Land Girl - May Williams (1917-1996)
May Williams GTGM-BSQ was born on 15th May 1917 to Amy Gray and Willie Williams of Kilnhurst in the West Riding of Yorkshire. Her father was a miner all his working life but he was also a well known musician in the area in which they lived. He was a musical director, composer, choirmaster and conductor as well as a player of the euphonium. He died just a couple of
years before the beginning of WW2 and on his headstone the words ‘musician of this town’ were engraved such was his popularity in the musical field.
The family moved to 20 Alexandra Road, Mexborough, Yorkshire around the time of May’s birth. As her father had passed away in 1937, living at home in 1939 (when the Register for England and Wales was taken) was May’s mother Amy, May and her brother Jack. May was 22 years old and working as a hairdresser at that time.
No doubt having seen the many advertisements to join the Women’s Land Army during WW2, May was moved to put herself forward and so applied to join up. She was billeted with James Howard GP6D-S3B and family at Ashcroft Villas, Carr Moss Lane, Halsall. Mr. Howard was a market gardener and farm produce merchant as well as being a member of the Liverpool Fruit Traders Association.
Surprise, surprise, May also found her husband in this corner of the world – Kenneth Gaskell GTGM-4B6. His family lived down Summerwood Lane and they ran a haulage business, with Ken working for the family firm.
May and Ken were married in 1946 and they went on to have two sons. May was a well known Halsall resident – she was a member of the church choir and the Halsall concert party – maybe taking after her father in the performance stakes?
May died on 26th November 1996 at the age of 79 and is buried in Halsall Church graveyard.
