WHO’S YOUR HERO?

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worth £159.99. out about her through researching my genealogy.”

Victor traced her through the census returns and found her living with a paternal aunt and uncle in London in 1891. By 1901, she was one of 1,500 children attending an ‘industrial school’ in Sutton, Surrey.

Life for Annie began to look brighter in 1911 when she got a job at Messrs H Dobb, a large draper’s shop in Paddington.

“It made me think of the world depicted in Mr Selfridge, the ITV television drama.”

Annie was clearly a brave and ambitious woman, for in 1914 she emigrated to Australia on her own. On arrival in Melbourne, she worked in service before marrying a German migrant, Edward Ehlert. Edward and Annie had four children who lived into adulthood.

“It has been wonderful to discover I have 22 half-second cousins on Annie’s line. I have met one of them, Kaitlyn, and she is lovely.

“My gran Sarah died in 1957 when I was aged 10. I wish I could step back in time and ask her if she knew about her half-sister in Australia. Gran was a wonderful woman and my mum took after her – she never had a bad word to say about anyone.”

Victor adds, “Annie Zilpah and her daughters were all strong women. They overcame a lot in life so some ‘steel’ must have been passed on. Gran and Mum may have been softies, but they didn’t roll over.”