James Sked (1918 - 2014)

Born 3 Nov 1918 in Brownshill, Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland

Ancestors

Husband of Frances May (Lee) Sked — married 30 Oct 1943 (to 2009) in Emmanuel, Everton, Liverpool, Lancashire, England

Died 18 May 2014 at age 95 in Parkview Care Home, Edinburgh, Scotland

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Jim Sked was born in Scotland.

Biography

Birth

• James was born on 3 Nov 1918 at Brownshill, Haddington, East Lothian, Scotland. He was the son of George Sked and Euphemia Stewart.^[1]

Siblings

• Jim was the youngest of four children, Tibby, Daisy, Alex and Jim, and throughout his life his brother and sisters and their families were very important to him, visiting them regularly and supporting them in a variety of ways.

Early Life

• While Jim was born at Brounshill on the Coulston Estate near Gifford, the family moved to the Head Forester’s House at the Old Mill when Jim was five, his father having been promoted. It was there that he set up a clock putting green and so began his love of golf that was to play a major part in his life. He was a very sporty person in a wide range of ways: speedway (supporting the Monarchs), darts (playing for the Robin’s Nest), trout fishing at night – and he even found his way to Tyncastle becoming a lifelong Jambo.

• Jim’s official schooling took place at Gifford Primary and Knox Academy in Haddington, but he kept on learning from the experiences of life. He became a fishmonger but at the outbreak of war he joined the Army and was posted to France in the RASC. While they were going forward to their agreed positions, the rest of the Army were retreating and they were cut off from those heading for Dunkirk. They had a narrow escape when they went to a depot for fuel and found a German tank filling up. Their Unit Cook was killed during their retreat and Jim took over as they made their way south to St Malo from where they were evacuated. Jim’s mother received two telegrams, the first saying that he was missing in action, and the second saying he was presumed killed. Fortunately, by the time she received the second one he was actually at home on leave.

Military

• He remained as a cook in the Army and went south to Chester for training, and it was while he was there that he met May Lee, a Liverpool girl who was serving in the Women’s Royal Army Corps. They were married in Liverpool in October 1943^[2][3], and shortly after, Jim was posted to Kingussie, Scotland to feed the commandos in training.

• Thankfully for Jim and May, there were no more close calls as he was based in the UK and at the end of the war they set up home in Edinburgh, renting a basement flat and then a prefab in Moredun Park Crescent – a house with a fridge! It also had a garden, and working with flowers and veg became a major them in the family life: veg for eating and flowers for showing. Their son Alan was born in 1948, and together with the dog and the guinea pigs the family was now complete. As in many other households, it was May who looked after the guinea pigs.

Hobbies

• Jim was skilled with hands working with wood, and his fretwork included pipe racks, letter racks, photo frames and the like. However, his major skill was with plants and after the move to Glenvarloch Crescent this became his calling. Jim then gave up his job with Mather’s Fish Shop to work with Drew Bruce in his Nursery – interestingly, Jim turned down the opportunity given to him in both these places to become a partner, which is a tribute both to his skills and his commitment to hard work. When the nursery was sold for housing development, Jim joined the Edinburgh Parks Department until his retirement in 1983. But he didn’t stop working with plants: he had a garden, then added an allotment, and also worked the neighbouring allotment as well when the neighbour was ill.

• His golfing career was shared with his friends, and Ian Main became an especially close golfing friend. Playing as ‘Steady Skedy’ he won a number of trophies, and he was so much a part of the Harrison Golf Club that he became an Honorary Member in 1993, the year in which he and May celebrated their Golden Wedding at the Club.

Children

• Their son, Alan, had spent most of his life in the Army, but, just at the point where he was about to get married to Diane, he was taken from them by cancer in 1994. Diane has remained a very special friend to them, more like a daughter, who, with others, has been a real support for Jim. His later years saw him battle throat cancer, a stroke and the loss of May in 2009. Throughout their life together they were a very contented couple, glad to live simply with the things that made them happy.

Later Life

• Jim spent Saturday afternoons at the Club for company, and joined the Prestonfield Neighbourhood Centre where he appreciated not only his lunch twice a week, but the friendship and fun. He was a social person. The aging process meant that in October 2011 Jim became a resident in Parkview Care Home, where he was well looked after, especially by his personal carer Janet. He was always up for a bus trip.

Death

• James died, aged 95, on 18 May 2014 at Parkview Care Home, Edinburgh, Scotland.^[4] Cause of death; Bronchopneumonia. Sever chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. His last known form of employment was as a Gardener. His usual residence was Parkview Care Home, 64 Peffermill Road, Edinburgh, Scotland.

Sources

1. ↑ Statutory Births:
   http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk Accessed February 024. Parish of Haddington in the County of East Lothian; citing Parish Number 709, Reference Number: 00 0052.
2. ↑ England & Wales, Marriage Index:
   https://www.ancestry.co.uk/discoveryui-content/view/47902459:8753?ssrc=pt&tid=7517894&pid=1157336669 Accessed March 2024 England & Wales, Civil Registration Marriage Index, 1916-2005. James Sked. Registration Date: Oct 1943. Registration district: Liverpool. Inferred County: Lancashire. Spouse: Frances M Lee. Volume Number: 8b. Page number: 482.
3. ↑ Certified Copy of an Entry of Marriage:
   Marriage Solemnized at The Parish Church of Emmanuel, Everton, Liverpool, Lancaster. 30 October 1943. James Sked, bachelor, residing at 57 Levan Street, Liverpool and Frances May Lee, Spinster, residing at 48 Leven Street, Liverpool.
4. ↑ Statutory Deaths:
   http://www.scotlandspeople.gov.uk Accessed February 2024. City of Edinburgh; citing Parish Number 734, Reference Number: 00 0841.