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Photo of Ellen Catherine Bury

Ellen Catherine Bury

Police Officer in Women’s Police Service
Birthplace Lancashire Cartmel Place of Death Rochford Essex Rochford Date of Birth: April 12, 1868 Date of Death: January 16, 1922

Biography

Information supplied through Research Project led by Nigel Crompton.

 

Name: Ellen Catherine Bury (Mrs) Nee Hodgson
DoB: 12 April 1868
Place of birth: Cartmel, Lancashire (South Lake District)
Parents: Thomas Graham & Mary Jane Hodgson (nee Sanderson)
Parental Home: 7 Johnson Street, Brightside, Sheffield
Siblings: Arthur Salisbury (1872-1934), Alfred Graham (1874-1945) Harold Sanderson (1876-1951), May (1879-1973) John (1880-1940) Audley Webley (1882-1941) Ernest (1884-1965)
Spouse: Edward Joseph Bury
Date of Wedding: 27 July 1899 – St Lukes, Uxbridge Road, Shepherds Bush
Children : Edith Elizabeth (1901-), Marjorie May (1907-19) Myrtle Joyce (1906-1985)
Marital home(s) : 350 King Street, Hammersmith
Employment: Assistant Teacher, London County Council
1911 Census: Thom leigh, 57 High Street, Chiswick
Date of death: 16 January 1922
Location: Rochford Infirmary, Essex

Gretna details
Name: Ellen Catherine Bury (Mrs)
Clock No
Date joining: 1917
Date leaving: Not known
Addresses: Women’s Police Barracks No1, Gretna (see notes)
Rank on start: PC
Promotion: No promotion
Career after: Housekeeper (the address was an inn)
1921 Census : Living at Shoulderstick, Barling, Southend-on-Sea, Essex

Addresses after Gretna
1921 – The Shoulderstick, Barling Road, Barling, Essex

Additional information
Both Thomas and Mary, Ellen’s parents, were school teachers. As Thomas progressed, the family moved. Whilst Ellen was born in Cartmel, Lancashire, the first known address is in Brightside, Sheffield, but shortly after they moved to West London. Mary died in 1897. Thomas Graham married Elizabeth Anderson, the day after Ellen married Edward in July 1899, at the same church on Uxbridge Road near Shepherds Bush. Ellen had followed her parents into teaching. By 1911 Edward, Ellen and their three children were living with Edward’s parents on the High Street in Chiswick. Whilst we know Ellen served at Gretna as a police officer, on one document she is shown as ‘Miss’, whilst on another ‘Mrs.’ Her divorce papers confirm her address at Gretna and given they are dated 1917, it is reasonable to suppose Ellen was at Gretna from 1917. It would appear the marriage had failed in 1915/1916. After the judgement, the three children stayed with their father and Ellen appears not to have been granted any rights to see them or any monetary settlement from Edward. In the 1921 census the only person of the correct age, birth in Cartmel is listed as Ellen Bryant who was Living in Essex, employed as a housekeeper. Unfortunately, this Ellen died in January 1922. The probate Document identifies Thomas Graham Hodgson, Ellen’s elderly father for administration. However, interestingly the 1939 registration for Beccles, Suffolk lists a ‘Ellen Bryant’ with the birthdate of 12 April 1868, exactly the same as Ellen Catherine has at the moment. Is this pure coincidence?

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