Joe and Graham - June 1903
Winifred "Winnie" Enock (née Frost) (1908-1977). |
Date of marriage: Tuesday, 11th November, 1952.
Place of marriage: Ealing, London, England.
"The best thing I have ever done was to marry my beloved Winifred in 1952. I was 50 and she was 44 and, having no money to spare, we decided not to have any children....She was the most marvellous person I have ever known and it all just 'happened', almost without our knowing, as it were." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 30th January - 5th February 1981
"We had a happy retirement what with riding, music, little dinner parties (in and out), concerts galore in National Trust houses, Gillingham Hall, and Shaftesbury Arts Theatre etc. We were just coming up to our Silver Wedding Anniversary (and had got in a good stock of goodies and wines) when Winifred died (March 1977) of Pancytopaenia - a disease in which the marrow ceases to inject into the blood stream the necessary white blood corpuscles (which combat infection) or 'platelets' (which supply the coagulant for the blood).
On her admittance to hospital I asked her doctor point-blank if this, was a terminal disease, and he replied that he did not know, although much medical research had been done on the disease. He was quite frank about it and said it sometimes cleared up on its own and sometimes not, but they did not know why. Although they gave her white corpuscles injections (which last from 6.00pm to 4.00am) and got several doses of platelets from Southampton University (£100 a time) in fact, did everything they could including consultation with experts in London, she died on March 20th.
Although nieces, cousins and friends rallied round marvellously and I did my best to be practical, it was the lonely meals (I am no cook) and even lonelier evenings, nights and dawns that nearly broke me; I was more or less abstracted from reality for over a year but glad to say that I gradually managed to return to something near normality and am now in rude health.
The wound has been shoved down into the subconscious and only makes an unwelcome appearance at odd times. But I am still terribly lonely and aching to live again in a normally organised household." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 30th January - 5th February 1981
"I think it was rather a surprise wedding." - Joan Enock
"Ronald told dad that Joe is proposing to get married in June and there is to be a party in the Broads for a few including Mr & Mrs Parkinson (& Guy of course who will no doubt "foot the bill")." - Letter from Olive Enock to Joan Enock - 11th April 1952.
1903 - 20 (39 from 1902), Church Road, Willesden, London, England.
Demolished c1967.
1911-1916 - 21, Queen Elizabeths Walk, Stoke Newington, London, England.
1916-1920 - 12, Heathland Road, Stoke Newington, London, England.
House demolished c1954, now Heather Lodge.
24th May 1918 - 31st March 1927 - "The Hut" (now Quorn Lodge), Featherbed Lane, Cowbeech (near Hurstmonceux), East Sussex, England.
Bought for £840 (worth £158K in 2017), sold for £5,400.
"Dad lost a packet in the Hatry crash, (and our lovely place in Sussex had to be sold at a great loss)." - Joseph Guy Enock
"While we were in Sussex the weekend before we left England Max's cousin very kindly took us for a drive around so I asked if we could go to a little village of Cowbeach which I knew was near Hailsham and Herstmonceux and somewhere near was "The Hut" which I was keen to find again. Amazingly I was able to recognise the grade of the now tarsealed road - also the outlook across the plains from the hut and also the crossroads at the top of the hill - all so changed with several houses instead of one little old cottage. The trouble was I couldn't find the old entrance to "The Hut" driveway - a huge house had been built across the place where I thought we should have driven in. I tried to enquire but no one around. Finally we took a lower entrance driveway which curved around - this I imagine could have been put in around the early 1930's looked very old and ramshackle (I know Uncle Guy & Auntie Janie had sold "The Hut" before our visit to England in 1934.) At that time or later the new owners must have sold off the top paddock and main driveway entrance.
Anyway, this time my cousin and I went wandering up this second entrance drive and there was "The Hut"! No mistaking it! Looks very old and worn and all the beautiful flower beds and circular driveway at front door was a mass of weeds - everything looked so shabby - the Enocks would been turn in their graves!
A car was parked at front door so we knocked and knocked and pulled the old bell but not a sign of any living thing about - just like a ghost house! We didn't like to go round to the other side of the house to see the condition there - once a lovely tennis court and beautiful view - so we had to leave it as I couldn't ask our cousin to hang around any longer.
The Enocks owned all the land from Herstmonceux Road to below the Dell." - Letter from Marjory Miller (Janie's niece) to Margaret (Janie's 1st cousin 1x removed) and George Collie - 20th April 1988
1928-1938 - 1, "The Dutch House," Raglan Gardens (became Empire Way in 1935), Wembley, London, England.
1939-1943 - 1, Barnhill Road, Wembley, London, England.
House was damaged during WW2. Demolished before the 1970s. Was located near what is now the Chalkhill Road/Wellspring Crescent junction.
1946-1972 - "The Studio", Mount Park Road, Ealing, London, England.
