Local Folk
Elizabeth Haymon c1918
From the private collection of Vanessa Maskell
Elizabeth Haymon nee Mears
By Vanessa Maskell
My Grandmother Elizabeth Haymon was the eldest child of Charles and Louisa Mears; she was born in Eastbourne in June 1888. Her father was a shopkeeper and greengrocer the patriarch of the Brighton Mears family.
She had an extremely hard life; her husband Stephen Haymon died in 1932 living her with seven children to support, the eldest Bertie was only 13 years old. She survived the slums of Cavendish Street, I remember when I was very young she told me the rats were as big as cats and that she used a WW1 bayonet to kill them.
Elizabeth Haymon c1930
From the private collection of Vanessa Maskell
Eventually the council cleared the slums and the family moved to St John's, Place Brighton. She lived here until her death in 1963. These are the only photos I have of my grandmother, the first is circa 1918 the girl sitting is her eldest daughter Elizabeth (Bet) and baby we believe belonged either to a neighbour or her sister Louisa. The second a portrait is circa 1930
This page was added on 03/09/2008.