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Annie Houston, born 1904, Poplar, London

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Melanie

Melanie Report 6 Dec 2007 00:30

Annie Downs, nee Houston, was my maternal grandmother; she was tragically killed in the Blitz in WW2, along with her 3 youngest children (Derek, aged 4 years; Margaret Rose, aged 3 years, and Iris, just 1 year).

Her parents were John Houston (born in Lowestoft, Suffolk 1877 and died in Poplar, London, 1918) and Mary Ann Lepine (born in Bow, London 1880; no date of death discovered yet).

Annie had 2 brothers and 2 sisters; Alexander (b. 1906), Sarah (b. 1910), Elizabeth (b. 1913) and John (b. 1915); all Houston surname, of course.

Elizabeth married someone called Hill (first name unknown) in 1930 and had a daughter Maureen in 1931. She attended a girls' school in Sydenham, South London, which was bombed during the war and Maureen tragically lost both her legs at the age of approximately 13.

Annie's widower, William Mark Downs, remarried in 1943, but this was not a happy outcome for my Mum and she left home when she was 16. I never knew any of my Mum's family, and have never seen a picture of my grandmother at all and have literally just this month been sent a picture of my grandfather as a teenager by my mum's cousin, traced through this site, so I am desperately seeking any relative (especially one who has any photos they would be happy to copy for me).

This is the first time that I have done any research into my grandparents, as the loss of her Mum and baby brother and sisters is something that is still, after 67 years, incredibly raw and painful for my Mum. She has never had a photo of her Mum and I would dearly love to find one for her. PLEASE HELP, if you can.

Many thanks

Mel