Apologies, I am struggling to finish off Willie's story. It's very difficult to write a sensible account about my father. Sister Anita has some information that she's sending to me to help.
Since Ken's correspondence, I've had even more information about George from Frances. (Frances, I'd like to thank you personally for your stirling efforts, but have no contact details.)
Frances wrote; Although George emigrated to Australia, he did come back to England for a time. He and his new wife, Nell, travelled on the Demosthenes, (there’s a picture of the ship on the Encyclopedia titanica website) and arrived into London on 4 April 1924. He was 27, and a bootmaker; Nell was 19. Their “country of last permanent residence” is unsurprisingly listed as Australia, but more interestingly, their “country of intended future permanent residence” is given as England. “Permanent residence” is defined as being “a year or more,” so they clearly intended to stay for some time.
Their address is given a 10 Geoffrey Street, Chorlton on Medlock, Manchester. Perhaps George came back to introduce Nell to the Laceys?
They seem to have stayed for about 5 years, as the next record is for their departure for Melbourne on 3 September 1929, aboard the Barrabool, (there’s a picture on the Photoship website) under Captain Sheepwash. This time, 2 year old Ken is travelling with them, having being born during their stay. George’s occupation at the time is recorded as “Salesman.”Meanwhile,
Ken knew little of his father's story and so has learned a great deal of his own family's history by following the blog.
Ken has emailed me with the following information;
"My Father George was a shoe maker by trade, as I understood from my mother and from my later observation.
George emigrated to Australia about 1921 and landed in Melbourne. He told me that his first job in Melbourne was with Dunlop Rubber, see Chas. Macintosh of Manchester, and opened a boot repair shop in the suburbs some time later. Also a member of the Lacey family, I guess a son, had already emigrated and opened a shoe repair shop elsewhere in Melbourne. Shoes were a family tradition! Close by near to that shopping centre lived the Tooth family, who would have known the Lacey’s, where I surmise my father would have met my mother to be, Nell Tooth.
Nell’s Father, son Fred and a younger son Sydney all served in the Australian army. The father was returned to Australia for health reasons and served as guard until 1920, Fred after training in Egypt went to France and went to action in the infamous battle of Fromelles on 19 July 1916. Over 3 days there were over 5,000 Australian casualties, including Fred who was wounded and managed to return. Brother Syd was posted to France in early 1917 and was wounded and declared unfit for action and returned to Aust July 1917. Fred, after more action in France, went into action in Polygon Wood and was killed on 26 September 1917. I guess Fred’s forces would have relieved Harry’s forces and George would have been about there according to the blog.
Arthur Lacey as Guardian is interesting. Again nothing was said by George and Nell referred to them as friends. I only became aware of Arthur’s role as executor of my fathers, although, we, as children, were well aware that he didn’t have a registered father."
Update - and even more information on George
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