Walter was born in South Welton, Lincolnshire.

% Header of invoice by Phipps, 1943 (from Rushden Heritage).

Elizabeth was born in Caistor, Linc. Her father was wholesale grocer in Grimsby, Lincs., on the North Sea.

Walter became manager of the Kettering branch of the shoe parts supplier Phipps & Son of Northampton, selling to local factories.  EM:  He had a large wharehouse. He also visited, often on foot, neighbouring small towns and villages and met in local pubs for lunch − at which he was the carver − other firms representatives.

190 Rockingham road (photo 2020).

In his written story about the family, EM tells little about his parents, quite more about his siblings. *)

They lived in Kettering, in 1901 on Park road (census 1901), in 1911 in the house "Holly Bank" at 190 Rockingham road.  Walter is in Kelly's 1914 Directory for Northamptonshire under Kettering as private resident (p. 125). In 1901 the census says Leather Merchant's Manager, in 1911 he is Manager Leather Merchant.
In 1901 (census), Elizabeth's father Frederick (Commercial Traveller, Furniture) was also at Park road.

Children, the first born in Grimsby, the others in Kettering:
− Ivy, 1896, the eldest. EM: lived much of her early life with her Grandpa and Gma, due to so many others coming along. She was taught ballet dancing, then taught dancing herself. Died when in her twenties of tuberculosis, I think.

On Kettering.  Wikipedia: Kettering grew in the 19th century with the development of the boot and shoe industry, for which Northamptonshire as a whole became famous. Many large homes in both the Headlands and Rockingham Road were built for factory owners, while terraced streets provided accommodation for the workers. The industry has markedly declined since the 1970s. From "historicengland.org.uk" (Buildings of the Northamptonshire Boot and Shoe Industry):  The town of Kettering now has a "Phippsville" area.

− Leslie Jack (Jack), 1899; went to Laxton school (later, Eric went there too). Then Sandhurst and Officer in India (8th Gurkha Rifles) and was for some time (1919) on the Afghan boarder (NW India). After some years there they offered gratuities to those willing to leave. He came home but went back to India to marry a girl, Beryl, who had his baby. They lived for many years in Kettering, at Kingsley Avenue. EM: She is partly indian (which she tries to hide) and for years has taught the piano. Jack then had several jobs. He died at just over 50 of a peptic ulcer.
− Phyllis Victoria May, 1901; she took over Ivy's dancing class. She married Carl Whitley. He had a big printing bussiness in Hunstanton (on The Wash) and a stationary shop, which Phyllis ran.

"Aunt" Kath   (ca. 1960?)

− Kathleen (Kath), 1902.  EM: She has been rather a slave to the family. Quite artistic, water colours and played the piano (for some years to Phyllis's dancing classes). She never married, looked after the family at "Holly Bank" in Kettering. She nursed Raymond in his dying days (he died aged 15), and tended Mary (who was not normal but cheerful) until she died aged about 15, as well as Cyril (see below).  EM: She also nursed mother when she had diabetis(?) when dying (aged 55-60?). Same as father when he died just over 80 I think. ... An amazing life of caring for others. ... I did have her out to stay with us for a month or more in Uganda.  RM: We (grandsons Richard and George) stayed with her sometimes while we were at school in Sussex (between 1944 and 1948).

151 Rockingham rd.

←  Around this time, the early 1900s, the parents of Elizabeth moved (with their daughter Maud, piano teacher) to Kettering, to 151 Rockingham road, not too far from "Holly Bank". Frederick died there about 1920, Harriet about 1930. Daughter Maud continued to live there.
− Eric Frank; born 3 Dec. 1903 (see page rm11m.html).

Addresses in Kettering: "Holly Bank" at 190 Rockingham road (where Kath stayed until late in life), the dwelling of Elizabeth's parents at 151, and the house of Walter's second wife at 107 London road. Background: Ordinance Survey 1920.

− Douglas Ivor, 1905. EM: worked a while in Pa's office ... [interrupted by Home Guard duties during WW II] ... and took over when Pa died. He married to Rene Bryan, children were Judith, and Neil (a mongol? [Eric's words]). Doug did a lot of funds raising to form a home and school for such boys. A few more similar places have been built, and all were at some point visited by Royalty.
− Raymond, 1906; see above with Kath, died of meningitis aged 15.
− Basil, 1907; went with a friend into business, a factory in Covcentry; married and one child. He became wealthy. EM: Died fairly young at (40 or so).
− Cyril, 1908; became a local electrician, not able to go to Laxton school (money ran out?). Stayed all his life with Kath who looked after him when he got diabetes. His second leg had to come off in 1983.

Walter had an official photograph taken toward the end of his career. Click for the full photo.

− Ada Christine Mary (Mary), 1910; always invalid, died aged 15, see above with Kath.
− Joan; educated locally, a good dancer (in Phyllis's dancing class). EM: At outbreak of WW II became the first woman A.T.S. in the county. Married Ralph Mordecai, older than she was. One son Martin, quite brainy.

Elizabeth died in 1934, aged 66.

The house of Mrs Felce at 107 London road, Kettering (snapshot from streetview 2020). She was widowed in 1936. Walter lived here from the late 1930s until the middle 1950s.

Walter died in 1958, aged 87.  EM:  Father died at Kettering, when I was in Uganda. He [had] married a second time for companionship when 65 or 70 a Mrs Nancy Felce who had a fairly posh house in London Road, Kettering [nr. 107; from website "find my past"]. She died a few years before he did. Father died at his old home "Holly Bank", being looked after by my sister Kath.

Almost all information above was extracted from the memories of Eric Martin (EM) written down in 1983. RM (his son) contributed as well. Some info came from the ancestry chart provided by granddaughter Diana Martin.

Eric summarised his memoirs with the following:
A somewhat remarkable family, eleven plus parents that is as regarding numbers, and the various careers of all of them. We all got on quite well as kids and later − though ... I was abroad for some best part of 30 years − though coming home for 5 months or so every 2½ years or so. All that is left of us [writing in 1983] is Kath, myself, Cyril and Joan − Kath and Cyril not married and Joan's son Martin does not seem to be that inclined.

*)  Lots of details can be found in the original of Eric's 1983 memories.

From Early 20th century killer diseases (St Albans):  "A number of now controllable infectious diseases took their toll .... in the first two decades of the 20th century. The common causes of illness and death, particularly among children, were scarlet fever and diphtheria. The list also included enteric fever (typhoid), pulmonary and non-pulmonary tuberculosis, small pox, measles and cerebrospinal meningitis. .... Returning men from the Front in the war years 1914 to 1918-20 resulted in some more unusual cases, including malaria, dysentery and trench fever."
It is not impossble that the deaths of Ivy (about 1920), Raymond (about 1921) and perhaps Mary (about 1925) can be attributed to these infectious diseases and their secondary effects. Both mother Elizabeth and Cyril had diabetis. Elizabeth died at 66, Cyril was about 75 when his second leg was amputated. EM does not mention what caused the death of Basil at age about 40.

 
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