John Bertram DEAKIN
(1887 - 1977)
John Bertram DEAKIN was the second son of William Robert DEAKIN and Betsy HODSON. John, know as Bert, was born in Wigan, Lancashire, on 10 October 1887[1].
Bert went to school at New College, Pannal, Harrogate, Yorkshire and is listed as a boarder at the school along with his brothers Sam and William in the 1901 census.
In the 1911 census, Bert is listed as living with his mother and father in the house on the site of Deakin's Canning Factory at Naunton Field, Toddington, Gloucestershire and is employed in the family business as manager of the canning factory.
Bert married Florence Kate (Flo) TANDY from nearby village of Alderton in the parish of Winchcombe, Gloucestershire in 1914[2] and they set up home at The Bungalow, Dalton, Parbold, Wigan. Bert had been appointed a director of W.R. Deakin Ltd and managed both Deakin's canning factory at Naunton Field, Toddington, during the First World War[3] and the jam factory at the Eclipse Preserve Works, Wigan, until the late 1920s.
Bert and Florence had the following children:
- William Robert (Bill) DEAKIN, b. 17 Nov 1914, Pemberton, Wigan[4], m. Olive Green on 20 Sep 1941 at St Michael and All Angels Church, Wigan[5], d. Melbourne, Australia, 18 Nov 2005[6].
- Bessie Mary DEAKIN, b. 1917, Winchcombe[6], died Melbourne, Australia, 5 May 1991[7].
- Florence May Zillah DEAKIN, b. 28 May 1919, Wigan, firstly , m. Edward Friel Chalmers on 8 Apr 1942, Dundee, Scotland, secondly m. Richard Joseph Dienhoff on 14 Dec 1967 in Melbourne, Australia, d. 2 Sep 1990, Melbourne Australia[7].
- Joan Sarah DEAKIN, b. 8 Mar 1921, Wigan m. Leslie Magnus Marks on 6 Dec 1943 in Derbyshire[7],
d. 2 Mar 2003, Australia[7].
- Roger Bertram Pownall Hartley DEAKIN, b. 11 Nov 1933, Wigan[8], firstly m. Celia M. Beston in Bromsgrove, Worcestershire in 1960, secondly married Marie Bridget Mayo in 1969 in Gloucestershire, d. 25 Aug 2010, Diss, Norfolk, England[7].
1921 family photograph of Bert and Florence Deakin:
Standing left to right: John Bertram Deakin, William Robert Deakin
Seated left to right: Mary Jane Deakin (nee Hartley), Samuel Pownall Deakin, Sarah Ann Deakin (nee Sidebottom), Florence Kate Deakin (nee Tandy)
Front row: William Robert (Bill) Deakin, Bessie Mary Deakin
Photo originally taken by for the Wigan Observer.
By 1923, Bert, Flo and their family had moved to 26 Swanley Road, Wigan. In 1929 the family moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, to manage the family's overseas business interests. They set sail on 31 August 1929 on the SS Demerara (Royal Mail Steam Packet Company). The family lived in Buenos Aires for 3½ years before returning to England in February 1933.
After the winding up of W.R. Deakin Ltd in 1936, Bert and Florence emigrated to Australia. Florence died on 28 May 1975 and Bert died on 6 May 1977 in Melbourne, Australia.[5].
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[1]: Source: Register of Births registered in October, November, December in 1887 in Wigan, Vol 8c page 42.
[2]: Source: Register of Marriages registered in January, February, March in 1914 in Winchcomb, Vol 6a page 575.
[3]: Following a Military Tribunal in March 1917, John Bertram Deakin was granted conditional exemption from conscription. The exemption was granted as Bert was managing the Toddington Canning Factory which was fulfilling Government contracts, employing 225 people.
[4]: Source: Register of Births registered in January, February, March in 1915 in Wigan, Vol 8c page 257.
[5]: Source: LancashireBMD
[6]: Source: Register of Births registered in July, August, September in 1917 in Winchcomb, Vol 6a page 533.
[7]: Source: Ancestry.co.uk™
[8]: Source: Register of Births registered in October, November, December in 1933 in Wigan, Vol 8c page 83.