Ruth M Bowden was born on 19th March 1926 registered in Warrington, Lancashire. I can only find one Ruth M in the 1939 Register and she appears to have been at school in Merioneth, Wales with a date of birth given as 6th June 1927 – one year different, but the correct quarter. Ruth married Francis Lavallee in Bournemouth on 15th October 1949, having moved to Bournemouth on 6th May 1946. Francis was born in Bournemouth on 4th July 1926. Francis was known as Frank and he is in the middle of the back row in the photo. They lived at 173 Poole Lane, Kinson, Bournemouth according to the 2002-09 Electoral Registers. They were at that address before then, because the two letters I have in my possession that Ruth sent to my Aunt Betty in 1989 and 1990 were from there. The Electoral Registers from 2010-15 show they had moved to 76 Barnes Crescent, Bournemouth. Ruth next appears in the Electoral Registers in Heywood, Lancashire. Frank had passed away in Bournemouth on 22nd May 2009.

Ruth’s older sister Rose Eileen Bowden, proved elusive to find, because Ruth called her Eileen and I didn’t know her first name was Rose. She was born in the second quarter of 1925 and I haven’t been able to find out any more about her.

Ruth’s brother Ronald Edward Bowden was born in Warrington in the first quarter of 1928 and he married Marjorie Lewis in the third quarter of 1961 in St Helens. They lived at 20 New Lane, Warrington for at least 18 years between 2002-2019 according to the Electoral Registers.

Brother Thomas Royden Bowden, known as Roy, was born 22nd August 1929 at Bucklow in Cheshire. He married Jean Ann Dart in the fourth quarter of 1972 in Liverpool. They lived at 15 Haven Road, Liverpool for 27 years according to the 2002-2010 Electoral Registers. They had two children.

Brother William Bryan Bowden, known as Bill, was born in the second quarter of 1932 at Bucklow, Cheshire. He married Joyce Boardman in the second quarter of 1950 in Bucklow.

The youngest sibling, Isabel Angela Margaret Bowden, who was known as Margaret, is the subject of an earlier blog page “Margaret Buchanan-Smith née Bowden”. She was born on the 28th May 1934, also in Bucklow, where the family appear to have settled.

The father of the six siblings (and six my half first cousin once removed) was Walter Edward Bowden born 4th September 1905 in Lymm, Cheshire, who died in January 1965 in Hyde, Cheshire. He married their mother Florence Alice Matilda Backler on 4th August 1924. At some point there appears to have been a marriage breakdown and I have not been able to find a divorce. Florence married William George Wafforn (1905-1987) on 12th December 1946 in Surrey Mid West district. They appear to have lived in Leatherhead, Surrey where William was a golf club groundsman. My half great aunt now Florence Wafforn died in the third quarter of 1960. This may be the reason why Margaret lost touch with her siblings as she would have been the youngest at about twelve years of age at the time of her mother’s second marriage. It may also explain why Margaret married in London the first time, if she had moved with her mother.

Walter Edward’s parents were Walter Haslam Bowden (1868-1951) and Isabella Hill (1868-1929). They were married on 26th May 1898 in Woolton, Lancashire. Walter Haslam was formerly employed as a foreman colour mixer and colourist to a calico printers according to the 1921 census. His ex-employer was The Schlusselbury Calico Printing Co of Russia. They were living at Woodbine House, Westhoughton, Lancashire. Walter Edward was born in Lancashire but his three younger siblings in the census were all born in Shlisselburg, Russia, which is to the east of St Petersburg on Lake Ladoga. Whilst these are not Backler Connections, it is interesting to have arrived in Russia at the end of this blog page.