Reference
Z1556
Title
Letters addressed to Rex Cresswell, resident at 87 High Street, Bedford
Date free text
1918-1919
Production date
From: 1918 To: 1919
Admin/biog history
These letters are all addressed to Rex Cresswell while he is boarding in Bedford in 1918, and are written by family members in Reading, West Ealing and Gloucestershire.
Rex Cresswell came from a middle-class family in Reading and his family lived at 21 Upper Redlands Road. The 1911 census reveals that his full name was Albert Reginald Cresswell, but was evidently called Rex for short. His father (Sidney Albert Cresswell) was a lamp trader, who travelled around the country. His mother, Susan Cresswell, was born in Hertfordshire. Rex had two brothers, whose full names are given as James E M Cresswell and Hugh Jonathan Cresswell, who were aged 12 and 10 respectively in 1918. It seems James was known as 'Monty' or 'Mont' and both brothers were talented sketchers.
It is not clear why Rex was sent to board in Bedford and to attend Bedford School, but it may be that he helped out his Aunt Emily and Uncle Leonard with their grocery business, T. K Green and Son, when times were hard and there was a shortage of labour. Whilst boarding with his Aunt Emily and Uncle 'Len', he celebrated his 15th birthday.
Uncle Len served in France during the correspondence period and there is one letter from him to Rex, revealing the tedium of service at the front.
The rest of the correspondence deals with life at home and school, revealing ordinary incidents in the life of Rex's family in Reading and wider family, as well as some of the hardships of the home front.
Exent
47 items
Archival history
These items were sent to the Bedfordshire Local History Association in October 2015, with an accompanying letter from their previous owner, Mrs M. Talbot of East Sussex. The BLHA passed the letters on to the archives in December 2015.
Level of description
fonds