MATERNAL NAMES
PENELOPE FRANCES BELL 1942-1945
Judith Ann Whittingham, born December 26th 1942 was just an infant when my parents brought her home. For whatever the circumstances, her mother, a young unmarried girl was not in a position to keep her.
M. 21 September 1919, Holy Trinity Church Parish of Penge County, Kent, England
Frederick Leonard Whittingham married Angelina Mary Staines, daughter of Staines and Long
The couple had two children before Frederick died in England, a casualty of the War.
Thomas Hordell 1921
Lena Mary 1923
LENA MARY WHITTINGHAM (1923-1992)
Lena Mary Whittingham (1923-1992)(4)(7)(8) was the daughter of Frederick Leonard Whittingham (1888-1925)(1)(3)(5), and Mary Angelina Staines (1893-1936)(2)(3)(6) both born in England. Frederick died in England in 1925 and Angelina moved to Ontario, nearby some members of Frederick’s family. Lena had a brother, Thomas, two years her senior. Once in Ontario, her mother appears to have remarried, although I have yet to find her marriage to Melvin Edward Hitchcock. In 1933 she had another child, Jean Florence Hitchock (1933-1990)(10). Angelina Whittinham died in 1936 resulting from septic peritonitis caused by chronic salpingitis (inflammation of the fallopian tubes caused by a bacterial infection). She was pregnant when she died.
After her death, the family of Lena’s first husband separated the two children. One of Frederick sister’s Hilda May Whittingham (1890–1962) and her husband, Harry Henderson Meikle (1891–1942), adopted Thomas. One of his brothers took in Lena, yet they did not adopt her. I am unaware of what happened to the half sister, but she probably stayed with her biological father. It appears she never married. She died in Simcoe, Norfolk, Ontario in 1990,
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Lena worked appears to have worked in Toronto but in 1942 she became pregnant with the child she would name Judith Anne. I can again only surmise what happened when, unmarried, she became pregnant. Because my parents went through an agency, I would think that she went to one of the maternity homes, popular at the time in cities all over. One such as Vincent House run by the United Church of which my parents were members comes to mind.
Something that niggles at me was the fact that Lena named the child. Did she have hopes of keeping the little girl? Was she waiting for the return of a soldier she hoped to marry? Questions that will remain unanswered.
Lena married James Dranitsaris (1922-1981)(7)(8) in 1944 . They would have five children during their marriage.
THE ADOPTION
Kelvin and Lillian Bell (my parents) had been seeking to adopt a child for some time and when they saw her, she became their “chosen child”. “It is difficult to decide to adopt, let alone find the child that is right for you.” These were my mother’s words. She said that they had seen many infants, but once they saw this child, they knew it felt right.
Back in the 1940s, adopting a child was not as difficult as today and the baby came home with my parents soon after her birth. They could take the baby home almost immediately, similar to what we would consider foster care today. In the past, society discouraged unwed mothers from keeping their babies, unlike today, where society encourages them to do so. In those times, my parents went through the adoption process, got approved, chose a baby, and brought her home. They named her Penelope Frances Bell. There was then a waiting period for the adoption to be legalised.
On May 3, 1945(11), all was final and her new name became legal. This period of waiting was difficult for the couple and again, I do not know all the circumstances, but perhaps Lena had not legally let go of the child until then. However, from the way maternity houses worked at the time, this is not likely. It may have just been how long the process took.
Once the adoption was final, her new parents took her to Mayers Studios, a professional photography studio in Toronto, and had her photographed to celebrate the joyous occasion. Most of the photographs are black and white but one that was colourized. If I remember correctly, the studio gave this photo to my parents as a momentum of their child after her tragic death.
The pictures were captured in early May, but by July she would be gone.
Toronto Telegram July 7th 1945
Child Reaching Into Pond For Goldfish Was Drowned In 18 Inches Of Water
“Penelope Bell, aged two and a half, of 32 Wolverton ave, was drowned yesterday afternoon when she fell into a goldfish pond in the garden of a Warland ave. home, in East York.
Two years ago a two-year-old boy was drowned in a six-inch-deep lily pond in Don Woods drive in York Mills, while playing around a neighbor’s pool.
The girl, daughter of Mr. and Mrs. K. R. Bell, had been put out in her yard to play shortly after 1 p.m. by her mother. In some manner she got out and wandered to the rear of the Warland ave. address, where the small pond contains three goldfish.
It is believed that the child was leaning over the edge of the pond attempting to pick up one of the shiny fish when she lost her balance. She fell face downward and drown in 18 inches of water.
When Mrs Bell discovered her child missing she started searching the neighborhood, and it was the mother who found her baby in the fish pond. She was rushed to the Toronto East General Hospital, but she was pronounced dead on arrival.
Coroner W. J. O’Hara has announced that no inquest will be held.
“It is one of the most tragic accidents in the history of the township,” said the coroner. “It is the first of its kind that I know of.””
My parent’s dear friend Ken Samis wrote a poem in her honour.
TO PENE
To good for this world was our Pene bright,
Too sweet to be here for long;
She came for awhile and our hearts were light,
Her laughter was sweet as a song.
She smiled – and our hearts were opened wide,
She beckoned and all drew near;
Her life was all cheer and she seldom cried,
Her eyes were not wide with fear.
As a tender blossom she was so fair,
And she marvelled at beauty around;
And the gold in the pool which called to her there,
Was new beauty she had found.
Too fair, too bright to remain here long,
Away from Heaven – her home;
She’s gone to sweeten the angels’ song,
As it swells to Heaven’s dome.
July 30th 1946 Uncle Ken
Citations
(1) B.1888 Whittingham Frederick England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1837-1915 Volume 2a Page 969
(2) B.1894 Staines Mary Lena England & Wales Births 1837-2006 Walsingham, Norfolk, England.
(3) M.1919 Whittinham Frederick/Staines Mary England & Wales Marriages 1837-2005 Croydon, Surrey, England Image 78
(4) B. 1923 Whittingham Lena Mary Register Office; United Kingdom; Reference: Volume 4b, Page 447 England & Wales, Civil Registration Birth Index, 1916-2007
(5) D.1925 Whittingham Frederick General Register Office; United Kingdom; Volume: 5a; Page: 276 England & Wales, Civil Registration Death Index, 1916-2007
(6) D.1936 Whittingham/Stains Mary Lena Ontario, Canada, Deaths and Deaths Overseas, 1869-1946 Archives of Ontario; Toronto, Ontario, Canada; Collection: MS935; Reel: 560
(7) M.1944 Dranitsaris James/Lena Whittingham Permission granted to marry
(8) D.1981 Dranitsaris James Obit form the Toronto Star Monday September 28, 1981
(9) D.1992 Lena Whittingham (not yet found)
(10) D.1990 Hitchcock Jean Florence, ; Burial, Simcoe, Haldimand-Norfolk Regional Municipality, Ontario, Canada, Oakwood Cemetery; citing record ID 125084304, Find a Grave, http://www.findagrave.com.
(11) B.1942 Judith Ann Whittingham (Bell Penelope Frances), Death Certificate Province of Ontario Registration #045299
(12) D.1945 Bell Penelope Frances (Judith Ann Whittingham) Death Certificate Province of Ontario Registration #045299
(13) D. 1945 Find a Grave Memorial ID 196837691 Pine Hills Cemetery, Scarborough, Ontario
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