manned by a crew of thirty-eight. On 27 Dec 1940, whilst in convoy in the Atlantic, 500 miles south of Iceland and 750 miles from the northwest coast of Scotland, the ship was torpedoed by a German U-boat. All the crew perished.^[3]

After the war May remained in Welwyn Garden City, where she lived out the rest of her life. She passed away on Christmas Day, 1976.^[4]

Sources

1. ↑ Family Search, baptisms.
2. ↑ Confirmed by her son, Gerald Partridge
3. ↑ Report on the Sinking of the SS Ardanbhan
4. ↑ Verified by son Gerald and RHH.