Joyce (Burr) Ashdown

Ancestors

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Biography

Joyce and her twin brother John, were born on 10th November 1928 in a small room above their grandmother Clara's shop in the tiny village of Halling in Kent. They were the only children of Rowland and Nellie Burr and were seven weeks premature The tiny babies were wrapped in cotton wool and placed in milk jugs. The jugs were placed in bowls of hot water and stood near the fire. The warmth and steam seemed to help, Joyce became a little stronger each day but her brother was struggling and it looked as if he may not survive. Joyce later related this story, as told by her mother and grandmother. The twins mother, Nellie was sitting with the babies when she heard the sound of beautiful singing like a choir of Angels. Nellie went down to the shop to investigate and met her mother-in-law Clara coming up the stairs, she had also heard the singing but she believed it was coming from above. They quickly returned to the babies room and found that a shaft of sunshine had broken through the thick November fog and was shining through the window onto the babies. Both of the little mites were sleeping peacefully and breathing normally. Baby John had turned the corner.

Joyce, her husband Peter and their four children immigrated to Australia in 1964

Sources

• Birth and death certificates and personal knowledge