Ethel May Alford (1902 - 1991)
Gettern Model Poultry Farm, Plex Moss Lane
Ethel Mary Alford (G3LB-7YY) was born on 9th April 1902 in Bury, Lancashire. The second daughter of Edward J. Alford and Bertha Edmundson. John was originally from Chinnor in Oxfordshire and Bertha was from St Helens. John had moved around a lot first to Berkshire then Dorset. He can be found in Ashton-Under-Lyne, Lancashire in 1891 working as a drapers assistant. In 1902 when Ethel was born the family were living in Bury and John was a draper.
Ethel’s mother Bertha sadly died in 1906 in Bury. Leaving John with two young daughters to look after. Bertha and Ethel. John remarried in 1909 and had a son Roy Symmington Alford in 1910.
In the 1911 census the family were in Ramsbottom, Lancashire and John was working as a Laundry Agent. This is the last time the family can be found all together.
By 1921 Ethel can be found alone, boarding with Mr & Mrs Gotts and working as a Poultry Assistant for H Greenall Esq at Moore.
Ethel must have taken to Poultry Farming as at some point in her career she attended the Lancashire County Council farm at Hutton, Preston to train as a Poultry Assistant.
By 1925 there was an un-named manageress working at Gettern Model Poultry Farm on Plex Moss Lane, Halsall. Gettern Model Poultry Farm is now known as Gettern Farm West.
In 1926 we find that the very successful manageress is Miss Ethel May Alford. Gettern Model Poultry Farm was a thriving business, famous for its excellent stock of hens and eggs.
At the Lancashire Utility Poultry Society in Preston Miss EM Alford the manageress of Gettern Farm won first prize of a Gold medal and a Silver cup for a pen of five Buff Rocks (chickens). Plus a special prize for the largest number of first grade eggs in 12 months. A total of 1,025.
In November 1927 the Ormskirk Advertiser reported more awards and stated that –
“Gettern Model Poultry farm was one of the most up to date and best equipped farms in the North of England. The proprietors are Messrs. W Kennedy and BHH Noble and the farm is admirably managed by Miss EM Alford who is to be congratulated on such a fine run of successes.”
Mr William Kennedy, was the agent of the Count de Caseja and managed the estates of Halsall, Downholland and Scarisbrick for the Count. Mr Kennedy was also a prominent businessman from Aughton, part of the Kennedy firm of solicitors in Railway Road, Ormskirk. He continued to live in Aughton and never resided at Gettern Farm.
In 1929 the partnership of Kennedy and Noble was dissolved with William Kennedy continuing with the business alone. Miss Alford continued to manage the farm.
By November 1929 Gettern Buff Rocks had a world-wide reputation, winning the Humber Silver Challenge Cup and the James Rainford Challenge Cup for the second year running. Stock from the farm was being sent nationwide and even as far as British Columbia, Canada. All under the careful supervision of Miss Alford.
In May 1933 the Ormskirk Advertiser were so impressed by the farm that they produced a large spread of a visit to the farm and met with William Kennedy and Ethel Alford. Describing Ethel as “the capable young manageress of the farm, a slim and vivacious brunette”.
At this time Ethel had 5 female assistants who together cared for 6000 head of poultry made up of 4000 chickens and 2000 breeding stock, all free range. The farm was also approved by the poultry Council as a training place for students.
Ethel also had some ideas of her own about poultry farming. She believed that poultry farming was an excellent career for a woman.
“Women regard it in quite a different light from the average man. A man views it more as a money-making business. No man would poultry-farm merely for the love of the thing, but a woman would.”
Was she referring to the proprietor Mr William kennedy at this point? We will never know.
Ethel went on to say
“Women have more patience with the little details, they are naturally fastidious as regards cleanliness and do not begrudge time spent scrubbing food hoppers, troughs and water fountains. Their home training automatically makes them attend these small details. As a rule they are better with incubators than men, showing patience for fiddling details and are naturally more gentle and skilful with such small tender things as chickens.”
Sadly there is no further reference to Ethel in the records over the next few years. Mr Kennedy however was elected as Chairman of the Executive Committee of the National Poultry Council in 1934. He attended the Poultry Congress in Germany in 1936 and delivered extensive papers on Poultry Farming. He went on to become the President of the National Poultry Council in 1937.
William and Ethel must have made a very good poultry business partnership.
Ethel doesn’t appear again until the 1939 register. At this time she is living at Pill Moss Farm in Runcorn, working as a Poultry Assistant for Albert Fairhurst.
The 1939 Register is unique among the 1841 to 1921 Censuses as the documents were regularly updated. So we can see that Ethel Mary Alford was later Mrs Kennedy and then Mrs Ellner. There are no dates on the register for these marriages but other sources can be searched.
Ethel however had not completed her association with West Lancashire or indeed Mr William Kennedy as on 13 February 1940 Ethel and William were married at Christ Church, Aughton in a small ceremony. There were only 4 guests at the wedding including William’s two daughters. The groom’s sister and the bride’s uncle.
Sadly their happiness was shortlived as William died at their home in Aughton on 12th October 1941. Ethel was named in William’s probate.
Using the clues;
1939 Register shows “Mrs Ellner”
1941 Ethel Mary is a widow.
Her parents have moved to Truro.
Ethel Mary Kennedy married Herbert Ellner in late 1949 in Truro, Cornwall.
She died on 10th November 1991 with an address of The Firs, Mawla, Redruth in Cornwall and is buried at Baldhu Parish Church.
