Laura Mary Attenborough born February 27th 1853 taken March 1877

Laura Catherine born July 17th 1876

Master James [the dog] aged 10 years

Photograph by Frederick Downer - No 10818C

Laura Mary Attenborough was born in Pimlico, Middlesex, the daughter of James Attenborough (Pawnbroker born 1825 in Titchmarsh, Northamptonshire) and Catherine E Smith (born 1827 in Lathbury, Bucks) and died at Bushey, Herts on 3rd March 1948.

posted Dec 1907          Haydon Hill, Bushey - photo by J. T. Wilden, Old Bushey          posted April 1908

[see messages on the back]

These two views of "Hayden Hill, Bushey" were sent to Miss F. Bird, "The Falcons" Upper Denmark Hill, S.E. by "Mabs" or "Mabel." The first was posted 15 December 1907 and starts "Dear Flo thought you would like a view of our house. Will send you one of the front when they are done ...." The second was sent 24 April 1908  "Dear Flo at last I am sending you the front of our house. I got home alright Sunday. It was snowing hard here. Went to the Hall on Monday to see 'His Sister's Honour' was fairly good. We finish Spring Cleaning tomorrow. it is snowing hard here today. Fondest Love  Mabel.  Will you ask mother to bring down a brown covered book of songs also my instruction book for mandolins if she comes if not sent it for me please Mabel."

A check on ebay of the other cards being sold by the same seller show many addressed to Miss Bird. Those between 1910 and early 1912 are addressed to Stanmore Park,, Stanmore, Middlesex, and from April 1912 to at least 1917 the majority were sent to the While House Cottage, Shiplake, Oxon, but with a number of other addresses. A full list was not made but these include one in 1912 forwarded from Shiplake to 23 Waterloo Road, Dunstable; in 1913 to 8 Jarrow Ward, London Hospital, Whitechapel; in 1914 c/o Miss Bowering?.Nouvel Hotel, De l'Europe, Biarritz, France, (posted form Watford by "M")and 37 Rutland Gardens, London SW, and in 1916 to Bushey Cottage Hospital, Bushey.

In 1911 Mabel Constance Bird (25, single, born Herne Hill) was a house parlour maid for Edgar Armstrong Everington - a solicitor living with his family at Franshams, Bushey Heath while Florence Elizabeth Bird (24, single, born Herne Hill) was a housemaid the the large boarding school at Stanmore Park.

In 1901 Mabel C Bugg (15, born Herne Hill) and her sister Florence E Bugg (13, born Herne Hill) were living at 9 Hurst Street, Lambeth, the children of Arthur John Bugg, gardener, and his wife Elizabeth, with brothers Arthur J Bugg (18) and Stanley (7). The family could also be traced in Lambeth in 1881. It is not clear why there was a name change (except that Bird is a more attractive name than Bugg when looking for domestic employment?) In the 1911 census. Stanley (now 17) was living in Lambeth with his grandparents James & Maria Bugg. A Robert & Elizabeth Bird (41, born Harwich) were living in Denmark Hill, in 1911 but her place of birth does not fit with the Elizabeth Bugg in the earlier censuses.

It would appear that both Mabel and Florence went into service, Mabel working at Haydon Hill for the Attenborough family in 1907 moving to Franshams, Bushey Heath by 1911. Florence was presumably still "at home" in Denmark Hill in 1907/8 but by 1910 was working as a housemaid at Stanmore Park. In 1912 she moved to Shiplake, where she may have been a lady's maid travelling with her employer.