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From Bertie & Mary Jane's
Herbert George Sackett
Thomas
Ernest Sackett
William
James Sackett
Percy Albert Sackett
Alice
Edith Sackett
Photograph supplied courtesy of Dorothy Sackett |
Bertie, the youngest son of William and Rachel Sackett, was born on 26 February 1881, at 8 Artillery Street, Canterbury. After leaving school at an early age he found work with Canterbury City Council as a labourer. On 5 July 1901, at the age of 20 years and 5 months, he enlisted with the Lancers of the Line (9th Lancers), but by then he was already a member of the Militia, serving in the volunteer battalion of The Buffs. Bertie’s attestation papers show that he was 5 feet 7 inches tall, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. The papers also tell us that he served from 1901 to 1909 at Home, and in the Army reserve from 1909 to 1913. During the first part of his service in 1901 he spent 28 days in prison for ‘assault and drink’, with 28 days’ hard labour. After that he settled down and later received 2 Good Conduct badges. By the time he was transferred to the Reserves in 1909 his pay was 4d. a day. Bertie married Mary Jane Ashby on 27 November 1909 at St Nicholas church, Thanington. They moved to a house in Wincheap, where they spent the rest of their married life, and Bertie returned to his old employer, Canterbury City Council. Mary Jane (always known as ‘Ginnie’) died in 1953, and after that Bertie continued to live in the house they had shared for over 43 years. He was well known in Wincheap, and would spend many hours, sitting on the bench near the railway bridge there, reminiscing with his friends. He died in September 1963. Mary and Bertie were buried in Canterbury Cemetery, close by the grave of their only daughter, Alice.
Their grand-daughter, Pat Tritton, writes: |
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I have fond memories of both Mary Jane and Bertie. Grannie Sackett (as we always called her) was very small, had a very calm nature (I suppose you would have to be with 5 boys to look after!) and always seemed to wear a pinafore. Apparently when she was young she had auburn hair, but by the time I knew her it was white. I can remember seeing her in the wash house, up to her elbows in washing, with steam coming from the old copper in the corner. She seemed to spend an awful lot of time in the kitchen, too. I sometimes used to see Grandad Sackett on my way home from School at lunchtimes. He would be working on the roads, and used to hide behind a tree if he saw me coming, as I always tried to snatch one of his sandwiches! He was always very cheerful, though, despite having a bad leg, which must have been very painful, but he never seemed to complain.
Most of the family would visit Grannie and Grandad at weekends, and I
remember we would always have winkles for tea. My cousin Brian and I
would go into the front room and ‘play’ the piano. It must have driven the
adults mad, but they never told us off! |
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