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Gwenllian Faith Woodhurst was born in Walthamstow, Essex in 1921 to parents Richard (1) Woodhurst and his wife Lilian Emma (nee) Garner. The birth certificate [Birth Index: W. Ham 4a 741, 1922 (March)] states that she was born on November 24th 1921 at her parents' home 38, Clarence Road, Lower Clapton in the registration subdistrict of Walthamstow West. Richard (1) was the informant and gave his occupation as a druggist's commercial traveller. The birth was registered on January 2nd 1922.
In 1939 she was listed as a London telephonist in The London Gazette [issue of August 22nd, page 5777].
She married in 1944 to George W. Paddock. The GRO reference is [Marriage Index: Epping 4a 601, 1944 (March)]. He was born in 1908 [Birth Index: Liverpool 8b 70, 1908 (March)].
On December 5th 1956 a patent [No. GB812928] was registered in her name, in respect of a design for a bed-settee convertible into a two-tier bunk, intended for caravan installation.
By the end of 1956 they had produced the five children listed below, and by the end of 1962 they had produced - according to the GRO Birth Index - no others.
George died on June 28th 1959 at Whipps Cross Hospital in Essex [Death Index: Essex S.W. 5a 227, 1959 (June)]. He had been living at 68, Westward Road in Chingford. Probate was granted on August 20th to Gwenllian, his estate being valued at £931.
In 1966 she remarried to Alan Edmed [Marriage Index: Ware 4b 598, 1966 (June)]. His birth registration might be [Birth Index: Ware 3a 1622, 1941 (June)].
In 2002 they were both living in Shrewsbury, according to the Electoral Register.
She died on May 7th 2013. An obituary for her, including a photograph, was published on the OurDogs website in its issue of May 24th 2013, excerpts from which are as follows:
Her many friends in dogs will be sad to know Gwen died on 7th May at the grand age of 91. In her youth she trained as a shorthand typist and when called up for service in WW2 found herself on the Yorkshire Moors deciphering Morse code, which was duly passed on to Bletchley Park to be decoded by the famous "Enigma" machine. Her life was changed dramatically in 1959 with the early death of her first husband. It seems raising five young children alone was not sufficient challenge and it was in the early 1960's that she started to show and breed her beloved Papillons ... Meeting and then marrying Alan Edmed in 1966 meant a change of domicile. A narrowboat on the Shropshire Union canal became home for her and her "tribe". Always looking for new challenges she even became a driving instructor! During the 1970's she became Assistant Secretary of the Papillon (Butterfly Dog) Club and ... took over the reins as Secretary, a post she served conscientiously for many more years. She was to be seen travelling to shows around the country in the Silverstreak "ambulance" all fully fitted out by herself with cages and cooking facilities.This she continued to do well into her 80's. A great reader and always a talented artist, sculptor and dressmaker; craftwork and the practical use of her hands and mind were always a huge part of her life.
She was buried on May 28th at the Fenns Natural Burial Ground in Alkington, Whitchurch.
Margaret married in 1967 to Neil Kracke [Marriage Index: Redbridge 5d 1297, 1967 (Dec)]. He remarried in 1975.
Peter married in 1982 to Jennifer M Spriggs [Marriage Index: Winchester 20 1470, 1982 (Dec)].
Mary Elizabeth married in 1974 to John E Millington [Marriage Index: North Shropshire 30 0119, 1974 (Dec)].