The Princess and the Professor

 

Without knowing exactly when this postcard was used, except in general terms, it might have been impossible to research. However, searching for ‘Haggis’ and ‘Woolloomooloo’ led me eventually to the electoral register of 1926 where I found Frederick Haggis and his wife, Margaret Clayton (the daughter of a vinegar maker's clerk), living in Mitcham, Surrey.

The couple appear in records at other addresses. In 1911, they were in Streatham, just before the birth of their first daughter, Margaret.

Frederick was the son of a saw mill proprietor and he appears with the family in the 1901 census in Finchley. He had at least six siblings, including Cedric who was killed in the Battle of the Somme. Frederick's wife Margaret also lost a brother in the war – Keith Clayton was killed in August 1918.

According to the 1911 census, Frederick declared himself to be a professor of music. In 1939 he was a lecturer and teacher.

With the suggestion of a musical career, I wondered if Frederick might be known to a wider world and indeed he is.

He was a conductor and founder of the Goldsmiths Choral Union and was principal conductor for more than 40 years. He founded the Streatham School of Music in 1919 (in 1923 he appears in the electoral register living in Streatham).

During the Second World War he continued to rehearse and play in London and after the war, he was presented with an inscribed silver bowl by the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, “In recognition of his outstanding contribution to choral singing in London during the war”.

He retired from conducting in 1971 at the age of 85 with a celebratory concert at the Royal Albert Hall, conducting the Goldsmiths Choral Union in a performance of The Dream of Gerontius by Edward Elgar.

Image via Wikipedia 

I'm not sure who wrote on the postcard. It certainly wasn't Frederick as the handwriting isn't a match for that on the 1911 census.

I originally bought this postcard to use on Twitter and Facebook as part of my celebration of HM The Queen's Platinum Jubilee. Until I began the research I had no idea it connected with such an interesting family. This is typical of the stories I've researched for both of my books; I just never know where the postcards will take me!

 

 

 

Photos of Ireland

 

A few months before this postcard was sent in 1911, Margaret Knight lived with her widowed mother and her unmarried brother, Richard.

The siblings had at least one other brother and sister, and a brother was bricklayer. Their father, George, died in 1887. When he married Mary Pratt in 1849, his occupation is also given as bricklayer.

Richard, who was also at the address on the card in 1911, was a coachman. In 1881, he worked as a groom.

With more research I know I would be able to discover who sent the card. However, for the moment I think it's lovely to read about the sender taking photos. Now we never give it a thought, but in 1911 it was still something that many people could not practice.