"We lived at Ealing in a big artists studio, 35 by 25 by 18ft. high. After we had made several alterations we had a charming studio-residence, double-glazing throughout, ducted warm air heating, hall, kitchen, cloakroom, and loo downstairs, and a second floor with two lovely double bedrooms with wash basins, bathroom, separate loo, large cupboards, and an airing cupboard. In fact it became a highly desirable residence - as we found out in 1972 when we sold the place for £32,000 and retired down here [Gillingham, Dorset]. - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 30th January - 5th February 1981
"We went and visited them after that [the wedding], as well as before, to what we called the music room. It was a weird place, but suited them. It was just as well because it was like a great big barn and well away from other neighbours so they could kick up a heck of a noise there. Joe would put on a much amplified music thing. It was a weird place for her, she seemed to cope with it, but very, very, few women would’ve wanted that as a home, and clambering up a weird wooden step stairs up to the bedroom." - Joan Enock
1972-1983 - 5 (now number 6), Common Mead Avenue, Gillingham, Dorset, England.
"After some extensive alterations we settled down in a quiet cul-de-sac but within 3 minutes walk of reasonable shops. (Not getting any younger we felt that the latter feature might be important)." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 30th January - 5th February 1981
c1907-1914 - Paradise House School, Church Street, Stoke Newington, London, England.
Replaced by Millington House.
Reports from April 1913 show that Joe was top of class in all subjects:
Non-singing - 49/50
French - 178/200
Spelling & dictation - 87/100
Composition - 80/100
Writing - 90/100
Drawing - 91/100
Mental calculation - 47/50
English - 69/100
Non-Latin - 127/150
Geometry - 92/100
1917-1918 - Leighton Park School, Shinfield Road, Reading, Berkshire, England.
1922-c1926 - Parkinson, Polson & Co, 30 Commercial Road, Eastbourne, England.
Motor Agents & Engineers (part owned by his father, Guy Enock).
Position: Director.
c1926-c1939 - Graham-Enock Manufacturing Co. Limited, Margaret Street Works, Windus Road, Stamford Hill, London, England.
Dairy equipment manufacturers - owned by Joe's brother, Graham.
Position: Executive.
"Then in 1939, when I joined the Horse Artillery (mechanised) the Directors of Graham’s firm (where I was an Executive) were so enraged that they did not make up my pittance of Army pay to the salary I had been getting. Also they had got someone to replace me and would not take me back after the War." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 27th May - 5th June 1981
1947-1950 - Joseph Enock Ltd, 273a High Street, Brentford, England.
"After discharge [from the army] I found that my pre-war employers were so annoyed at my enlistment that they would not take me back, (they had not made up my Army pay to my salary figure) and, because my War Disability was of a psychological nature, other prospective employers politely said NO.
In desperation I decided to make my own job and I got together with a friend and formed a small limited liability company to manufacture and sell a Rolls-Royce type of radiogram. I assigned to the Company my patent covering a diamond Stylus in a moving-coil pickup -- at that time it was something unique. (To add to the mountain of failures this Company went to the wall in 1950)." - Taken from an undated and unaddressed letter written by Joe
"In the early days of high quality sound reproduction, Enock promoted the polished diamond tip stylus - produced by Stanley Kelly - fitted to his moving-coil pickup (derived from Paul Voigt's moving coil design, but with improvements). Later he created, with Peter Lowther, the Enock amplifier, which used radio-frequency heating for the preamp, aimed at providing a 'dead' silent background. His efforts to market the Enock hi-fi record reproducer were not a commercial success, although a few handcrafted models were supplied to Arthur Bliss, Earl of Harewood...." - Hi-fi News & Record Review - Volume 29, Issues 1-6 - Page 21.
1950-1971 - Technical Writer/Advisor
"With his extensive musical knowledge, he investigated early developments in stereo sound, at the instigation of Harvey Schwarz of Decca, for whom he acted as technical adviser." - Hi-fi News & Record Review - Volume 29, Issues 1-6 - Page 21.
