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St George's House,
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Miss Elisabeth Pearl Duke
Turner.
Elisabeth
Pearl Duke Turner (pictured), born 17 July, 1911, Croydon.
Miss Duke Turner (nicknamed 'The Duchess' by the children) was appointed Lady Superintendent of St George's House in 1949, following the resignation through illness, of Miss E. M. Knocker. She held this position for a period of 7 years during which time she supervised the closure of St George's original premises in Otley Road, Harrogate and the relocation of the orphanage to smaller premises (Albany Lodge) in Hereford Road, Harrogate. Because of changing times, the need for institutions like St George's House reduced, this resulted in the decision being made to close the orphanage in 1956.
Miss Duke Turner retired to Hassocks, West Sussex, where she
devoted a lot of her
time helping the elderly and the housebound with 'meals on wheels' and the provision
of library books.
She was responsible for a wide area, servicing 6 villages, an
activity that she provided
in all types of weather, accompanied by her aging Dachsund dog,
Barnaby.
Other voluntary work she did involved copying books in Braille for use by the blind. Miss Elisabeth Duke Turner Miss Duke Turner with one of the St George's girls (unidentified) and her dog Nobbie. Back row: from left Jacqueline Geraghty, Barbara Fawcett, Miss Ellis, Beryl Coates, Miss Elisabeth Duke Turner, Patricia Cunningham, Arthur Roberts, Cook: name unknown and Ann C.Wheatley. Front row: Valerie Kirkman, Michael Wells, Colin S.Wheatley, 'Nobbie' the Dachsund and Vera Robinson. Photo c 1953, taken at Hereford Road, Harrogate. Some recollections of Miss Elisabeth Duke Turner. Written by The Rev.David Uffindell 592 Thinking about Miss Duke Turner, I have the greatest respect for her. I am sure she made mistakes in the running of St. G’s just like those who superseded her but looking back with hind sight, I felt she always had the welfare of the youngsters at heart.
When I first arrived at St.G’s I was under strict medication and was prevented from
doing many things in the gym with Mr.Kendrew for fear I should
hurt myself, as I was still not very strong. This is why I was
not allowed to play football and cricket. Miss Duke Turner encouraged me in this by allowing the table covers to be removed during Saturday afternoon games of Cricket & Football. Normally everyone who was not playing had to go out and support the teams. Also I think it was Miss Duke Turner who introduced Badminton and asked Mr Trendle to teach me how to operate the film projector when everyone gathered into the Gym to watch films. Later, when I was about eleven years old I became very convinced about religion and decided I wanted to become a priest, she told me she did not think I would pass sufficient exams to enable me to eventually attend Theological College. Nevertheless Miss Duke Turner started to encourage me in all sorts of ways in my spiritual development. I think it was me who asked, with the support of one or two boys and girls, if someone could run sessions where we could ask questions on any subject, religious or otherwise, and this resulted in a once monthly meeting with Mr. Hudson Pope, who endeavoured to answer all sorts of questions and also told us about his experiences as a missionary in China. I believe he was connected with China Inland Mission and the Children’s Special Service Mission. It was through him I became very convinced about the presence of God being with us at all times, and ultimately, after I had left St. G’s, trained in Hereford Diocese to be a Sunday School Teacher, then a Reader, which allowed me to conduct Services etc., and later still, trained whilst in Lichfield Diocese, to be ordained. In fact I was one of the first people to be trained in that Diocese to be an APM (Auxiliary Pastoral Minister) now known as NSM (Non Stipendiary Minister) MSE (Minister in Secular Employment) All of this was due to the encouragement I had at St. George’s by ‘the Duke’, Mr. Trendle and Mr. Hudson Pope! RESEARCH: ELISABETH PEARL DUKE TURNER.
Elisabeth Pearl Duke Turner was born September
Quarter 1911 Croydon. Ref: Vol. 2a Page 501. Her actual birth
date was 17th July 1911.Elisabeth Pearl Duke Turner
died, aged 74, May 1986, in Lewes, East Sussex.Ref: Vol. 18 Page
1232. The 1881 Census taken at Wandsworth Common shows:
The eldest son, Ernest Harold, aged 14, was a boarder/scholar at
Haileybury College, Great Amwell, Herts., and went on to become
a Solicitor. The 1891 Census taken at St. Thomas’ Hospital, London shows :
The 1901 Census taken at St. Thomas’ Hospital, London shows :
James Gadesden Wainwright aged 63 JP for Surrey
and Treasurer of St. Thomas’ Hospital. Lilian Maud Wainwright married Sidney Duke Turner June Quarter 1901 Lambeth Ref: Vol. 1d Page 718. The 1881 Census taken at 22 High Street, Lewes, East Sussex shows:
It would seem that Richard Turner had been married previously and had a daughter , Constance H.. His first wife must have died and he married Elizabeth Blackman Duke, March Quarter 1872, Hastings. Ref Vol. 2b Page 23. It would also appear that their four children were all baptized with her maiden name of Duke as one of their forenames and the surname, Duke Turner, was not a hyphenated surname. At the time of the 1891 Census, Sidney Duke Turner, aged 16, was a boarder/scholar at the District Royal Medical Benevolent College in Epsom Surrey. This was a public school for the sons of the Medical Profession.
At the time of the 1901 Census, Sidney Duke
Turner , aged 26, was a Surgeon , on his own account, at home.
However, on the night of the Census he was a visitor in the
household of Mrs. Annie B St. Leger, at Westbury Road, Croydon,
Surrey. Deus vult
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