From Zeppelins to the Armistice : Ada Harris's Story

Ada Harris (1903-1999)

My grandmother, Ada Emily Coward née Harris was born at 17 Wharfdale Road, Islington on the 11th January 1903. Her parents were Elizabeth Harris née Stratton (1881-1917) and James William Alfred Harris (1879-1964). At the time of Ada's birth, her father was a milkman, as can be seen on her birth certificate, but later began working on the Great Northern Railway.

Ada Harris's birth certificate Islington 1b 286

James Harris's work on the railway meant that the family often moved home, which disrupted the schooling of his two daughters, Ada and Maud (as Elizabeth was known). 

James Harris (1879-1964) in his railway uniform

Descendants of James Harris and Elizabeth Stratton

James's wife Elizabeth Harris is often described as being fiery and very short-temperd. To antagonise her, James often sang a popular Music Hall song of the period called It's A Great Big Shame. The words were written by Edgar Bateman and the music by George Le Brun. Gus Elen (1862-1940) performed this song on stage for over 25 years. This is the chorus:

It’s a great big shame, an’ if she belong’d ter me
I’d let ‘er know who’s who.
Naggin at a feller wot is six foot free,
And her not four foot two!
Oh! they ‘adn’t been married not a month nor more,
When underneath her fumb goes Jim –
Isn’t it a pity as the likes ov ‘er
Should put upon the likes ov ‘im?

James also played a tin whistle.

Ada often told the story that one day, dressed in her best clothes, she asked her mother if she could meet her father from the railway station. Elizabeth said yes, on condition that she stayed clean. Unfortunately as Ada walked down the road, a horse and cart trundled through a large muddy puddle, soaking her from head to feet. When she returned home her furious mother beat her severely.

Elizabeth Harris with Maud and Ada c.1905

Below is a page from the 1911 Census. It was taken on the night of the 2nd April of that year and shows the Harris family living at 121 Rosebury Gardens, Haringey, Tottenham, North London. This was the first time a census return was filled out by the 'head of the household,' so we get a sample of James Harris's handwriting.

RG14PN7281 RG78PN355 RD132 SD3 ED4 SN355

We can see James Harris aged 31 has been married for ten years and his occupation is a Checker (Goods). He works on the Great Northern Railway and his birthplace was St.Pancras in London. Below James is Elizabeth his wife aged 30, born in Bermondsey, London.

The 1911 Census asked the head of the household how many children had been born in that marriage? How many had survived? And how many had died? James has written along his wife's section that they have had two children, both are still living and none have died.

Next on the Census sheet is Elizabeth Maud, aged 9. She is at school and her place of birth is St.Pancras in London. Last on the page is Ada. E (Emily) aged 8. Ada is at school and her birthplace is Islington, London.

At the age of 13 Ada decided she had recieved enough education and left school to find work. She lied about her age - so borrowing her sister Maud's birth certificate (Elizabeth Maud Harris 1901-1996) she applied at Dunn & Co the hat makers (possibly in Islington High Street). Ada was given the job, but discovered she was too small to reach her work bench. So Dunn's supplied her with a box to stand on and re-named her Little Lizzie.

Dunn & Co. in Islington High Street

During this period Ada and her family were living in Islington (possibly at 171 Isledon Road). This was near to the Coward's house (possibly at 93 Isledon Road) - a family her father forbade her to have anything to do with. He warned her that the Coward family were nothing but trouble. 

On the 10th September 1917, Ada's mother Elizabeth Harris died aged 37 at Islington Infirmary, Highgate Hill. The doctor wrote morbus cordis as the reason for her death - a phrase which simply meant 'heart disease.' This general term was used, when the exact reason was not evident, but they were sure it was natural causes. 

Her family say that she had a weak heart and her death was caused by one of the many Zeppelin and Gotha raids over London during the autumn of 1917. 

These German air raids on Britain during the Great War (28th July 1914-11th November 1918) were the first of their kind. They caused panic and outrage and were viewed as terrorism rather than a legitimate act of war. The British were appalled and civilians branded these raiders as baby killers. 

A Zeppelin over London

On the night of the 31st May 1915 a single Zeppelin airship appeared over north London and started dropping its deadly cargo. This was the first time the capital had been bombed from the air. On seventeen different occasions between 13th June 1917 - 20th May 1918 German heavy bombers reached London. These attacks created terror in the minds of Londoners and it was possibly one of the raids in August/September 1917 that Elizabeth Harris witnessed. 

