THE photographs were provided by Mrs Coral Carter, born a Sheppard in Marshall Avenue in 1937, who is trying to trace how her family is related to the Sheppards who used to run a bakery in Old London Road.

One picture shows the wedding of her parents, Baden Sheppard and Daisy Phillips, in about 1928.

Left of her father is his mother, Lizzie Sheppard, and the bride's mother, Ellen Phillips, is on the right.

The back row, from the left, shows Polly Phillips, Mrs Carter's maternal grandfather Arthur Phillips, her uncle Harry Sheppard, her paternal grandfather William Sheppard, and a mystery bridesmaid does anyone know who?

The other picture is older, and shows William Sheppard's family, probably in their garden in Liverpool Road.

Her father, Baden, is not in the photo perhaps because he had already joined the Royal Navy, which suggests a date of about 1918.

This would make her uncle Harry about 15, which looks about right.

Baden was born in 1900 an interesting historical detail as this was the year his namesake, boy scout founder Robert Baden-Powell, became a national hero for his defence of Ladysmith in the Boer War.

It seems he just missed seeing action in the First World War.

He left the Navy in about 1930 because of poor health and died aged only 41.

Daisy heroically brought up a family of six single-handed, doing laundry as well as working in the Bernards Heath suet factory and St Saviour's vicarage.

"She did a brilliant job," her daughter told me.

Can anyone tell me more about the family?

June 14, 2002 14:00