By John Slaughter
Welcome to new member Geoffrey Lomas. Geoffrey’s grandmother was Eva Nellie Saull born on 27 September 1899 in Northampton to George Edwin Saull and Harriet Gutteridge. We have had quite a few members over the years that are descendants of this family and there is a good deal of information and photographs on our website, including photographs on which Eva appears as a young girl.
We did not know much about Eva other than she had sadly died relatively young in 1933 at the age of 34 years. Geoffrey informs me that Eva had two children (Percy and Gwendoline) from an unmarried relationship with Charles Shane. The children’s surname are recorded as Shane, but Charles Shane was only given as the father on Percy’s certificate. This appears to have caused a rift in the Saull family and this together with Eva’s early death has led to Geoffrey not having much information on this side of his family.
Sole Research Co-ordinator Maureen Storey kindly drew my attention to new records that had been added to the Ancestry website and which included records of Midland police officers. Amongst the records was that for George Vincent Saull. He had joined the Birmingham City Police on 2 February 1920 and was described as 5 foot 8 inches in height, dark complexion, hazel eyes, brown hair and with a tattoo on his right wrist. His trade was given as a cinematographer and musician and he had previously served in the Army in World War One between 12 November 1915 and 23 March 1919 in the Northants Regiment. His medical history showed he had quite a few periods of absences with influenza and dental issues. He died whilst still in the police service on 26 April 1940 from “obstruction of the bowels”. I already knew that George Vincent had had a period of Army service prior to WW1 in the 2nd Yorkshire Regiment where he had served as a bandsman. He was known as Jack, presumably to distinguish him from his father who was also named George. He married Elizabeth Budden in 1915 and had two children John Edwin (1922) and Margaret Sylvia (1926).
Interestingly Eva Nellie Saul and George Vincent Saul were siblings.
Back row from left to right: Elsie Olivette, George Vincent,
Annie Mabel. Front row from left to right: Baby Percy and Eva Nellie