Sidney Fletcher (update)
.jpg "Annie and two sons in early Rover")
Annie and two sons in early Rover
.jpg "Sydney Fletcher (cropped)")
Sydney Fletcher
I published a very early version of this story in the Yapton Parish Council’s publication Yapton News in March, 2019. Later that spring, I received a telephone call from two excited ladies who were visiting our church. They had travelled up from the West Country retracing their great-grandfathers movements. In the church they found a copy of my article in the Yapton News and on opening it they saw their great-grandfather, Sydney Fletcher starring back at them. A co-incidence beyond belief. They were able to fill in many gaps in our story. In return we were able to enlighten their mother on the origin of her middle name. It was Valery, named after one of Sydney’s favourite towns in France.
The BBC picked up on the story and gave it a five-minute slot on their daily magazine programme, South Today.
St Mary's Church, Yapton - Snow Scene
What happened to Sydney and Annie? They both died in France, Annie in 1931 at the age of 55, and Sydney in 1933 at the age of 75.
Allen Misselbrook
December 2019
Previous page: Sidney Fletcher
Next page: Andrew Young