Whilst Ted went away to school for the deaf his elder brother had to go to war! He was in the great battle of the somme and was gassed! He survived this terrible onslaught and returned home a broken man. He lived long enough to see his four children grow up but died young. Teds family had been coal miners for years but the women found work difficult to come by. Some of Teds sisters went in to 'sevice' and as servants learnt a lot of etiquette which they took elements of into their own lives when they married. He had an older sister called Jenny who went into an ammunition factory during the war which was heavy work as she had one leg shorter than the other. (It might have been the result of a breach birth.)She went into service after the war but remained a spinster all her life. There were many many spinsters after the war caused by the slaughter of so many young men.
My Aunt Jenny My aunt Jenny was like a little wren She hopped around on her shorter pen But she went to work like all the others And made ammunition to help her brothers They went to war for the love of her To keep her safe from the advancing blur She lived a life of devotional care Never complaining but always there Now when I see a little wren I always think of my AUNTY JEN.