Winifred Annie Mellersh

Winifred moved with her family in about 1891 from Lillie Road, Fulham, to 34 Nicoll Road, Harlesdon [Parkers moved close by to no 38]. As a teenager, Winnie went to a sanatorium in Bournemouth for about 6 months.
At 1901 census Winifred age 15 is missing from her Mellersh family home still at 34 Nicoll Road. After 1901 they moved out of London to "Sherley," Clarence Road, St Albans, Hertfordshire [Parkers moved close by to no 63]. Shortly the family moved locally to "Bridlemere," 31 Clarence Road, where Winnie lived until after 1952. Winifred was delicate (in her teens spending 6 months in a sanatorium in Bournemouth) and retiring, so she helped at home and did voluntary work: at a clinic for babies; at Sunday School; and at a Youth Club. Winifred is mentioned at least 3 times in the autobiographical book by her brother Harold, published in 1978 (a year after Winifred’s death) by William Kimber, London, entitled “Schoolboy into War,” covering primarily the years of the First World War from 1914 to 1918. The first two references (on pp 52 & 86) are brief mentions of Winifred’s diary. Then pp 99 – 100 tell of the 2 Belgian refugees taken in by the Mellersh household at “Bridlemere,” St Alban’s [probably from about 1915 to about 1917], being Madame Maria Louwage and her young daughter Vivienne Louwage (b 1912) [whose husband & father respectively Florent Louwage went on to become head of the Belgian Police, and after WW2 head of Interpol]. Harold writes on page 100: “For my younger sister [Winifred] in fact, especially when later Madame returned alone to Belgium, the care of the little girl [Vivienne], her growing response, and the final inevitable parting, constituted, I feel sure, the deepest experience of the war.” Also on page 100 is a photograph of Harold (in army uniform) and Winifred (sewing) sitting on a bench, apparently in the back garden of Bridlemere.
In about 1925, Winnie first met a very good friend, Beatrice A Brewster (b 1879 prob in India - d 1961 in St Albans).
Later on, 2 aunts moved into Bridlemere: Louisa Mary Mellersh and Annie Eliza Parker. After Winnie's father Frederick died in 1941, she looked after the 3 old ladies with a living in maid called Mary Dolen. When the last of the 3 had died (her mother Florence in 1952), Winnie was left the house & contents. Bridlemere being too big, Winnie moved to "Little Mere," 9 Blandford Road, St Albans, with a friend Imogen(e) Marjorie Whiting [aka Anna] (1898 - 1974) (until Imogene died a few years later). Winnie kept 2 diaries over many years, which as at 1994 were in the possession of a nephew.