Family party for Edith, aged 100
AGREAT, greatgrandmother with a famous musical heritage has celebrated bringing up three figures.
Edith Lord, of Booth Road, Stacksteads, grew up in Higher Cloughfold before marrying her late husband Albert. They were married for more than 70 years.
Mrs Lord, whose ancestry dates back to the famed ‘Larks of Dean’, celebrated her 100th birthday on April 1 with a family party at her home.
Among those attending were her children Wendy Walmsley, Helen Dawson, Mary Andersen and Christopher Lord, her nine grandchildren, 11 great-grandchildren and six-month-old first great, great-grandchild Charlie.
During the Second World War Mrs Lord became the first female clerical worker at Rawtenstall Town Hall, before later becoming a nurse.
Later she helped run the family plumbing business, P Lord & Sons, on Newchurch Road.
Her continuing passion is music, and she was a proud member of Rossendale Ladies Choir for decades and played the organ at services at Waterbarn Baptist Church until its closure in 2010.
She was also involved with Rossendale’s twin town of Bocholt, visiting several times and often hosting German guests.
Mrs Lord is descended from members of the Larks of Dean, known in Lancashire dialect as ‘Th’ Deighn Layrocks’.
The society of musicians performed in the 18th and 19th centuries, centuries collecting and writing around 1,000 hymns and psalms.
Mrs Lord’s daughter, Wendy Walmsley, 69, said her mother was extremely proud of her heritage.
She said: “Mum still plays the piano and often recounts stories her family told her of the Larks and their musical traditions.
“She was employed at Rawtenstall Town Hall the year before the declaration of war and as soon as war broke out and men left to join the forces more and more female employees were engaged. “Although employed as a shorthand typist she also went around Rawtenstall in the mayor’s car to collect the rents from council properties and spent a lot of time liaising with the electricity and gas showrooms to ensure Rawtenstall residents had clear guidance on how to cook with these new powers.
“Until this time most families were cooking on a coal range.”
Mrs Lord said how delighted she was to have so many of her family around her and to receive a card from The Queen.