I don’t really know much about Albert Edward Dines (my grandfather) but I do know he was born in Harlington, Bedfordshire in 1877 and his father Joseph was born in Houghton Conquest in 1834, probably not really of interest for Harpenden history though. However I have photos of my great-grandparents.
There was a William Dines, son of Joseph, but I can’t be sure if he’s the same one from Cowper Road, although I’m sure my dad said he had a cousin called Cyril or Cecil from there, who could be the Francis William Cyril Dines described in Mary Skinner’s Tribute. It looks right though. I’m sure the records are out there somewhere, it’s just a matter of searching. In fact, there were 13 children from Joseph and Eliza (seems unbelievable, but the Ancestry web site would indicate that).
Albert Edward married Agnes Hannah Clark, she was born in Bourne, Cambridgeshire. They had eight children, four boys and four girls. My Uncle Charlie (Edmund) was killed in WWI and my Uncle Ted (Albert Edward) died in WWII. The family photo taken in around 1916 shows the family before tragedy struck.
Though I now live in Wincanton, Somerset, I was born and bred in Harpenden. My first home was 3A Pickford Hill, then 44 Northfield Road, and then 49 Park Mount. After I married I lived in Hemel, then for a while in Luton, and then back to Harpenden, first at 33 Park Mount and then back to 49 Park Mount, which had been a family home before.
Looking through this website, it takes me back. I used to paddle in the River Lea and catch fish and tadpoles there. My mum used to be a cleaner at the Almagam factory, where I used to help a bit as a youngster. Mr Oliver was the caretaker who lived in the house adjacent. I remember the Co-op being built. I did a paper-round from Edwards, and I remember Ackroyds – and I can even just about remember the prisoner of war camp in Batford. I attended Manland School, where Les Casey was my geography teacher. I left in 1968.
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