Alma Harriet Snelling. 1886-1927

A family reminiscence.

Alma Harriet Snelling was born to her parents, Edward and Mary Ann, at 26 South Road, Reigate, in the county of Surrey, on the 17th March 1886. Her father, Edward Snelling, was born in Reigate in 1861. In his early life, Edward earned his living as a Cowman & Agricultural Labourer but at the time of his marriage to Mary at the Parish Church, in Reigate, in 1886 he was working as a Gardener. Alma was the first born of Edward and Mary's seven children. As the family grew they moved from Reigate to Horley, finally settling in the beautiful Surrey village of Nutfield. While Alma grew up, people referred to her as an "Irish Beauty," her hair was jet black and her eyes deep blue.

It was while working locally at a large country house she met Frederick, her husband to be. Frederick Brice, born in Lee in 1879, was an electrician and had travelled from his home in Lee, Kent to the Nutfield district, in order to wire the house for the installation of electricity. It was a new thing for houses to have electricity at this time. Eventually, Alma and Frederick were married at the Lewisham Register Office on 7th May 1907 and in the beginning lived at 57 Elverson Road, Lewisham, after the births of Edith and Winifred they moved to 8 Boone's Road, Lee. Their home was not far from Frederick's parents, George and Sarah Brice, at 78 Taunton Road, Lee.

Alma's first child, Edith Helen, was born in 1907, Winifred Alma followed in 1909. Frank arrived in 1910, and Joan was born in 1913. Frank's nature was very similar to his mothers and she adored him, calling him "Tiggy Wiggy." For the remainder of his life, his family called Frank 'Tiggy'. The children were always well dressed, as can be seen in the photographs. Frederick's two sisters; Amy and Mildred were dressmakers and milliners; they made the dresses worn in the photograph on the right. The dresses were blue velvet.

Frank Lea Brice, Fredericks younger brother and a Sergeant Major in the army, always called his little niece, Edith Helen Brice, his 'Little Nicky Nicks' when she grew up the nickname 'Nicky' remained with her, in fact we still speak of aunty Nicky today.

At the outbreak of the First World War in 1914, millions of men joined up to fight for King and Country. Frederick went off to serve with the Royal Flying Corp, we know nothing of the horrors he witnessed whilst serving, but happily, in 1918, although unwell, he returned safely to his family. His daughter Winifred remembered later, how ill he was on his return from France, "he laid on the settee for weeks" she recounted to her daughter Pauline de Dulin. They thought that Frederick's illness might have been the flu, caused by the flu pandemic of 1918-1919, in which as many as 70 million people died throughout the world, because both Alma and Frederick became very ill. The four children had firm instructions to stay downstairs, and do what they could to take care of the each other. Fortunately, Alma and Frederick recovered.

Life was very hard after WW1; there was not much work available. Alma eventually found a position cooking for a family named Few. The Reverend Few was elderly and confined to a wheel chair, he was the head of the family and lived, together with his three daughters, in a large house at 41 Lee Park. Alma would be there first thing in the morning to cook breakfast, she would then rush home, cook, clean and do the washing etc. for her family, then return to the Few family house in the late afternoon to cook their evening meal. Fortunately, the owners of the nursery, (see map below), at the end of Boone's Road, trusted Alma sufficiently to supply her with a key to the gate to the property, which enabled Alma to get to the house of the Few family via the nursery and the back garden of 41 Lee Park.

The Few's grew very fond of Alma and often gave her presents, once they presented her with a pair of beautiful, duck egg blue and gold, porcelain vases that became the property of Winifred Alma on Alma's death. The vases later passed to Winifred's daughter Pauline. Joan was also given a gift by the Few's, it was a lovely doll but unfortunately it was spoiled when, unaware of the dolls composition, it was left by the fire and melted due to being made from wax.

Everybody reportedly loved Alma, she was kind and friendly to everyone, especially children, and her daughters remembered her as a wonderful mother, always full of fun and good humour. Frederick was an accomplished mandolin player, he often brought his musician friends home for the family to enjoy an evening of music and singing. They acquired a piano and Edith eventually became the family pianist.