Patents
"He also loved cars and was a chauffer for some well-to-do family at the time." - Catriona Wesselhoft
Territorial Army
Service number: 772473
Date of enlistment: 23rd November 1926
Duration: 4 years
World War II
Service number: 772473
Regiment: 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery
Duration: 05/09/1939 - 06/10/1942 (permanently unfit for any form of
military service - PARA 390 (cxvi))
"It was the Royal Horse Artillery at the funeral of King Edward VII that did it. I was eight years old then, and the sight of those jaunty Horse Gunners in the glamorous uniforms made me decide to be one of them when I grew up. But social and business circumstances combined to make such a possibility more and more remote as adolescence gave way to manhood. When I eventually contrived to put the idea into practice, my hitherto uneventful and sheltered life was altered violently. The opportunity came nearly thirty years later, on the outbreak of the Second World War when I enlisted, on the 5th of September, 1939, in the 1st Regiment R.H.A.; a buddy of mine in the Regiment having already spoken to C.C. on my behalf. The previous day, that is the day after war was declared, I had telegraphed him at Bulford asking if there was any chance of joining the battery and so be with him. About eight o’clock the same evening he rang me in London to say that C.C. wanted to see me on first parade in the morning. Yelling to him that I was on my way I chucked some personal impediments into my beloved 2 ½ litre M.G., immediately telephoned Mary – girlfriend No.1 – and tore off to Bulford." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 27th May - 5th June 1981
"Whilst in the Regiment it was discovered that I had sound knowledge of Trigonometry and accordingly I was put in the Survey Section of one of the Batteries of the Regiment - 1st Regiment Royal Horse Artillery, the Right of the Line - and finally ended up as NCO i/c Forward Observation Post, a somewhat sticky position where you can observe the enemy and hope to goodness he cannot spot you. All orders to fire the guns are made from the FOP." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 27th May - 5th June 1981
Capture by the Germans
"Went to France in October, was in the Forward Observation Post (we were attached to the famous 51st. Highland Division) in the no-mans-land between the Maginot and the Siegfried Lines till mid-May 1940 when we were hurriedly rushed back across France to positions just south of Abbeville. We hadn't a chance after the Dunkirk affair finished on the 3rd of June and made a 'strategic retreat' (you know what that means) along the Normandy coast to St. Valery-en-Caux (between Dieppe and Fe-camp) where we were surrounded by Rommel's army and taken prisoner-of-war on the 12th of June.
Our Highland Division and five French Divisions were soon disarmed and the whole 60,000 of us formed into a column five abreast in which we slogged 120 miles through. Totes, Forges-les-Eaux, Doullens, St. Pol, Bethune, La. Bassee to Loos, just outside Lille. Here I escaped from the column on the 30th of June and by incredible luck met a Frenchman who wanted to help. He gave me a suit of suitably old clothes, shaved me (we all had six weeks beard) but left a moustache and a little imperial (I was 38 at the time so it all fitted in nicely) and gave me an old bicycle and passed me on to some friends about 20 miles away where I spent the first night as an evade." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 30th January - 5th February 1981
Joe's escape
The following account is taken from Joe's unpublished book Monsieur Joseph.
"We were plumb in the middle of a particularly barren stretch of the uninviting terrain, like an oasis in a desert, and the only cover of any sort was some inadequate brambles which, interspersed with a few small trees, formed an indefinite boundary.
Through a gap in the brambles I faintly discerned a pair of gateposts.
The nearest brambles, infuriatingly inadequate, were a hundred yards distant, fifty yards beyond the ring of guards. If ever there was a place from which an unseen getaway was possible, this was a classic example…….
Tensioning every nerve till it screamed, trembling in every limb, I held my hand up in what I hoped was the international schoolboy gesture for “may I leave the room, Sir?” then slowly taking off my battle-dress blouse and carrying it over one arm, I wandered away from the prisoners and started to cross the no-mans land. Straining every faculty to keep an appearance of normality, I sauntered along slowly, covertly watching the guards for any hostile sign, and prepared to withdraw if there was.
I noted with relief that one of the guards was friend Blondie and, feeling sure that he, at any rate, would not do anything unpleasant without giving due warning, I veered gradually in his direction. As I drew near to him I smiled, pointed forwards vaguely and continued steadily on my course to the brambles. Blondie made no acknowledgement of any sort and remained perfectly still, an alert, silent and forbidding-looking guard. Concluding that he had recognised me and was only keeping up appearances, I breathed more freely as I covered the next few yards and drew level. As I passed through the ring of guards a few feet from Blondie I turned my head slightly to give him a sly wink of thanks.
The wink froze half-made when I saw that it was not Blondie. Bit I dared not stop, neither dare I look round to see what was happening.
So, without turning, my heart pounding like a sledge-hammer, certain that every Jerry eye was boring into my back – and at any moments their bullets would follow – I strolled on slowly, purposefully, towards the brambles. After another, even more terrifying, fifty yards I arrived at the brambles in a state bordering on jellification, and fossicked about in the thorny expanse as if in earnest search of what house-agents delicately specify as ‘mod. con.’, all the time edging towards the gateway.
Through the gateposts I noticed a track that curved down and disappeared. It was only a warning from the voice that stopped me making a run for it then and there. With a control I never knew again I continued leisurely the search for the ‘mod. con.’ and, not being satisfied with the privacy offered by the brambles, I ambled through the gateposts and on to the track. As I did so I gave the delighted gesture of a rewarded treasure-seeker, slipped down my braces as if matters were imminent, and when the voice told me I was out of sight of the guards, ran like hell.
I went down the track like greased lightning, pinioning the blouse with one hand and frantically holding up my trousers with the other. With incredible contortions I gave my trousers an extra heave and managed to slip one brace and then the other. At once my speed increased two-fold and I had to turn my head to stop the rushing of air past my ears so that I could hear any signs of pursuit – whatever that might be.
But I heard nothing but the pounding of my heart as I tore along the track.
“I’ve done it!” I panted exultantly, “I’ve done it!” "
Joe’s escape through France.
