Mary H Bates 1888-1969

Machinist at Hart & Levy, Tailor, Rutland Street, Leicester.

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Facts

Date   Event   Source
1 Apr 1888   Mary Hannah Bates was born on All Fools' Day at 63 Ash St, Leicester, seventh child of Alfred Bates (31), timekeeper and storekeeper at Phoenix Iron Works, and Mary Hannah Manger (27).
An earlier sister Mary had died in 1881, and her grandmother, Hannah Benn, was buried within a day or two of 1 April 1888. Four older sisters and an older brother had survived by the time of her birth.
She was under the impression that her mother was also the seventh child, and that she herself was therefore the seventh child of a seventh child*. In later life, she maintained an interest in mystical numbers, fortune-telling by tea leaves and so on - and she completed a pools coupon every week, convinced that one day would come the big win. She once won 6s.8d.
*(Her mother was actually the ninth child. )		   Birth certificate


Family birthday book


John Thacker

Doreen Angrave
(15 Nov 1888   Her future husband, William E Thacker, was born. He was also given the same name as an earlier child in the family who died in infancy.)   Birth certificate
Death certificate, William Thacker
30 Aug 1891   Her brother, Henry, was born.   Birthday book
19 Apr 1892   Her brother, Henry, was buried aged about 8 months.   Welford Road burial register
Abt 1893-1900   She attended the Sacred Heart Catholic School, Mere Road, Leicester. (There is no evidence that she or her parents were Catholics.)   Mary Thacker
20 Mar 1894   Her next siblings, the twins, Alfred and Gertrude, were born.   Birthday book
23 Mar 1894   Alfred was buried, perhaps a day or two old.   Birthday book
5 Mar 1895   Gertrude was buried, aged nearly 12 months. (Thus, the next three children born after Mary Hannah all died in infancy in the same way her grandmother, Hannah Benn's, did.)   Birthday book
8 Feb 1899   Her sister, Winifred, was born.   Birthday book
Abt 1899   She left school aged 10 and started working for Hart and Levy, Tailor, of Rutland Street, Leicester.   Mary Thacker
1901   She was living with her parents at 50 Larch Street.   Census
1910+   As an adult, she was 5 feet tall. (Judging by the surviving pictures, the rest of the family were also below average height.)   Mary Thacker + photographs
12 Sep 1912   At 24, she married William Ernest Thacker (23), commercial traveller for John Thacker Ltd. She gave her occupation as tailoress and her address as 50 Larch St, Leicester.   Marriage certificate
25 Feb 1913   Her mother-in-law died aged 63 while staying in a hotel in Bournemouth.   Death certificate
26 Jul 1913   Two of her sisters had already emigrated to Canada, in 1909 and 1912; now, less than a year after her marriage and towards the end of her first pregnancy, her parents and her two remaining sisters also emigrated, leaving her feeling abandoned.   Passenger lists +
John Thacker
Abt 1913   The recently-married couple moved to new housing on the outskirts of Leicester - May House, Fern Rise, Humberstone Gate. This increased her sense of isolation: she later said it was too quiet: 'she liked to hear the traffic going by'.   Doreen Angrave
9 Sep 1913   Her first daughter, Mary, was born 12 months after the wedding.   Birthday book
10 May 1915   Her parents returned from Canada - her sisters remained.   Passenger list
1915   The family moved to 83 Uppingham Road (which had plenty of traffic).
In normal conversation, she dropped her aitches and it was her destiny to have several neighbours whose names began with H - Mrs 'Arris, Mrs 'Odges and Mrs 'Eggs.		   Doreen Angrave
John Thacker
9 May 1918   In Canada, her sister Winifred died in childbirth aged 19.   Leicester Mercury 30 May
21 Oct 1919   When she was 28, her mother died of heart failure at 21 Baggrave St, Leicester, aged 58.   Death certificate
3 Nov 1920   Her first son, John, was born when she was 32.   Birth certificate
Abt 1922-1942   After her husband's bankruptcy (q.v.), she didn't go out of the house for many years. 'Nip to the corner and fetch me a settled loaf,' was a common request later recalled by her son, John.
On one occasion, she went into the back garden and the woman next door 'shook a duster at her' from an upstairs window. Her husband was sent to complain.		   John Thacker


Doreen Angrave
Abt 1927   Her daughter, Mary, left school aged 14 and started working at the Midland Educational bookshop. (She earned ten shillings a week, of which nine went to her mother and she was able to keep one for herself.)   Mary Thacker
26 Sep 1927   Her second son, Alfred Anthony (Tony), was born - last of three children, with 7 years between the birth of each.
She had wanted to call him Anthony Alfred, but her husband registered the names the wrong way round.		  

Tony Thacker
11 July 1929   When she was 41, her father (now living with the family at 83 Uppingham Rd) died of heart failure, aged 73.   Death certificate
22 Nov 1955   Her husband, William Ernest Thacker, died aged 67.   Death certificate
Late 1950s   After the death of her husband, she took in a lodger, and later became a 'lady's companion', in answer to a local advertisement.   Doreen Angrave
20 Feb 1969   She died at her daughter's house, 36 Colchester Road. Her last words were: 'I think I'm going.'   Mary Thacker

  She was buried at Gilroes cemetery, Leicester.

   Headstone