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Photo of Daphne Sayer

Daphne Sayer

Driver between Mossband and Dornock
Birthplace Greater London Hampstead EnglandPlace of Residence at HM Factory Gretna Stormont Cottage Date of Death: January 19, 1997

Biography

Daphne Edith Nora Sayer

Gender: Female
Date and Place of Birth: 21 October 1901 in London
Date and Place of Death: 1997 At Colchester, Essex
Nationality:British

Biography
Childhood:  Daphne grew up in London with her brother and sister:

Gladys Linda Sayer (1892-1989) who was a world renown pianist

Frank Bernard (1893-1940) who died when his ship was sunk by enemy action.
Parents: Egerton Sayer and Marion Bates
Parent’s occupations: Egerton was an electrical Engineer who worked at HM factory during WW1
Schools / universities attended and years of attendance: Not known
Occupation: Driver during WW1
Place of residence at Gretna: Most likely with her parents at
Job title at Gretna: Daphne drove a service car between Mossband and Dornock
Marital status: Married to Reginald Ernest Symonds (1894-1964)
Children:

Frank Brian Symonds 4 March 1924 at Hampstead
Barbara Daphne 5 June 1928 at Barnet, London
Travels: Nil known
Awards/recognitions: Nil known
Trivia / any other information: Nil
Bibliography

Daphne mentioned in the unpublished memoir of W.G.Emmett
References
Ancestry
Free BMD
FindmyPast

Daphne Sayer is described in the unpublished memoir of W G Emmett, as a Gretna Girl. She was the daughter of Egerton Sayer who was the electrical engineer at Mossband and later married Reginald Ernest Symonds, who worked in the Housing Department at Gretna.

Daphne was born on 21st October 1901, the youngest child of Egerton and Marion Sayer. In 1911, Egerton is an electrical engineer in Hampstead.

Presumably, Daphne followed her father to work at Gretna. We don’t know what her role at Gretna was, but Emmett says of Daphne “who herself drove a Ford service car between Mossband and Dornock, about 8 miles away, where the acids and nitrating plants were situated,”

Daphne and Reggie married in Cornwall in 1923. They don’t seem to have had any children. They lived in New Barnet in London and Reggie pursued a successful career as an estate agent.

Reggie died in 1962, shortly after they had retired to Worthing. Daphne died in Spring 1997 in Colchester.

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