"Cutting a long story short, I was passed from friends to friends - or if there were no friends I sought out Monsieur le Cure - and cycled over 350 miles to the infinitely dangerous Ligne de Demarcation between Zone Occupee and Zone Non-Occupee. It was not a barbed wire fence but a belt of country 3 to 5 kilometres wide which was patrolled day and night by the Germans.
As usual, when approaching a dangerous obstacle, I went into an estaminet, had a drink or two with the patron and asked what was the drill for crossing the Line. (Patrons always seem to know all the clandestine 'arrangements' for passing such obstacles.) At once he said, "Tout est arrange, Monsieur l'Anglais, c'est un, probleme peu difficile." Then he told me to strip the bicycle of anything that made it appear that I was travelling, gave me another musette with the top of a wine bottle sticking out at one end and a French loaf at the other. He also gave me a much used pioche to complete the picture of a 'local’. I must take the main road south till I saw the official entrance to the Line guarded by a bevy of German soldiers.
At this point there was a church where I must turn right and go along a path that went round the back of the church and led on to the allotment gardens used by the community, both by those in Buxy and by those who had permits to live inside the Line, all of which were in full view of the blasted Germans at the official entrance. So, acting on the patron's instructions, pioche on shoulder, I gently wheeled the bicycle between the allotments till I found 'mine'. (By the way, the front wheel was smaller than the back and the bicycle looked rather as though it was wearing a bustle.)
'Finding my allotment’ I laid down the bicycle on its side and commenced to desecrate the soil of my beloved France - for I had no idea how to use the pioche. After continuing this insulting work for a short time I nearly jumped out of my skin when I heard the click of steel on wood and a voice saying in bad French, "Are you the evade Anglais crossing the Line?" Shaken to the core I could only nod. "Tant mieux." said the voice and I turned round to behold a true vieillard with an engaging grin on his face which was made more engaging by the fact that he had only two teeth in his and they actually met! He shook hands in the manner of French intimes and asked if I would permit him to show me how to use the pioche. After the lesson he told me to work for about an hour and then go along the path which went through the allotments and then on into La Ligne and in about two kilometres look out for a stile from the other side of which another path led through a large vineyard and so into Non-Occupee. Wishing me "Bonne Chance" he returned to his own allotment.
The hour was painfully slow as I had to keep ‘untensing’ myself and so act according to my role of allotmentee. Every now and then, out of the corner of my eye, I saw one or two of the Germans give a sweeping glance over the allotments but, thank heavens, it did not atop at me. At last I picked up the bicycle, put pioche on shoulder, and ambled along the path passing the time of day and chatting with other 'workers' on the allotments, our vitriolic remarks about the Boches having no relation to our apparent agricultural attitudes. It was rather as if the vision of one channel of T.V. was mistakenly switched to the sound of another. Soon after the path passed the allotments, hedges sprang up on either side but tension, instead of easing, mounted nearly to screaming point, as I realised I was past the point of no return and verily right in the abominable Line.
After what seemed like a few miles. I came across the stile with unmistakable cycle tyre tracks on both sides. I hoicked the bike over and went warily down the path and finally emerged into a vineyard, the scent of which was intoxicating, and saw three men working. I walked up to them and said "Bonjour, Messieurs, is it that I am in Occupee or Non-Occupee?" They said in one voice, "Calmez-vous, Monsieur, pas de danger, voici Non-Occupee." Tears started to my eyes but they took no notice and plied me with bunches of the fresh-picked, scented muscats. They laughed and all three shook hands with me saying that I was the first evade' Anglais they had encountered. After chatting for e time one of them showed me a little lane that would lead on to the main road south in about a kilometre. I mounted the bike and on coming to a point where I see the lane sloping into the main road a few hundred yards away, I put the bike in the hedge and cut through a plantation direct to the main road, looked left and saw the backs of two Gendarmes sitting on their cycles having a bit of a chat.
Full of relief I went back to my bike, mounted it and gaily rode southwards, puffed up with pride that I had managed to out wit such a fearful hazard. This great acheivement deserved celebration and I stopped at the first estaminet grandly ordered a bottle of the best vin du pays - which turned out to be Vougeot. I asked the patron to join me and his first remark was "Had Monsieur l'Anglais come across the Line?" "Of course” I replied, as if I had just climbed the outside of the Eiffel Tower. He got up and went behind the counter and consulted a little book and remarked, "Good. The jardins ouvriors at Buxy are still doing well; you are the forty-seventh today.” Then I knew what a pricked balloon feels like."
Portugal
"I willingly agreed to the M.A's suggestion that instead of being taken to Gibraltar in an Army truck and so direct home, I should go to Lisbon and do some work for Intelligence......I stayed on for five months working on some intriguing projects, one of which was working on the several escape schemes that reached back through Spain, France, Belgium, and Holland to pick up other British evades and get them to the embassy in Madrid......after a time I began to feel vaguely unwell and gradually got so depressed that at the end of five months I could not carry on my work properly and accordingly asked for a flight to the U.K. Thus, early in July 1941 I found myself, one midnight, in a flying-boat that took off down the Tagus and up into the night." - Excerpts from Joe's unpublished book Monsieur Joseph
Effects of War
"I will tell you of an incident at Behen which landed me with two virulent, repressed neuroses which ruined my life, changed my character for 35 years, caused two tragedies and which, but for the devoted care of my beloved Winifred, would have made me curtail my life. These neuroses cost me over £11,660 in loss of earnings and reduced my state pension to 67% of its proper amount."
