Biography of Evelyn May Folker

Malcolm Smith's Family History Archive

Biography of

Evelyn May FOLKER

[Ref. Q.1]

Evelyn May Folker was born at 99 Huddlestone Road in Tufnell Park, Islington on 11 July 1881, the eldest child and only daughter of Henry and Hannah Folker.

According to the census of 1891, the family were living in Albert Terrace, Wolstanton, Newcastle under Lyme, Staffs. However, by 1901 they had returned to London and were at 12 Park Road, Harlesden. Evelyn kept house for her parents here as her mother did very little around the house, being described by her grand daughter as a bit if a matriarch.

Also according to the 1901 census, Evelyn was a milliner's apprentice. She made a quilted patchwork bedspread which her great nephew Malcolm Smith used for many years.

After Evelyn's father retired, he and her mother moved to Surrey. Evelyn went to live with her aunt Eleanor Mann in her house at 8 Burton Road in Brondesbury, Middlesex. This had been the home of Eleanor's parents which she had inherited. Eleanor divided it up into flats, one on each of the three floors and herself lived on the first floor. Evelyn lived on the top floor and just outside her flat was a door with a stained glass leaded window leading onto a small lead flat roof where she kept flowers in pots. When Eleanor passed away, the house was left to Evelyn.

Evelyn was mistress of the choir at St Michael and All Angels church Stonebridge where she also played the organ. During the first World War, she was a VAD nurse in a local hospital. After the war she busied herself with charitable work such as sales of work and stalls at garden parties.

She had artisitic tendencies and one of the things she did was to tint black and white photographs. The portrait on this page is from an example of her work. It is understood that she tinted the glass pictures of film stars displayed at her local cinema advertising forthcoming films. Additionally she played the piano at performances of silent films there.

Evelyn used to keep colouring books and crayons for children of visiting nephews and nieces. She also had a box of sea shells with which the children could play.

Evelyn pased away on 10 March 1955, just two months after the death of her yougest brother Sydney. Her house was purchased by one of her tenants and the proceeds of the sale were bequeathed to her neices Vivien and Dora in accordance with the terms of her Will.

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