Beatrice Mary Elizabeth Whitby

  General Notes:

Living at 33 Manor Street in 1901 census.

BME Gee tapes:

Born at Manor Street in 1892. Grandfather died when she was c.6: he was corn merchant on London Road. Grandmother Whitby died when she was c.7 (to be checked as other evidence suggests she died in 1905).

BME Gee notes dictated to Tommy:
Started at Miss Chapman's private school in Belvoir Hill, Sneinton in 1896 aged 4. No uniform, one desk for the whole class. Nice house, about 30 children. Lasted three-four months....Father secured loan of £20-25 led to pay for a church school. Had priest to teach RK. Father objected to sign of cross. Taken away to Sneinton Board School. Stayed at S.B.School to 11 then got scholarship to Mundella Girls EC School (became secondary when there). Walked a mile to school 4 times a day. Had a bike after a time. Came home for lunch except on a wet day. Took stew and apple pie for lunch, warmed it for 1/2d in school dinner room.

BME Gee tapes:

Earliest memory was of baby brother in 1894 (aged 2). Can clearly remember Nurse Potts by the fire. Can also remember father cutting up a dummy she had in 1896, aged 4.

Her mother had a char woman for 2s 6d a week. She washed clothes with a copper, dolly tub and ponch, and baths were taken in front of the fire. When she was young her father asked if she would like a Backyard Bazaar rather than a birthday party. Her father wrote to all grocery suppliers, and she was given things like miniature bottles of HP sauce, and scented soaps. A Councillor opened the event, and the money was sent to the Pearsons Fresh Air Fund in London, paying for 200 poor children to go on an outing in Wollaton Park. Pearson made his money from owning the Daily Express, and there was a branch of the fund in every town. (TC note: a 1905 Backyard Bazaar pamphlet suggests she held parties in 1903, 1904 and 1905, raising £8 2s 0d in 1903, and £16 4s 0d in 1904 - the latter being enough to support 400 children on a trip to Wollaton Park).

She knitted a scarf for a solider in the Boer War when she was 8, and got a letter back which she still had in 1974.

BME Gee took exam when she left Sneinton Board School, and went to Mundella (which became a secondary school in 1903). She walked home at lunch times, but later got a secondhand bike. Used to take lunch in a basket. Both her brothers also went to Mundella, which did not have fees. Her parents kept her busy at home, and so she had no time for school work.. Shrotly before the tape was recorded she had been to the 75th anniversary of the school, and saw her entries in the register (but none of her school friends).

Liked school but didn't like homework and left school at 15 and went to work at Morleys / Armitages, selling sweets and cakes. Most of the other girls went into offices or became teachers. Moved to cash desk and earned 7/- a week. Worked 0800 to 2000 or 2100. Worked to 2200 on Saturday night. Father worked until 2300 - used to walk home with him. Worked at Armitages for 4 years. Then helped mother at home for next 3 years. Used to go to Red Cross meetings and night school, where she learned book-keeping, shorthand and typing. In WW1 Seely (and Grandma) became involved in the Nottingham Guardian subscription fund which collected upto £2000 per day. Parcels sent to Germany containing dubbin, mittens, chocolate, cigarettes. Red Cross office in Washington Buildings on High Pavement (given by lace manufacturer). During WW1 there were 1200 Nottingham POWs, each of whom received a parcel every 5 days.
Obtained MBE in 1919. BME Gee was given her MBE by the Duke of Portland as the King was ill.

Met Grandpa Gee when Gees replaced firm with German name (Wagners) supplying sausages to Armitages. Grandpa used to go with his father sometimes (he was engaged to another person at the time). Knew him for about a year before they married. Met former fiance (who never married, and went to live in Chapel St Leonards) at Gladys's 21st birthday on 8 August 1922. Grandpa took Grandma home to Sneinton in a taxi rather than his fiance. Got engaged in September, and married at Easter. Married at 29 (Grandpa was 27).

Alice (5.5) and Tommy (4) went to Berridge Road School alone together. Dot and Joan went later. Tommy's head mistress though the fact that he could do complex fractions aged 6 was wonderful. Alice, Tommy and Dot all won savings certificates for Honours prizes, presented by Sir Ernest Jardine (lace manufacturer).

BME Gee used to use a bathing machine on holiday when she was younger. Later, family holidays were spent at Chapel St Leonards, but in 1938 they were recommended to go to one of the first holiday camps (at Great Yarmouth). BME Gee cried as she was not used to it, but they went again in 1939 and had to leave early because of the impending war. In 1939 all the children were evacuated: Alice and Tommy went to Mansfield, Dot went to Ramsdale (?) Park with the Girls High School, and Jo went to Worksop.

Alice planned to become a French and PE teacher on leaving school, but WW2 prevented that. Instead she joined WRNS. Tommy joined Navy and became Instructor Lieutenant on HMS Glasgow. From Navy he joined Colonial Service, and learned Swahili. Met Anne whilst at Oxford, and married in 1948 in Watlington.

Beatrice married Thomas Gee, son of Thomas Gee and Alice Maud Phillips, on 23 Apr 1923 in St Stephens, Bobbers Mill Rd, Nottingham. (Thomas Gee was born on 5 Jul 1895 and died on 1 Dec 1985 in Stonepound House, Keymer.)