"Unfortunately I gradually declined in mental health because of vague, but increasingly disturbing feelings that I was a failure and some sort of criminal and, therefore, an outcast from decent society. I was too tired and, I think, too tense and confused to try and account for them and they grew to alarming proportions that could not be ignored. In July, when mv work had become virtually useless because I could not bring myself to mix with people, I asked for a flight to U.K. (Another failure)
The period from July 1941 to my discharge in October 1942 is covered by items (45) to (47) in my list of 'incidents’, and nothing that happened during that time was exactly conducive to a reduction of the failure or the criminal feelings, and I think that my discharge firmly established failure in personality, latent though it was. As regards the Criminal feeling, all I knew was that I felt set apart from those with whom I was not intimate. That I was an undesirable person was accented by the curious jealousy of some of the younger officers (I had seen action, they had not) and also by the public accusation of a Sergeant-Major that I was a War Office spy sent to report on the morale of the unit to which I was posted." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 27th May - 5th June 1981
Return to France in 1951
The following photographs were taken during Joe's return to France in 1951 to thank the many people who helped him during his escape.
Monsieur Joseph
"I have written a book, or rather a 70,000 word manuscript, about all this and more, but every publisher I have sent it to says the same thing in different ways viz, we like it tremendously, BUT, no sex, virtually no violence and only a small 'lurve' interest, therefore we cannot risk publication……It is amusing in some parts and not so amusing in others, and it is really a documentary of an evade Anglais who had smattering of French – a useful asset in an escape in France." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 27th May - 5th June 1981
Music
"Joe was a great piano player and used to sit down to play whenever he got home. Janie (his mother) was a bit deaf and just seemed to be aware of a vague tinkling in the background, while the rest of the family had to put up with quite a din. "Is that Joe home?" became a catch phrase, I believe" - Catriona Wesselhoft
"Joe was very musical." - Joan Enock
"You might be interested to know that I have developed a great facility for improvisation on the piano and, if anyone else is present, can go on happily for two hours or so - if they want me to. One professional pianist friend of mine said she had never heard anything like it and that I knew where I was going and never got stuck in some awkward harmonic corner. (Am I blowing my trumpet too much?) I know I have given many people a lot of restful pleasure - which makes, it worthwhile." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 27th May - 5th June 1981
"Enock possessed a remarkable hearing faculty and almost 'perfect pitch', as anyone visiting him at his Ealing studio would soon discover." - Hi-fi News & Record Review - Volume 29, Issues 1-6 - Page 21
Ealing Arts Club
Fitness
"He was a fitness freak (even had his own gym, I believe) which stood him in good stead when he escaped through France as a POW. I remember him in his mid-fifties still walking across our lawn on his hands!" - Catriona Wesselhoft
Genealogy
"I do not remember which ‘tree’ I sent you but suspect it was ‘notes on the family of Eqoike or Enocke’. I have done several exercises in ancestry and have also traced the connection between the Enocks and our much loved Scots cousins. Mother was a Graham of Menteith, the only Loch in Scotland to be called lake! Winifred had a pinafore dress made of the tartan. There are Grahams still at Netherley Hall (near Gretna Green) where young ? came out of the west and stole the bride of Netherley Hall. (I cannot remember the correct wording)." - Joe's letter to Patricia Woods
Driving
"'Joe was a car fan and an extremely good driver. Being a chauffeur for some years was the best experience he could have had, I suppose, as he probably didn't take a driving test." - Catriona Wesselhoft
Alice the MG 18/80 MKI
Registration: MG 1133
First Registered: 6th June 1931
Original price: £525 (around £30,000 today)
The car was named Alice after the hit song 'Alice Blue Gown' from the 1919 Broadway musical Irene, and is still in working order.
Austin 2200
Registration: WTK 570M First Registered: 1973
The following excerpts are taken from Joe's letters to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) in 1981.
"Even though I am retired, I have much to do. In addition to the previously mentioned I have several committees, charity work, pillion rides on a friend's super motor bike (which I love more than anything) giving concerts here etc., but before anything I have all the house work to do (which I loathe)."
"I have become an intimate friend with the widow of an old Leighton Park school friend of mine who died two years ago. Valerie is younger than I am and lives in her house at Motcombe, some four miles away, and although we are much together neither of us has the intention of marrying again.
