Helen Silver who married Alexander Duncan.
Helen Silver (1852 – 1915) married Alexander Duncan and moved to England where they are found on a farm at Byfleet in Surrey in 1891.
Given they had children born in different counties, they moved several times between 1883 and 1893.
Alex was a farm bailiff and then turned his hand to running a pub because that is where they are found on the 1901 census at Uckfield, East Sussex.
See below for their children.
This postcard image of the Red Lion at Chelwood Gate, East Sussex, England, was taken about 1915.
After Alex died in 1910, Helen stayed on as license holder. The postcard was addressed to Mrs Esson at Bankhead, Aberdeen.
The postcard is dated 1915 and was written by H.S.Martin (Helen Silver Martin) to her sister, Mrs Esson (nee Mary Ann Martin). Given that Helen Duncan died in March 1915, the visit was only weeks before her passing.
This is how Mary Ann relates to Helen Silver Duncan http://tinyurl.com/2fdrzej
The postcard reads: “Here you see we are enjoying our holiday very much. Today Mrs Duncan, Ina and I are going to Tunbridge Wells this afternoon. I hope you enjoyed your friends yesterday. We are having lovely weather and going home on Monday. Mrs Duncan and us have great talks and she is looking forward to that? picnic? and says she thinks it may come off next year. Hope Mama is keeping well. The time is going fast now only a fortnight more. Love to all. H.S.Martin”
Ina seems to be Helen Martin’s sister Willamina.
How did the postcard get from Aberdeen to the Silvers in Australia where it is found in the possession of Helen’s brother James Silver?
Mary Ann Esson may have mailed it to James Silver out of interest, but a more likely explanation could be that when James’s son, Jack Silver visited Scotland while on service in World War 1, he was given the postcard.
He did visit his aunt Bella Duncan, sister of Helen who ran the Red Lion. The sisters married Duncan brothers to add to the confusion!
Alex Duncan and Helen Silver’s family
| 1. Isabella Margaret DUNCAN, b. 26 Apr 1883, Aberayon, Glamorgan, Wales, UK, d. 5 Sep 1963, Brayton, Warren, New York, USA (Age 80 years) | |
| 2. Hannah Watt DUNCAN, b. 3 May 1885, Leighton Buzzard, Bedfordshire, England, UK, d. 3 Apr 1960, 246 Coombe Lane, London, S.W.19, England, UK (Age 74 years) | |
| 3. Gertrude Agnes Helen DUNCAN, b. 17 Nov 1886, Etton, Peterborough, Cambridgeshire, England, UK, d. 28 Oct 1966, Saratoga Hospital, Saratoga, New York, USA (Age 79 years) | |
| 4. Herbert John DUNCAN, b. 22 May 1888, Wansford, Northamptonshire, England, UK. d. 21 Mar 1971, Avon, Connecticut, USA (Age 82 years) | |
| 5. Joseph Thomas Nicholas DUNCAN, b. 11 May 1892, Byfleet, Surrey, England, UK, d. 8 Jan 1948, Barrington, Hartford, Connecticut, USA (Age 55 years) |