The Family of
Walter Edward Neal Turner
The first picture is Walter Edward Neal Turner and Elsie May taken in 1922 and
the second is Elsie May and Thomas Andrew Blatcher
taken in 1949.
Walter was known as 'Ted' by his wife, Elsie.
He was born 17 August 1886 at 46 Campden Street, Kensington, a son of Walter Charles Turner, a butler, and Annie formerly Searle who registered the birth.
In the 1891 census, Walter E. N. aged 4 and born in Notting Hill Gate was at home with his mother living in 2 rooms at 35, Campden Street.
In the 1901 census, Walter E. N. was aged 14 and born in London. He was at home with his mother at 36 (road not identified but presumed to be) Campden Street.
As a young man he collected postcards and was given an album on his 21st birthday in 1907.
On 16 August 1907 he was on holiday with his parents at St Olives, Windsor Road, Boscombe, Hants.
1n the 1911 census Walter was living with his father at 36 Campden Street, Kensington. He was aged 24. He was a carpenter and joiner, working for ‘furnishers’ and born in Kensington.
He continued to live at 36 Campden Street until at least August 1912.
During the 1914-18 war Walter was a member of the Royal Flying Corps, which later became the RAF. He was billeted with the Crossleys at Tadcaster, which is how he met Elsie May Ellerbeck.
It seems that after the war he began working with building companies and moved about the country as housing estates were developed.
He married Elsie May Ellerbeck a granddaughter of Mr and Mrs W. Crossley of Hillside, Tadcaster, in the Tadcaster Primitive Methodist Chapel 17 April 1922 (Easter Monday). From their dates of birth he was aged 35 and she was 23. The best man was Robert Henry Turner, the bridegroom's brother. Miss Ellerbeck, a cousin of the bride, played the organ. Elsie May was given away by her father, Frederick Ellerbeck (of Leeds). Miss Eccles, of Ripon, was a bridesmaid. The reception was in the adjoining schoolroom and the honeymoon was spent in London.
After the wedding Walter moved to London and lived in Hampstead and then North Finchley, and in 1925 Walter and Elsie were in Ashington, Northumberland, where their only child, Muriel Annie Grace, was born, 26 September 1925 (died 26 July 1990). Walter was at this time a builder’s manager, and they remained in Ashington until at least 1928.
Walter then moved to London once more and lived in Colindale and then Kingsbury.
In 1933 the family was in Orpington, at 60 Repton Road.
At this time Walter was running his own business in building construction, Blatcher and Turner Limited, registered office Court Road, Orpington, with a partner, Thomas Andrew Blatcher (born 24 July 1905), a master builder. Unfortunately the business became bankrupt in 1935 after his marriage failed. Thomas Blatcher and Elsie May set up home together and married in 1940 in the Meriden district, after Walter had died. At the time Thomas was working for Gough Cooper as a surveyor of war damage in Morecambe and they were living in Meriden.
When not working, Walter was involved with amateur productions (e.g. Merry England, in Ashington, in 1926) and he wrote poetry. As a young man, before his move away from Kensington he helped his brother, Robert run a scout troup at St Matthew’s Bayswater.
Walter died 11 September 1940 in hospital in Slough. He was aged 54 years, of 37 Ledgers Road, Slough, a builder’s general foreman. He had probably had a stroke as the causes of death were given as syncope, bronchopneumonia and cerebral arteriosclerosis.
Elsie May Turner and Thomas Andrew Blatcher first lived at ‘Roseneath’, later to be redeveloped as Roseneath Close, on Chelsfield Hill, between Chelsfield and Pratts Bottom, Kent. They then moved (before 1940) to ‘Crossways’, Chelsfield Hill, built by Tom’s firm, where the family lived until the mid ‘60s.
Elsie May was a member (soprano) of Orpington Choral Society. She sang in at least two choral concerts: 1945 in the Concert Hall, Orpington and 1947 in the Civic Hall, Orpington. Tom, Elsie and their two children also sang in the choir of St Martin of Tours Church, Chelsfield.
Elsie May died suddenly 13 January 1955 from a brain haemorrhage whilst shopping in Bromley. She was cremated and her ashes were buried in the churchyard at Chelsfield.
In 1958, Thomas Blatcher married again, in Bromley, to Ellen Emily R. George formerly Hanson (born 7 May 1911). There were no children from this marriage.
Thomas died 18 November 1978 and Ellen died 22 September 1992.
Revised April 2012.