When Judy wrote to tell me that John had died and left her a widow for the second time, I wondered if I could somehow fit in with her ménage in Bacchus Marsh. (Please tell her all this). She will probably laugh at this rather naif idea, but I have always been very fond of her and her children, and when Michael and Rosemary were here I mentioned it to them and they thought it was a jolly good scheme. And when I said I could not bear to leave my Steinway Michael told me he had a Steinway Concert grand. For my part, if Judy thinks about it at all and does not mind me mentioning it to Michael before saying anything to her, I would at least be among musical cousins, and far away from Gillingham where one or two distressing things have happened. I should be able to pay my way, I think, for I have an income of £4,000 a year and will have about £25,000 when I have sold the house and repaid the £10,000 Mortgage/Annuity I am in process of taking out. Naturally, I should be upset at leaving my nieces, cousins (Scots who are my Executors), Valerie and all the many friends I have here, I think the idea is worth further consideration. But it all depends on Judy. One thing I want to know is if there is anything corresponding to our NHS in Australia?"
"I have been arguing with the DHSS about a Disability Pension for a neurosis I contracted from an improper order given by an officer to me, a Gunner, in the fighting in June 1940 (not mentioned in the book, of course,) just before we were captured and which resulted in a serious neurosis which resulted in my being unable to get a job after discharge in 1942, which resulted in no income and a disability to buy NHS stamps which is still reflected now in that I receive only two/thirds of my State Pension. The neurosis is getting worse now and is seriously affecting my life. Can you do anything with DHSS about it? I was offered the M.M. when in Lisbon whilst working for Intelligence on escape schemes but (foolishly) refused as I was then more interested in getting other escaped P.O.W’s to safety."
Personal Finances
"You may perhaps be wondering why I keep on harping about my lack of money and may not know that since 1924 the Enock fortune dropped disastrously. First of all Dad lost a packet in the Hatry crash, (and our lovely place in Sussex had to be sold at a great loss) then when his dairy plant firm at Wembley started to make munitions he would not draw his salary as Managing Director and sold 55,000 (the lot) of his £1 shares to the other Directors for 3d. each. He also sold out of his other firm, Parkinson & Polson, of Eastbourne at a loss. All this was quite unknown to us - except perhaps to Mother."
"I have an income of £4,000 a year and will have about £25,000 when I have sold the house and repaid the £10,000 Mortgage/Annuity I am in process of taking out."
"And now inflation has overcome my income I have had to sell some heirlooms (antique furniture which has been in the family for millions of years) to pay for having the house painted and the increasing cost of running the car, so I am taking out a £10,000 mortgage which is turned into another Annuity."
"I hope to be out of debt by July but even then beggars can not be choosers and I would not be able to afford to come and see you although I am dying to do so. (Should it not be 'so do'?) I know now that I am not going to be able to achieve my last romantic ambition to go over the Schloss Neuschwanstein in Bavaria, one of the any built by Ludwig II of Bavaria and where Wagner lived for some time and the two of them only had performances of The Ring."
Michael Baker & family
"At 2.30 Michael phoned up from Childe Okeford (where Rosemary's two aunts live - a few miles from here) and said could he, Rosemary, and the five children come and see me?
What a charming crowd they are and Michael is so much an image of Barton, physically and mentally, that I kept calling him Barton. We had a marvellous two hours and when my Steinway grand was seen Amanda and the eldest boy (forgotten his name) fought for the piano stool to be able to play first. They are both first-class pianists. With the exception of three of them they will he staying till August so I am looking forward to their next appearance." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 30th January - 5th February 1981
Judith Baker & family
"I have always been very fond of her and her children." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 30th January - 5th February 1981
Olive Braithwaite (Gaskell) and family
"I was shocked to hear from Judy's letter that our Olive is in a 'home'. Is it physical or mental illness, or just old age? Do tell me which and I will write to her. For years I have tried to get to see them both at Stoke-by-Nayland but never succeeded, much to my sorrow." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 30th January - 5th February 1981
"I am very distressed about Olive's deep depression and, on Judy's and Pip's advice, wrote to her asking if she could manage to come hare for a week or ten days, mentioning my beloved Steinway as a 'lure' and country pub meals as another. I told her that I was in debt and could not afford to go to her, particularly as there does not seem to be any place nearby where I could stay. I ended with 'do try, luv' knowing that neither Pip nor Judy could make her interested in anything. I was astonished to have a 'phone call from her absolutely bursting with enthusiasm and saying that she was coming on the 16th, of June (Tuesday) staying till the Friday. I asked her if the drive (I reckon it is at least 160 miles) would not be too much for her eyes, but she said she would have her taxi-man bring her here - and that she could not wait to get here. And that she will be coming again.
Her trip will, I am sure, do us both good, it may even start her pulling herself out of the trough she is in. It will surely confound my loneliness for a time by having a cousin in the house for whom I have had great affection since our childhood days." - Letter to Bertha Wright (was Penrose) (née Baker) - 27th May - 5th June 1981
"He always came on holiday with my parents and us four girls and was a fit young Adonis, a great pianist and athlete and the apple of his mother's eye, but I don't think that he 'worked' and he lived at home, and had a charming stutter" - Wendy Thomas (Joe's niece)
"As far as I can see, Joe seldom seemed to do anything structured until he went into the army. As a young man he was a fitness freak (even had his own gym, I believe) which stood him in good stead when he escaped through France as a POW. I remember him in his mid-fifties still walking across our lawn on his hands!
