Anyone remember Ernest and Ellen Mills?

[Monkeynuts21]

Thank you Samssong for imparting that info, it is really helpful.

[hillsbro]

This is very interesting. Ernest Mills the Olympic cyclist was Ernest Victor Mills, born in Croydon in 1913 - see here for the Wikipedia article. As he lived at 58 Gleadless Crescent from the 1940s to the 1960s he was presumably related to the householder Charles Ernest Mills - perhaps a nephew or cousin. As samssong wrote, Ernest had relations called Taylor, one of whom was a Keith Taylor who would now be 73. The births index shows that a Keith R. Taylor was born in Sheffield in 1943, and the index gives his mother's maiden name as Heathcote. This was also Gertrude Mills' maiden name, and so it tallies with what we know.

 

In this thread, cuttsie confirms that Ernest was a committed communist and also a 'little mester' with his own workshop in Sheffield.

[samssong]

This is very interesting. Ernest Mills the Olympic cyclist was Ernest Victor Mills, born in Croydon in 1913 - see here for the Wikipedia article. As he lived at 58 Gleadless Crescent from the 1940s to the 1960s he was presumably related to the householder Charles Ernest Mills - perhaps a nephew or cousin. As samssong wrote, Ernest had relations called Taylor, one of whom was a Keith Taylor who would now be 73. The births index shows that a Keith R. Taylor was born in Sheffield in 1943, and the index gives his mother's maiden name as Heathcote. This was also Gertrude Mills' maiden name, and so it tallies with what we know.

 

In this thread, cuttsie confirms that Ernest was a committed communist and also a 'little mester' with his own workshop in Sheffield.

Some smashing stuff on the Forum int thi;)

[Monkeynuts21]

So... Doing the calculations..My 'potential' Grandfather Ernest Victor Mills was in fact aged 7 when his relative 'Charles Ernest' married Gertrude Heathcote.. and considering my father was born in 1929..that would make Ernest Victor 16 years old!! Hence the reason for the adoption?? I mean he was classed as a minor as in those days you were not classed as an adult until you reached the age of 21..

It was said and recognized that Ernest and Ellen Mills lived until the 1960's at 58 Gleadless Terrace.. and I had initial belief that my father's birth parents were called Ernest and Ellen Mills (nee Walker)...so that given they must have had my father at a very early age, had him adopted, but later married and stayed together..Hmmmm?

 

---------- Post added 13-04-2017 at 13:46 ----------

 

One wonders if they went on to have any more children together?

[samssong]

So... Doing the calculations..My 'potential' Grandfather Ernest Victor Mills was in fact aged 7 when his relative 'Charles Ernest' married Gertrude Heathcote.. and considering my father was born in 1929..that would make Ernest Victor 16 years old!! Hence the reason for the adoption?? I mean he was classed as a minor as in those days you were not classed as an adult until you reached the age of 21..

It was said and recognized that Ernest and Ellen Mills lived until the 1960's at 58 Gleadless Terrace.. and I had initial belief that my father's birth parents were called Ernest and Ellen Mills (nee Walker)...so that given they must have had my father at a very early age, had him adopted, but later married and stayed together..Hmmmm?

 

---------- Post added 13-04-2017 at 13:46 ----------

 

One wonders if they went on to have any more children together?

 

I was told that Ernest was a conscientious objector in the wars that where kicking around at that time or earlier .

He used to visit Russia and went all the way to Moscow on his bicycle in the 50's he gave me badges with various leaders faces on them ,he was very fond of Trotsky and would tell me what a great leader he was.

 

I never saw or heard of any children at no 58

Edited April 13, 2017 by samssong

[Monkeynuts21]

Crikey...I can't imagine cycling all the way to Moscow..what a feat!!

Would you know if he had any more children Samssong? Its like a good Novel..where you want to get to the end..

[samssong]

Crikey...I can't imagine cycling all the way to Moscow..what a feat!!

Would you know if he had any more children Samssong? Its like a good Novel..where you want to get to the end..

I

I never saw any kids at his house except for Keith Taylor who was a pal of mine.

[Monkeynuts21]

Thanks Samssong.. I see..so it looks like my quest is to seek out the 'Taylor' family. Once I get my fathers Adoption file (hopefully this was done legally) I should be a little more wiser?

Can I ask..Did you ever visit him at his place of Work as a 'little mester'? and if so where was his place of work?

 

---------- Post added 13-04-2017 at 14:45 ----------

 

Just read the 'wiki' write up about Ernest Mills career as an Olympic cyclist, and on there it states that he lived in the Addiscombe area of Croydon? Doesn't seem to tally Hillsbro? What a tangled web we weave!!

[hillsbro]

...One wonders if they went on to have any more children together?

It's something of a mystery as there doesn't seem to be a marriage record for an Ernest V. Mills to an Ellen, or to anyone named Walker. It also turns out that Ernest was a twin - his brother Wilfred A. Mills had the same date of birth, 10 April 1913. The 1939 Register shows them both living in Croydon with their widowed mother Minnie and elder sister Dorothy. Presumably Ernest moved to Sheffield after the war and went into the cutlery trade. Another "twist" to the story is that this forum page mentions (scroll down) a different 'little mester' called Ernest Mills, who was born c. 1900 "..All these knives were made by father and son Willis and Ernest Mills, who both worked at Thos Turner & Co before starting out on their own c. 1922, Willis, once a top man at Brookes & Crookes and Thos Turners retired in 1947, Ernest in 1985 at the age of 85."

[Monkeynuts21]

I wonder if the Ernest Mills (Cyclist), and the Ernest Mills (little Mester) are in fact two different people?

 

---------- Post added 13-04-2017 at 15:15 ----------

 

The Ernest Mills (little mester) seems more favourable as I located a old black and White picture of Ernest hard at work on an internet search and was instantly astounded at the resemble he bore to that of my father as my father had got older.

 

---------- Post added 13-04-2017 at 15:39 ----------

 

Been doing a little investigating on the net..Found a site that makes mention that Ernest Mills Aged 18 was called up to the army, and made is own knife with His initials EHM stamped into it..

 

http://www.britishblades.com/forums/showthread.php?51671-Ernest-Mills

 

---------- Post added 13-04-2017 at 15:40 ----------

 

The 'H' could be the big clue?