A Pig is known by the company he keeps

Lucienne Syrede

Lucienne is a bit of a woman of mystery! Aside from featuring in the Guestbook in 1908, the earliest record I can find of her is the 1911 census when 19 year old Parisian-born Lucienne is living with her grandmother – Else/Elise Syrede at 35 Rupert Street, Westminster. 35 Rupert Street is far from the comfortable existence of the other members of the Guestbook – Lucienne is working as a Milliner’s Assistant, and they seem to be living in a one room apartment, probably with shared toilet facilities. This is a far cry from life at Greenfields, Weston Rhyn so it is a bit of a mystery how Lucienne came to know the other members of the 8th December 1908 houseparty!

In 1916, Lucienne married Harold Frisby Pollett in the registration district of St Martin, Westminster. It is from this record that we discover that Lucienne’s first name was Berthe. Harold had been born in Stoke Newington in 1882, one of 10 children of Thomas and Emma Pollett. In 1901, Thomas gives his profession as retired timber merchant and the family were living in Wynell Road, Sydenham. According to electoral registers from 1910 onwards, Harold was living in the family house of 20 Wynell Road, and paying rent to his mother at a rate of 16s per week (around £62 in today’s money, or 2 days wages).

After their marriage, electoral rolls suggest that Harold and Lucienne lived at 8 Waddon Park Avenue, Croydon at least until 1925, although it seems that they owned a commercial property at 17 Johns Mews, Holborn. Between 1925 and 1928, Harold and Lucienne moved to Canterbury, to run a pub called The Queens Head, on Watling Street. In 1928, Harold appeared before the Canterbury magistrates charged with allowing a game of billiards to take place after hours. Harold was fined 20s.

By the 1939 register, Harold and Lucienne had moved to Findern Halt, Repton, Derbyshire where Harold is listed as being a Petrol Filling Station Proprietor. A study of historical directories indicate that they had moved there by 1932 and were still in residence in 1941.

Harold died on 15th February 1961 at St Mary’s Hospital, Eastbourne, Sussex. Berthe died on 24th September 1976 at Beechcroft Nursing Home, 21 Molyneux Park Road, Tunbridge Wells and was removed to Eastbourne Crematorium.