He also loved cars (see Alice) and was a chauffeur for some well-to-do family for quite a time. He also had a bit of an "outrageous" streak. For instance, after coming back from France, where he'd seen people in the village walking their dogs in their pyjamas, he walked down Kirkcaldy high street in his dressing gown. No-one would think twice about that nowadays, but at the time, it had the whole town gossiping!" - Catriona Wesselhoft (Joe's 2nd cousin, 1x removed)
Date of Probate: 7th February 1984
Gross value of Estate does not exceed: £40,000
Net value of Estate does not exceed: £40,000
THIS IS THE LAST WILL AND TESTAMENT of me JOSEPH GUY ENOCK of 5 Commonmead Avenue Gillingham in the County of Dorset Whereby I REVOKE all Wills and testamentary dispositions made by me....
1. I APPOINT my cousins George Collie and Margaret Collie (hereinafter called my Trustees) of The Old Carpenters Arms Hailey Witney Oxon to be the Executors of this my Will and I BEQUEATH One hundred pounds to my trustees to be shared equally by them on their acceptance of this appointment
2. I BEQUEATH the following specific legacies:-
A. To my said cousins George Collie and Margaret Collie
(i) my kaffir stool
(ii) Winifred's painting of Glen and the River Loire
(iii) my marble coffee table
(iv) my set of eight white cups fluted and gilt edged with matching saucers and plates
(v) my petit point stool
(vi) Winifred's painting of Peonies (over bookshelves)
(vii) The black case of photograph of grandma Lockhart given to me by Margaret's mother
(viii) my antique bible box and stand and the bible
B. To my cousin Joan Enock of 5 Hill Close Horsell Woking Surrey
(i) the model horses that she made for me together with their mounting base and the electrics
(ii) the Egioke coloured Arms and Crest
(iii) the folder containing the family tree
(iv) Grandpa's painting of Guy's Tower Warwick Castle
(v) the painting of my father
(vi) my microscope and spare lenses etc;
C. To my niece Josephine Bell of Evergreen Cottage The Street Ferring Sussex
(i) the lalique glass statuette 'Ruth at the well' complete with its bracket and electrics
(ii) my six piece Royal Crown tea set with saucers and plates
(iii)my coffee set
(iv) glass wine decanter (green)
(v) my wrought iron flower stand (by front door)
D. To my niece Rosalind de Rivaz of Tonnagh House Hawkshead Lane North Mimms Hatfield Herts AL9 8TB
(i) my collection of Hock Burgundy and other wine glasses and tumblers and their cupboard
(ii) my canteen of stainless steel cutlery (one teaspoon missing)
(iii) my silver plated ornamental tea pot
(iv) Winifred's painting of Roses (in Lounge over the smaller walnut cabinet)
E. To my niece Gwendoline Thomas of 15 Norfolk Gardens Littlehampton Sussex
(i) my picture of Hoffnung's Trout Quintet (Guest Room)
(ii) Grandpa's large oil painting of Holne Chase
(iii) my model gnarled oaktree in antimony (on smaller of the walnut cabinets)
(iv) the Cannon Rotary Spit with its wall bracket (kitchen)
(v) My six silver plated soup spoons
(vi) my solid silver rose vase
(vii) my two solid silver salt cellars and two solid silver pepper pots
(viii) my four stacking chairs (in study)
(ix) my mahogany dining table with two spare leaves six dining chairs two carver's chairs and electric candles and wiring complete
(x) my two rolls of silver plated cutlery
(xi) my ming rose tea set with matching saucers elates etc;
F. To my niece Valerie Sefton Jonas of Aquarius Great Buckhurst Sedlescombe Sussex
(i) all my models of birds and their mounts and any electrics
(ii) my six solid silver teaspoons (some engraved)
(iii) the hot tray and trolley (in dining room)
(iv) the larger wooden standard lamp in lounge
(v) my set of six pottery soup bowls and saucers
G. To Basil Sefton Jones of Aquarius Great Buckhurst Sedlescombe Sussex my white glass whisky decanter
H. To my great nephew Anthony de Rivaz of 30 Fishpool Street St. Albans Herts my stereo equipment complete (Cabinet for motorboard and main amplifier in the spare bedroom)
I. To Valerie Cole of Martlets Sedgehill Shaftesbury Dorset
(i) the antique german gilt standard lamp
(ii) Winifred's bow fronted chest of drawers
(iii) my large walnut cabinet
(iv) my oval mirror
J. To Denis Shea of Kimbers Cottages Lower End Salford Chipping Norton OX7 5YP
(i) my collection of records and their cabinet
(ii) all my sheet music opera scores etc;
K. To Patricia Bultitude of Horkesley Hall Common Mead Lane Gillingham Dorset my small walnut cabinet
3. I BEQUEATH all my personal chattels not otherwise hereinbefore disposed of unto my Executors with the request (but without imposing any binding or legal obligation) that they will dispose of the same in accordance with any list I may leave with this my Will....