Sunday was often a special day in the Brice household. The dining table beautifully laid with tureens filled with fresh vegetables, and a large plate with a fine roasted joint resting on it. Frederick would carve the meat and distribute it around the table. At meal times, conversation was something never tolerated, it always met with stern disapproval from father. After tea, the whole family would dress in their 'Sunday best' and make their way to Greenwich Park to meet with Frederick's sisters; who were always clothed in fine dresses, hats, and carrying a parasol. They enjoyed the evening, strolling or listening to the brass band, which was a common sight and sound, in many parks throughout England in those days.

Alma's youngest daughter Joan related a story about her mother to Pauline and John Appleton, when they paid a Christmas visit to her in December 2003. Joan said that when she was about thirteen years old, she arrived home on a July day in 1927 to find her mother unwell and in bed. Her father Frederick was out drinking at the local pub, and her brother and sisters were out with their friends. Alma told the young Joan to take four pence from her purse, go to the shop and buy some cherries for herself and then come back and sit with her. Joan returned with the cherries, and sat with her mother. To amuse herself, and with her mothers permission, Joan sat making Christmas cards using some white card and crayons. A little later Alma started to shake and shiver she asked Joan for a coat to cover her, as she felt so cold.

As she was feeling so unwell, Alma told Joan to go and find Winifred at the home of the de Dulin's at Dacre Street. Winifred was courting Stanley de Dulin at this time; Mrs. Rosina de Dulin and Alma were good friends. Joan, feeling somewhat concerned for her mother, raced off to Dacre Street to find her older sister Winnie.

Unfortunately, Winnie and Stanley were not at Mrs. de Dulin's house. Standing at the front door and trying to get her breath, Joan told Mrs. de Dulin about her mother's condition. Mrs. de took over the situation, instructing Joan to fetch the doctor as soon as she could, and she would go to Boone's Road to see Alma. On her way to the doctors surgery, Joan bumped into her brother Frank, she explained what had happened and they both hurried off to fetch the doctor.

The doctor eventually arrived, and he had Alma transferred to Lewisham Infirmary. Nobody informed Joan what was wrong with her mother; but Joan said, "There was a lot of whispering going on during this time." Joan remembered visiting her mother in Lewisham Infirmary to find her in a long ward illuminated by gas light, and lying on a very low bed, somewhat like a camp bed, she remembered kissing her mother goodbye before leaving. Frederick visited Alma on his way home from work one Saturday, it was the afternoon of the 16th of July. She was too weak to talk he just sat with her and when he left he said his good-bye and, returning home he went to bed for a rest. While he was sleeping somebody knocked on the door, Winnie and Joan went to answer the door to find a police constable standing on the step. He told them that their mother had died and left. Shaken and afraid Joan and Winnie climbed the stairs to their father and told him that mother was dead.

Tragically Alma had died at 41 years of age, on the 16th July 1927, her death certificate gave, Septic Pneumonia, and Septic Abortion as the cause of death. Alma was, 'laid out' in the living room at Boone's Road, as was the custom of the time. On the day of Alma's funeral, being the popular person she was; many neighbours and friends lined, the streets as the cortège passed on its way to Hither Green Cemetery.

Alma Harriet Brice (nèe Snelling, was buried at Hither Green Cemetery in 1927. In 1948 her husband Frederick James Brice was interred in the same grave, and in 1998, their eldest daughter Edith Helen Simpson (nèe Brice) joined them.

Acknowledgements.

The writer wishes to acknowledge the contributions made by the following family members.

Pauline de Dulin, the eldest daughter of Winifred Alma de Dulin (nèe Brice), for supplying the information from conversations she had with her mother and later with her aunt, Joan Standfast (nèe Brice).

Witnesses to the character of Alma came from, her children, Edith, Winifred, Frank and Joan, Mrs. Rosina de Dulin, Iris de Dulin, Violet de Dulin, Marguerite de Dulin and Myrtle de Dulin.

Thanks are also due to Alison de Dulin, who kindly made the photographs available.