Lilian Ethel Burn

1908 - 2007  (98 years)

• Name	Lilian Ethel Burn
  Born	10 Aug 1908	Sunderland, Durham, England
  Gender	Female
  Residence	2 Apr 1911	25 Kings Pl, Millfield, Sunderland, Durham, England   [1]
  _UID	43692C7D1D2145C8983F8825E3FAA35E0219
  Died	17 Jan 2007	Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, England
  Person ID	I1641	My Big Tree
  Last Modified	7 Jun 2022

  
  

  Father	James Johnson Burn,   b. 2 Aug 1880, Sunderland, Durham, England ,   d. 31 May 1962, Sunderland, Durham, England  (Age 81 years)
  Mother	Elizabeth Ann Cossins,   b. 10 Oct 1883, Sunderland, Durham, England ,   d. 1972, Sunderland, Durham, England  (Age 88 years)
  Married	1904	Sunderland, Durham, England
  Family ID	F519	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

  Family	Leslie Ditchburn,   b. 2 Apr 1904, Sunderland, Durham, England ,   d. 1 Jun 1974, Sunderland, Durham, England  (Age 70 years)
  Married	7 Aug 1928	St Thomas', Sunderland
  Children	1. Living   2. Living   3. Living   4. Living   5. Living   6. Living   7. Living   8. Living   9. Living   10. Living   11. Living   12. Living   13. Living
  Last Modified	24 Dec 2012
  Family ID	F521	Group Sheet  |  Family Chart

  
  

• Notes

  These notes were provided by Leslie Ditchburn, and recall some of the memories of his mother Lilian Burn as related to her daughter Jessie Some of my fondest memories stem from my childhood and the many times I spent with my Grandmother Burn and her family; and my cousins. Grandmother Burn was widowed in 1914, at the beginning of the 1st World War, while living in Nile St. Grandfather Burn was a distant figure of whom I recall little, although don't recall ever seeing him sit down. He died when I was six and although I have little memory of him I do recall Gran talking about hom on occasions. His early years were spent at sea and Gran told mem that every time he left for sea he would recite Robbie Burns "My love is like a red, red rose." After Grandfather died Gran took in two lodgers. It was while my father was at sea during the 1st World War that I spent many happy times with Gran at her home in Nile ST and with it being a family home there was little spare room, consequently when I stayed there I shared a bed with Auntie Beatie. Sometimes mother would stay overnight and as there were no spare beds she would share the bed with AUntie Beatis and myself. I enjoyed that I would pretend to be asleep and listen to them talking. One conversation I overheard was Mam and Auntie Beatie discussing two proposals of marriage that Auntie Beattie had received from two different men. The discussion ranged over the various merits of both men as Auntie Beattie tried to reach a decision as to which one to marry. She married Stan, who later became a top Union man and stood for office in the Labour Party, and I was Auntie Beatie's bridesmaid at their wedding but only because I had a pretty dress. Much of the time I stayed at Grans was spent playing with my cousins with whom I would run messages for Gran such as the time I went to Ditchburns of Villiers Street for firewood. Grandmother Burn was not a housewife, she was a home worker for Union Flannel for whom she was a seamstress. Much like Lillian in latter years Grans house was her work place as well as her home and as such was her main source of income. I would often go with Gran to Liverpool House to collect rolls of wadding, to make quilts for the Firm, as well as other materials. Union Flannel made a range of products and so Gran would spend her days sewing anything from shirt collars to blankets and the family had to fit in around her work. It was during this period that Grans youngest son Joseph Baxter Burn was killed in the war, she was devastated but it was only when she got a letter from the War Office with

  
  

• Sources

  [S215] 1911 Census, England., (n.d.), citing RG 78, RG 14 (Reliability: 3).