4. The Steinway piano is the property of John Sandercock of Inverault St. Germans Road Callington Cornwall and I DIRECT my Executors to return this to him and also to pay the cost of carriage insurance etc; out of my residuary estate....
5. I DEVISE and BEQUEATH all the rest and remainder of my real and personal property of whatever nature and wheresoever situate not hereinbefore otherwise disposed of unto my Executors UPON TRUST to sell call in and convert the same into money with full power to postpone such sale and conversion without being responsible for loss and to stand possessed of such proceeds of sale in trust
(a) To pay thereout my just debts funeral and testamentary expenses and death duties and my Ten thousand pounds mortgage with Harebro Provident Insurance Limited
(b) To divide the remainder of such monies into fifteen equal shares (and the words share or shares in this clause shall always be read as referring to such equal shares) and to hold such shares In Trust for the following beneficiaries absolutely in the amounts stated that is to say:
Three of such shares for my late wife's god child Susan Paddison of 17 Grimsdell's Avenue Amersham Bucks HP6 6HF....
Three of such shares for my niece Gwendoline Thomas
Three of such shares for my cousin Catriona Wesselhoft of 2155 Jork Weidenstrasse 24 West Germany....
Two of such shares for my niece Josephine Bell of Evergreen Cottage The Street Ferring Sussex ....
Two of such shares for my niece Rosalind de Rivaz of Tonnagh House Hawkshead Lane South Mimms Herts....
Two of such shares for my niece Valerie Sefton Jones of Aquarius Great Buckhurst Sedlesombe Sussex
PROVIDED THAT if any of the beneficiaries named in this clause shall die in my lifetime leaving a child or children living at my death who shall attain the age of eighteen years then and in that event such child or children shall take and if more than one equally between them the shares (including any share or shares accruing thereto under the proviso next hereinafter contained) his her or their Mother would have taken had she survived me PROVIDED FURTHER that if any of the trusts declared by this clause shall fail then the shares as to which the said trusts shall so fail (including any share or shares accruing by virtue of this provision) shall accrue to and be added equally to the other shares hereby given and to be held in trust accordingly….
6. I DESIRE that my body may be cremated and the ashes scattered at Friends Burial Ground Jordans Bucks by Leslie Pitt of No. 1 Lancaster Road Harrow in the County of Middlesex ...
AS WITNESS my hand this 23rd day of September One thousand nine hundred and eighty-one....
Arthur Guy Enock - 1957
"9. My Trustees shall hold the residue of my estate remaining after payment of the above mentioned legacies and annuities upon the following trusts:-
(c) As to eight equal twentieth parts thereof to my said son Joseph Guy Enock absolutely. I direct that if the said Joseph Guy Enock dies before me leaving his present wife Winifred his widow and/or child or children who shall survive me my Trustees shall pay two equal third parts of such eight equal twentieth parts to the widow and/or child or children as aforesaid of the said Joseph Guy Enock in equal shares absolutely and in such event my Trustees shall divide the remaining one equal third part of the said eight equal twentieth parts between the other persons being residuary legatees named in Clause 9-sub-clauses (a) and (b) of this Will who are living at my death in the same proportions as are in this sub-clause next hereinafter stated. And I further direct that if the said Joseph Guy Enock dies before me without leaving a widow or child or children who shall survive me as aforesaid my Trustees shall divide the share of my residuary estate so bequeathed to the said Joseph Guy Enock as aforesaid between the other persons being the residuary legatees named in sub-clauses (a) and (b) hereof who are living at my death in the proportion of one half to the legatees mentioned in sub-clause (a) and one half to the legatees mentioned in sub-clause (b) If both the said Joseph Guy Enock and Arthur Graham Enock predecease me then any part of the share of Joseph Guy Enock's share of my residuary estate which would have passed to Arthur Graham Enock had Arthur Graham Enock been living at the date of my death shall pass to the residuary legatees mentioned in sub-clause (d) hereof."
Joseph Guy Enock (8/20ths of residuary estate) - £4316. 6s. 11d.
"For my son Joseph and his wife Winifred (he did not reply to my enquiry and had to select what I thought they would like best, from memory) mahogany cabinet of butterflies, Jacobean settee, oak bible box and stand, cut crystal flower vase about 10/4” x 5”, mother’s little 8 day Swiss clock in leather case, wooden figure of old woman from Leipsie and glass shade, AGE’s oil painting already in Studio, Note. the three mirror walnut dressing table already belongs to Joe being part of the S.Q.L.D.A. suite given him by mother and me many years ago."
Dorothea Amy Enock - 1959
"(6) TO my nephew Joseph Enock The Studio Mount Park Road Ealing W.5. I BEQUEATH my every day little Bible which I ask him to read daily and the little folding book shelves"
Page updated 14th January, 2021.
