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21:34:00 o'clock BST
Name games and Dr Crippen
Those who know what I do for a living know that I have to visit all South Eastern stations some once a year others four times. To add a little bit of amusement to life when I send the reports to Barbara Snell our office administrator I tend to change the name of the station to something humerous for example High Brooms becomes Tall Brushes and Woolwich becomes Satanic Sheep. Yes I know i have a strange sense of humour!
However after a couple of years I have run out of original ideas so I have started using the original meaning of the place name as in 'woodland pastures for mares' which has become present day Marden. Seems like there was sexism all thase years ago, wonder where the stalllions went! Anyway on Friday I was at Catford and I looked it up on Wikopedia which gave me the origins of the name and some other interesting facts. I knew that Ben Elton came from the area but did not realise that at one stage Cat Stevens lived in a flat above a furniture shop.
One thing however did stop me in my tracks and that was the name Ethel LeNeve. It sounded familiar but could not place it until I read the item fully. She was Dr Crippens mistress who for whatever reason was not prosecuted and moved to New York and on to Canada before coming back to London under the name of Miss Harvey subsequently marrying and settling in Catford with her husband and two children.
I have enclosed a link to the article
which will give you more detail but aparently she never told her children her true identity and no one is certain if her husband knew. When she died in 1967 her wish to be buried with her favourite locket was respected. Inside the locket was a picture of Dr Crippen.
I find it quite amazing that someone could keep that kind of secret for 50 years and not tell anyone. Could it of been true love was there as the article implies something more sinister in her actions.
Take care
Andy
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Hi Andy, what a brilliant sense of humour you have :o) bit spooky that she kept her secret for all those years, it jus goes to strengthen my theory that you never really know someone...Hmmmm..... !!
Luv Jaynee X -
Fascinating story. Thanks for the link Andy.
B. -
Its amazing how something whappy(your changing names ) turns into some thing weird ,how very interesting ,...love Jan xx http://journals.aol.co.uk/jea
die05/Serendipity/
09/06/08 11:12