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Frederick & Elsie's Ida Nora Vidler Douglas Frank Vidler |
Frederick was the eleventh, and youngest child of James & Ruth Vidler. He was baptised in Ashburnham on 14 February 1886, and spent his whole life there. Frederick married Elsie Hutchinson in Ashburnham on 25 June 1910. Elsie was the daughter of Alfred Hutchinson. Frederick & Elsie had two children: Ida Nora was born in Ashburnham on 19 October 1910. She later married Mr Paterson, they had no children. Ida died in Shropshire in 1984. Douglas was born in Ashburnham on 1 December 1920. He married Margaret Carwardine in Battle in 1944, and their son Michael John was born the following year. The family later moved to Australia and finally settled in New Zealand. Douglas recalls: My Dad went to work on Kitchenham Farm at the age of 12 when Frank died of scarlet fever which prevented Dad from going to school. As a shepherd he worked long hours and walked many miles on the farm and I don’t think the Norris family ever told him what to do, more like the opposite. |
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Lambing time was 24 hours a day, the sheep at night in a yard and Dad stayed in a hut so as to feed the orphans and tend the sick ones. Clipping time was good too as he always had cider for the morning break and I used to go to the farm house across the road to get it. The maids used to fill the jug to the very top, so to prevent spilling I soon learned to drink a bit off the top! Dad was also the carpenter on the farm, repairing fences and gates. He was also the one with the gun and was always invited to go onto the Ashburnham Estate for rabbit and deer shoots. During the war as a Special Constable he also had to walk the village at night to see black-out restrictions were observed. I have the long term medal he was awarded for Service to Agriculture, and the same for long service in the Police. When I look back on his life I think what long hours he worked in all weathers and never did he have a weeks holiday, just the odd day off for special things… Frederick died in 1961, and Elsie died in 1982, they were both buried in Penhurst churchyard.
Photograph supplied courtesy of
Douglas Vidler |
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