Part of the Earley family tree
Family background and early life
Kate Alfreda Branch was born on 6 April 1892 at 145 Granville Terrace, Eardley Road, Streatham in south London. She was the only child of William Alexander Branch (known as Robert), who was a journeyman sawyer, and his wife Emily Mary née Peers.
Kate was baptised at her mother’s family church, St John the Evangelist Church, Great Stanmore on 26 June 1892. On the baptismal record, her parents’ address was 11 Edgington Road, Streatham Common, a few yards from Eardley Road.
Kate started school at Eardley Road School on 7 October 1895, aged just 3½ years.
In 1901, Kate was living with her parents at 29a Fairlight Road, Streatham, but her parents appear to have separated at some point in the next ten years, as in 1911, Kate was living with her mother at 23 Fallsbrook Road, Streatham, while Robert was living with his sister, Emma and her husband in St Pancras. 18-year old Kate was employed as a checker for a firm of printers.
Marriage and child
On 13 August 1915, 23-year old Kate married Robert Ewart Allan, a 24-year old Private in the Gordon Highlanders, at 7 Springbank Terrace, Aberdeen according to the rites of the United Free Church of Scotland; the marriage service was conducted by James Little, Minister of St Clements Church, a short distance from Castlehill Barracks, where Robert was stationed. At the time of the marriage, Kate’s address was 8 Crooked Lane, Aberdeen and her occupation was “flax weaver”.
The couple’s only child, Rebecca Jean Mary Allan was born at 25 Tunstall Road, Brixton on 4 December 1918.
Later life
The marriage to Robert Allan was short-lived; by late 1921, Robert was in a long-term relationship with Elizabeth McLanachan, with whom he had a son, born in September 1922.
At the June 1921 census, Kate, together with her mother and 2-year old daughter Rebecca, were living at 25 Tunstall Road, Brixton. 29-year old Kate was now employed as a laundress.
Emily and Kate are recorded on the electoral roll living at 74 Aytoun Road, Brixton in 1935 and 1936. The following year, they moved to 60 Wiltshire Road, before settling at 26 Saltoun Road, Lambeth.
Rebecca married Walter George Earley in September 1938, leaving her mother and grandmother still living at Saltoun Road. At the 1939 Register, 47-year old Kate was working as a dress machinist.
During the Second World War, Kate worked as an ambulance auxiliary for London County Council.
Her marriage to Robert Ewart Allan was dissolved on 26 June 1946; the records give no explanation of the grounds for the divorce, which is recorded as a “correction” to the Register of Marriages.
On 10 October 1951, Kate (now 59) re-married, to 63-year old John George “Jack” Richards, whose first wife had died the previous summer. During the war, Jack had worked as an “Ambulance Attendant” for the London County Council Ambulance Service – it is probable that he and Kate met while working on the ambulances during the war, although their families almost certainly knew each other previously. At the 1921 census, Jack’s parents were living at Shannon Grove in Brixton, a few hundred yards from Kate’s home in Tunstall Road.
The couple later lived near Basingstoke, before settling in the Waterside area of Hampshire, initially at Elmfield Lane in Calshot, before moving to a mobile home at Hollybank caravan park in Hythe, later re-siting the caravan to my parents’ garden at West Dene in Mullins Lane, Hythe. Jack died in September 1965, aged 77.
Kate survived him by five years and died, aged 80, in Hythe on 24 November 1972.