The family story says that:

Elizabeth suffered from a weak heart. Shortly before she passed away, she had seen a Zeppelin flying above her house. Distraught with fear she screamed for her two girls (Ada and Maud) and ran outside into the front garden. Neighbours found her sobbing uncontrollably on the front door step. She was eventually taken to the Whittington Hospital.

Elizabeth's death certificate actually places her at Islington Infirmary, Highgate Hill N19 (now known as The Whittington Hospital two miles from the family home at 171 Isledon Road).

Elizabeth Harris née Stratton's death certificate Islington 1b 149

Ada met John Coward as she came back from her mother's funeral. She was now fourteen years old. 

"Have you got troubles?" He asked her. So she explained to him about her mother's death. 

A month later Ada saw John again. This time he was grieving over the loss of his brother James (1888-1917). He had died in action and was buried at Poperinge, West Vlaanderen, Belgium. James was 29 years old and had joined the 1st Royal West Kent Regiment less than a year before.

"We've got troubles now," John said. And it was then he asked Ada to go out with him and introduced her to his sister Catherine (1898-1970).

John Coward, Harriet Coward née Elsden, and Joseph Coward?

John Joseph Coward (1902 -1966), son of Walter and Harriet, was born in Islington (certificate1b 180).  He was described as 'popular with the ladies with a charming smile, good singing voice and a bit of a prankster'. He enjoyed drinking beer, along with his father at The Cushy Arms in Holloway, where the regulars often asked him to sing songs like Avalon (1920).

One day the pub regulars wagered that John could not eat a whole bag of cherries at once - but within seconds he consumed the whole lot including the pips!

Less than a year after the death of his first wife, Ada's father re-married. She was Mildred E. Scarr (1888-1965). Their marriage certificate reference is 1b 756 July/August/Sept 1918.

Unfortunately Ada and her step-mother did not get on. One day, after a huge row, Mildred ('Millie') threw Ada out. She told her, 'you either go out of the door or out of the window!'

This incident aroused suspicion amongst family members. Many believed Ada had been thrown out of the house because she knew too much. Possibly about an affair her father had been having with Mildred, while his wife Elizabeth was still alive.

James Harris (1879-1964)

Ada was now homeless, so Catherine Coward asked her mother if her friend could lodge with them - Harriet agreed. So Ada, defying her father, moved in with the Coward family in their 3 storey-house.

Left to right, Harriet Coward, Catherine Coward and Emma (Harriet's sister)

Rupert Road, London N14 4DQ

Ada eventually left Dunn & Co and began working as a trainee live-in nanny. She was given a room in the house of a very wealthy Russian family (possibly in Highgate, Islington) and worked alongside their qualified nanny.

Descendants of Walter Coward.

Prime Minister Lloyd George announced the signing of the Armistice to the newspapers a little before 11 o'clock on Monday November 11th 1918.  The Armistice had been signed at 5 am that morning and at precisely 11am a typewritten note of the Premier's announcement was tied to the railings of Buckingham Palace. The Great War was over.

The headlines after Armistice Day

It slowly became clear to Londoners that the hostilities had ended and soon the streets became filled with well-over 7,000,000 people. Huge crowds gathered around Trafalgar Square and Buckingham Palace calling for the King. According to the The Daily Mirror London went 'wild with delight!'

Tug boats on the Thames began sounding their horns and Big Ben and church bells began ringing again.

Crowds outside Buckingham Palace

That rainy night Ada Harris and John Coward went to see the celebrations. John may have been on leave from the army. He had tried to join-up earlier but was too young.

There were bonfires and fireworks and the London streets were completely filled with servicemen and civilians celebrating the end of four long years of horrific war. 

Armistice celebrations in London

Ada was due back at the house of the Russian family at 9pm but because of the congestion she was late getting there. When she finally arrived at the house she found all the doors locked and bolted.

Ada had nowhere else to go so she spent Armistice night outside on the cold damp steps of the house, frightened of all the drunken soldiers and revellers around her. Next morning she tried to explain to the family why she had been late, but they were unyielding and insisted that 'they would not employ someone who couldn't be trusted'.

It is unknown where Ada lodged after this, but about this time she began working in the chocolate room at Maynard's sweet factory in Haringey, London. The two brothers Tom and Charles Riley Maynard had begun making sweets in their home in Stamford Hill, London in about 1880. In 1906 they moved to Vale Road, Haringey and three years later introduced their famous wine gums. 

