Phyllis Matthews nee Janes

Report by Joan West of conversations with Phyllis

Phyllis Lilian Janes was born in 1944, at 'Homefield', The Bitfield, (later renamed Westlands Road), Lacey Green. She spoke warmly of her parents and grandparents.

Her great grandfather was Abel 'George' Janes, who was a sawyer. He was born in Speen in 1841. He married about 1875 to Ellen Stallwood from Saunderton. They had 7 children. The eldest Leonard Janes, Phyllis's grandfather, was born in 1877.

Leonard Janes 1877-1954, was born in Lacey Green. In 1906 he married Annie Harman, born in 1879 in Loosley Row. They lived in no. 3 Portabello Cottages. Main Road, Lacey Green, where their two children - Harold William and Ivy Ellen were born

Harold William Janes, Phyllis's father, married Clara Eliza Williams, born 1913, from Owlswick. They lived at 'Homefield' in Westlands Road, which was built about 1932. They had three children, Ron, Phyllis and Keith.

Harold William Janes at first worked in a furniture factory but he left that to work for J.Smith and Sons, road contractors at Walters Ash. He was forced to leave that when the Welsh marched to Westminster to protest about lack of work and the Government compelled companies to give work to the men from Wales.

Bomber Command at Walters Ash had a stand-by generator plant (in a building which has subsequently been removed), and Harold got a new position in charge of the generators there.

Clara Eliza, Phyllis's mother, was the daughter of Ebeneza Williams, who was born in Meadle, and Rachel, nee Keen. They lived in Owlswick. There they reared their children :- Jack Keen, (not Ebeneza's) Molly, twins Amelia (Pop) and Florence, Clara and Oswald.

Ebeneza worked as a farm labourer but had an accident when a young man and spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair. He could just get around a little on crutches. He lived to be 99 years old.

Their daughter Amelia, known as 'Pop', because she just popped out when she was born, married Harry Parslow, son of