MITCHENALL FAMILY HISTORY
Raymond Eric
1909 to 1967
Raymond Eric was born in Folkestone Kent on the 14th April 1909.
Left fatherless by the demise of Percy Simon in March 1914, his mother Lillian entrusted his care and brother Frank to her parents George and Fanny Crouch whilst she made a living out of managing lodging and boarding houses.
As a result of this situation, Raymond, or Ray as he was always known, was close to the Crouch family. HIs mother raised a reasonable income, and paid for schooling for the boys in London.
He was not baptised until December 1915. I believe the reason this was in Colchester, Essex was because his mother ran an establishment there at the time. Frank was baptised with him.
By the mid 1930's he had established himself in employment and lived in Thornbury Road, Isleworth, where he lodged with the Green family. By 1939, still with the Greens (Mr Green was a solicitor) he was stated to be a shipping clerk and had joined the Auxiliary Fire Service at Heston and Isleworth station.
Shortly after the survey, on the 8th October 1939, he married Hilda Gilmour, whom had met at Chiswick baths. They enjoyed playing tennis, and he joined her at the Chiswick Tennis club. The couple went their own ways for some of the war, with Raymond continuing his service for the Fire Brigade and Hilda, a Radiologist, working in Pembury, Tunbridge Wells (lodging with her mother in law Lillian), Later during WWII Hilda returned to London full time and worked at St Mary's, Paddington, which is where the couples two sons were born after the war.
They lived at the Brooklands, Eversley Crescent, Isleworth, and here formed friendships many of which would last their lifetimes. They stayed there till 1952, then moving with Hildas recently widowed father Jack Gilmour to Cippenham, part of Slough, and near Maidenhead where their daughter was born. Shortly after this, the whole family moved to Burgess Hill in Sussex, where the children grew up in a large home thanks to their grandfather. Ray was committed to work in London. After the war he had worked with HMV, both in their Oxford Street Store, and in Hayes, but started a business renting televisions in Belgravia in the mid-50s. (Roffey Radio).
Ray died travelling back from Roffey Radio on the 22nd December 1967. He was survived by his wife Hilda and their three children. Hilda later remarried an old friend who had also attended the Chiswick Tennis Club, Jack Robinson.
Ray and Hilda's three children survive at the time of writing. Ray also has 5 grandchildren, and 4 great grandchildren. None of the great grandchildren are Mitchenall's.
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