The above photograph shows the following people: from left to right: Baby Julian Pearce, his mother Colleen Pearce (nee Milsom), William Joseph Croft (Nan's father), bending over is Nan (Gertrude Edith Milsom (nee Croft), my Dad Anthony Robert Clifford Milsom, and Emily Lavinia Croft (Nan's mother, nee Robbins).    Nanny's story is an interesting and unusual one. In 1916 when aged 27, Nanny was employed by my grandfather Stroud as a Housekeeper/Nanny to assist his wife Gwendolen with keeping house and looking after their daughter Colleen Elizabeth Alice. In 1919, my grandfather Stroud Milsom was divorced by his first wife, Gwendolen and was given custody of their daughter, Colleen Elizabeth Alice (my Aunt). On his return from the War, and following their divorce, Gwendolen went to live in Dorset leaving Colleen with Stroud and Nanny. Following the war and his divorce from Gwendolen, in 1919 Stroud pursued life as best as he could. having lost two of his five brothers in the War (Sidney and Edward), he firstly travelled back to British Columbia to close up and sell the ranch in Barriere that he had bought in 1911 with his beloved brother Sidney. |
