Robert William Morley
Robert William Morley, husband of Florence Ward, was in the Marines and lived near Deal in Kent. The photographic postcard shows him on his way to France during 1918. The message on the back of the postcard is difficult to read:
“Left Orpington 10.30pm Sept 30th 1918, arrive Folkstone at 12.30. Left Folkestone 3.30pm Oct. 1st and went Boulogne. Left 'B' at 5.30pm Oct. 2nd for É'toile [Département de la Somme] arrive 9pm. Left. É'toile [signature ?];”
Sadly I have no other records of him from that date.
The photographic postcard is captioned, ‘DEPOT. R.H. DEAL KINGSDOWN. CAMP. 1905’. It was posted in Deal at 1pm on Wednesday, 2nd of August 1905 and addressed to ‘Mrs Ward [Alice Ward] / 2 New St / Kennington P Rd / London S.E.’. The message reads:
"Dear Mamma
We shall be at Station to meet you on Sunday hope you will be well enough to come the long journey Went to have 6 teeth drawn to day had gas such a trade so goodbye for present to all
Just received your letter as this goes to post”
The Wards appear to have stayed with Florence and Robert at 1 Clarence Terrace, Downs Road, Walmer, Kent. In August 1906, Alfred C. Ward was staying there, probably with his Mother, Alice Ward. However, it is unliky that Alfred's Father could go on holiday, as he had to stay at the Boot shop in New Street. It was said that he normally came to the coast late on Saturday or early Sunday, so at least he had a few hours 'beside the seaside, beside the sea.'
Florence and Robert William Morley's first Son, Robert (Bob) Alfred Joseph Morley was born on the 18th December 1904. He married Edith Squires, known as "Sheb" at Boston, Lincolnshire in 1934. (In 1927 she was living at New Bolingbroke.) Robert died in late January 1966.
The photograph of Bob with a bicycle was taken by C.E. Peacock, The Green, Mareham le Fen and is
handstamped: ‘REVESBY . BANK’ in purple. I see that Mareham le Fen is north of Boston and Revesby
Bank is south of Mareham le Fen and north of New Bolingbroke where "Sheb" lived in 1927.
The studio portrait was taken in Boston by Britannia’s Electric Portraits Ltd.
A postcard sent to Mrs A. Ward [Alice Ward] at New Street, was written by Bob at Revesby and entered the
post at Sibsey on the 22nd January 1927. Bob wrote to say that he marked the card on the picture side,
"No 1 is Mrs Hansono' shop and No 2 is Edith's home. We both thank you for the way you treated us ..."