Worker of the Week: Ellen Frampton Dore

Worker of the Week is a series of blog posts which highlights the workers at H.M. Factory Gretna that our volunteers researched for The Miracle Workers Project. This project aimed to centralise all of the 30,000 people who worked at the factory during World War One and, although it may be over, our amazing research volunteers are continuing to uncover more stories about H.M. Factory Gretna workers to be added to this database. We are always looking to learn more about H.M. Factory Gretna workers. If you know anything about a H.M. Factory Gretna worker please feel free to get in touch with us by contacting info@devilsporridge.org.uk  

This week’s Worker of the Week, Ellen Frampton Dore lived in a hostel in Eastriggs. Read more about her below.

Early Life

• Ellen Frampton Dore, was born Ellen Frampton Tuckey on 11th May 1863.
• She was born in Lydiard Millicent, Wiltshire to Richard Frampton and Sarah (nee Badcock) Turkey.
• At the time of Ellen’s birth Richard is described as a yeoman farmer.
• Ellen already had three older siblings and would later become the fourth of seven children in the family.

 

• Next, the 1881 census still shows the family to be living in Lydiard Millicent now at Brook Farm.
• Interestingly, Ellen’s mother Sarah  appears to be the head of the household on the census record.
• Sarah is described as married, but Robert does not appear to be listed.
• Could he have been visiting relatives or staying at another address at the time of the census? What do you think think?
• Instead, it is Sarah who is described as a farmer’s wife of 132 acres employing 5 men and 2 boys.

Marriage

• Fast forward to 1884 and we next come across Ellen at her wedding.
• On the 26th November 1884, she married William John Dore.
• William was a yeoman at Lidyard Millicent, which could well have been were they both met.

 

• Between her marriage and the next census in 1891, Ellen and William moved away from Wiltshire.
• By the time this record was taken they were living at Bourton, Berkshire and William was working as a farmer.

 

• When the census was next taken they had moved again to live at William’s brother’s house in Weston-Super-Mare.
• By 1901, William and Ellen also had one son.
• We’re unsure what could have triggered this move in with relatives. Do you think there’s a possibility that it could be connected to William’s health?
• We suggested it because, William sadly died later in that same year with his death registered in the Bath registration district.

 

• This left Ellen widowed.
• Indeed, she is described as such and living off her own means by the time of the 1911 census.
• By this point her address is 195 Woodstock Road, Oxford.
• Her son and a maid also live at this address.

During World War One

• Next Ellen went to live in Eastriggs.
• To be more exact, lived at 1 to 22 Halifax Road, Rodney Hostel, Eastriggs.
• We know this thanks to the electoral role!

• We think it’s possible that Ellen was the hostel matron. What do you think?
• For many young munitions girls this would be there first time away from home, so Ellen would have had more lived experienced then them.
• If she was the hostel matron, she would have been helping to look after the munitions workers who lived in her hostel.
• This could include making sure that the girls had food at the hostel (or had the vouchers to get food while they were on shift).
• Between the Women’s Police Force, Hostel Matrons and Welfare Supervisors at the factory it does feel as though they tried to keep the young munitions workers safe in their time outside the factory site.
• One hostel matron we know of for sure is Christina Muddie Thom and she even had a maid, Georgia Little who worked with her in the hostel.

• That’s not to say working as a hostel matron was always the nicest of jobs.
• In early 1917, munition worker Maria Armstrong had to much to drink and threatened her hostel matron.
• Ultimately, Maria was given the choice of £3 fine or fourteen days imprisonment for her actions, but it does make us wonder if there were any more incidents like this which went unreported? Or could there be some we just haven’t come across yet?

(To clarify we should probably mention that the rural site of H.M. Factory Gretna actual stretched from Dornock in Scotland to Longtown in England. The two townships of Eastriggs and Gretna were both built for the factory to facilitate and house those that worked there. However, the government at the time chose to name the factory H.M. Factory Gretna. Possibly this could be because they didn’t want to give away the exact location of their munitions factory, or that the central offices for the factory site were located in Gretna. We can understand that putting all the place names into the title of the factory would be a bit long…)

Later Life

• By 1921, she had returned to Oxford, living in Headlington.

 

• After this, the 1939, census gives her address as 87 Beech Croft Road, Oxford.
• At this point she is described as having no occupation. Could she have retired by then?

 

• In fact, Ellen appears to have spent most her life after Eastriggs living in Oxford.
• On the 15th November 1944, Ellen died in hospital in Oxford.

Sources and Further Reading

1. Worker of the Week: Maria Armstrong – https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/worker-of-the-week-maria-armstrong
2. Worker of the Week: Christina Muddie Thom – https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/worker-of-the-week-christina-muddie-thom
3. Worker of the Week: Georgina Little – https://www.devilsporridge.org.uk/worker-of-the-week-georgina-little

Find Ellen Frampton Dore’s Online Database Entry by clicking here>

Do you have a relative who worked at H.M. Factory Gretna? We would love to hear from you! Please feel free to contact us by emailing info@devilsporridge.org.uk. You never know maybe your relative could feature in a future Worker of the Week blog post! You can also have a look at some more H.M. Factory Gretna workers on our online database here>