Page 14 - Life in Langham 1914-1919

Neighbours on Well Street

Prince, Rowett, and Nourish. Three of the 'lucky' families in

Langham whose children returned from the war.

On one of those leaves he gave Lily an ornamental pin cushion.

Sept 27th 1915 - Joe went to the Front.

It would be two years before he saw Langham and Lily again but he

kept in contact with letters and sometimes embroidered greetings cards.

1916 - Jack came for a day.

In May news came of the Battle of Jutland. Knowing Jack’s ship was

involved gave the Rowett family great anxiety that he might be

among the 6907 British dead. Joe’s cousin George

also took part, thankfully both survived but a

Langham boy, Sidney Stimpson, was killed.

In August Lily’s sister Rose gave birth to a baby

which only lived for four weeks. Rose was already ill

and her husband Olave in the Army when she came

from Kent to her parents in Langham with Roy, her

three year old son.

There are no entries in Lily’s diary for several

months. It was a difficult time with memorial

services for village lads, anxiety about her brothers, Rose & Roy

brothers-in-law, and sweetheart Joe, as well as

Rose’s illness.

Martha (Belgian) sent Lily an

embroidered card from

Fecamp at Christmas.

In January 1917 Rose died and is

buried at Langham. Roy continued

to live with his grandparents until

his father was de-mobbed at the

end of the war.

April - Olave came for a few days leave.

May 30th - Tom Rowett came for one night and again with his wife

and baby for a week at the end of June. Agnes and her children

were in Langham from the middle of June so on the 28th they all

had tea together and a happy evening.

July 12th - Went to Brandon [to Agnes] with Mother and Roy, came home 21st.

July 24th - Went to Grantham [to Joe’s sister] stayed the night, came in from holiday 26th.