Ada got to know the father and sons who owned the factory. She was still working there when she got married. After her children had grown up she returned there as a cleaner and worked right up until she was 73.

The entrance to Maynard's in Harringey

Maynard's Factory, Vale Road, Haringey

John and Ada were married at Islington Register Office on the 28th August 1920. Both gave their ages as 18 years old and their residence as 92 Isledon Road, Holloway, London. 

Ada's father, James William Alfred Harris, is described as a Railway Goods Checker. But he did not attend the wedding. He said to her, 'If you get problems don't come to me.' She married 'in grey' and her father quoted an old 'saying,' marry in grey, you'll rue the day!

Ada and John's marriage certificate 1b 872

John Coward was now a private in the 3rd Middlesex Regiment and his military number was 20933. (His brother James had been killed in action, nearly three years earlier). I am currently researching both John and James's military records. 

John seems to have joined up shortly after the end of WWI. His regiment were based at Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill, London N7.

Inglis Barracks, Mill Hill, London

It is interesting to see his father's name given as Walter McVenny Coward. This is an unusual addition to his surname and does not occur in any of the other current family records. I intend to research this further. Walter is described on the marriage certificate as a General Labourer.

One winter's evening John took Ada sleigh riding on Primrose Hill next to Regent's Park. At the summit there are some spectacular views of London. As they sped down the hill through the snow Ada gripped tightly onto him and accidentally pulled off one of his uniform lapels.
'Stupid cow!' he shouted. 'What will they say when I get back to camp?'

Shortly after their marriage in 1920, John's Middlesex Regiment were sent to the Rhineland in Germany. This was part of the 'occupation of the Rhine', by American, French, Belgian and British troops after the Armistice.

Under the Treaty of Versailles, German troops were banned from all territory west of the Rhine and within 50 Kilometres east. So the first British army of the Rhine, based at Cologne, were set up in March 1919 to assist the occupying forces.

Early in 1921, Ada had their first child, Dorothy Ada (birth quarter 4 Islington 1b 577). And while Ada worked at Maynard's sweet factory in Vale Road, Harriet Coward looked after 'little Dolly', as the baby was known.

Ada Coward with Dorothy in 1922

The image above shows Ada with 'little Dolly'. She is wearing a coat and hat made by her mother. The picture was originally a black and white photograph over-painted using basic dyes. The years between 1915-1925 were the golden age of hand-coloured photographs - before the invention of coloured photography.

Sadly Dorothy only survived for about 18 months. She died of measles and pneumonia while John was in Germany (1922 death quarter 2 Islington 1b 176). 

Ada's second child was a 'blue baby,' that lived for only a short while and it's sex was unknown. Blue baby syndrome is caused by the child having heart problems. This prevents the blood from being fully oxygenated causing areas of the baby's skin to have a bluish tone.

Ada then had a miscarriage before her eldest son, John James Walter was born on the 6th October 1923.

Ada Coward née Harris aged c.21

The Middlesex Regiment was disbanded in August 1922 and John may have been discharged at this time. He then started work as a roofer and tiler (his father Walter was in the building trade). 

Ada and John had five more children: Dorothy Hilda was born on the 4th May 1925; Reginald Arthur followed on September 11th 1926; Kenneth Vernon was her third son, born June 24th 1928, and then Joyce Daphne, her second living daughter, on October 30th 1931. On November 20th 1934 Albert Edward 'Eddie' was born.

  

The Coward children c.1935 photographed by their father

But sadly Ada and John's marriage was breaking down. One day John's father had heard his son having a tremendous row with Ada upstairs. Walter was fond of Ada and warned John, "I'll break your back if you don't treat Ada right!" But John had little respect for his wife and continued to treat her badly. When Walter died in 1936 John's behaviour escalated. Ten months after the birth of 'Eddie,' John Coward left Ada and their children and moved to Huntingdonshire.  

Many years before, Ada had dreamt of buying a house in Becontree, Essex, with her husband. This now abruptly came to an end. Instead she had to rent an upstairs flat in Plevna Crescent, Tottenham, North London.

Meanwhile, World War II was looming. Life would now get a lot worse for Ada as she struggled to raise her six children. Soon Londoners would be bombed from the air again. But this time it would be far worse than before - the devastating Blitz. 

Descendants of Ada Emily Harris

To read how Ada and her family survived the Blitz and the rest of our family history please click here. Names and dates of family members through history can be easily accessed in the task bar.