Issue 62 — June 2007
In Memoriam
Susan Ess – Susie, who lived in Cranham Street, died in August last year from cancer aged 56. Born in Oxford, she trained as a children’s nurse and moved to Jericho in 1983. Susie worked for many years in the crêche attached to Somerville College where she became well known to many Oxford parents. Later she was a manager of Freuds café in Walton Street and then housekeeper for a professor at Brasenose. Her partner for many years was Ben Fitzmaurice who lived across the street. Though she was ill for the last year of her life she never allowed it to get the better of her. Susie will be much missed by her family, as well as by her many friends who were evident at a well-attended funeral service at St Barnabas. The Ess name does, however, live on in Cranham Street, since her nieces Caroline and Nuala now live in her former house.
Elsie Hancox – Elsie, formerly of Juxon Street, died in February this year at the age of 92. She was born in the village of Bloxham and started work in service at the house of the headmaster of the public school there where she first met her husband Ron. Eventually they married in 1937. After the war Ron got a job as a scout at St. Johns College, where he worked until he retired. They lived in Juxon Street, before later moving to Leckford Road. Elsie worked in several large houses in North Oxford. She was also a key member of the Mothers’ Union and Ron became a Church warden at St. Barnabas. In later years she had a succession of budgies to keep her company, the last of which spoke with an uncanny echo of Elsie’s voice. In 2003 Elsie moved to ‘Shrublands’ where she was happy and well cared for.
Avril Harbottle – Avril died aged 43 in August last year. Avril was very much a Jericho girl. Her parents Charlie and Audrey lived in Great Clarendon Street opposite the old school. Her grandmother, Mrs. Smallbone, lived in Hart Street. Avril worked first in the Co-op in Walton Street and later in Cornmarket. In 1984 she married Barry and they had two sons Jason and Andrew. Later she moved to Northampton and subsequently to Kidlington where she was bringing up her young daughter Zoë. But she never forgot her roots in Jericho. Our sympathies to her family for her early death. But our admiration too for the way she faced that death.
Phyllis Webster – Phyllis, who died, aged 88, in November 2006, had a wonderful smile that lit up any company. Phyllis, whose maiden name was Carr, was ‘Jericho to her fingertips’. She was born in Great Clarendon Street, and although she changed houses she never changed street. Phyllis went to the Church Girls School in Cardigan Street until she was 14. She took full part in the Church’s youth organizations and was confirmed in 1930. About the same time, she first got to know a boy over the garden wall: Jack Webster who was a year or two older and was a ‘foreigner’ (from St. Giles) who was visiting a neighbour. But it was not until ten years later in 1940 that they were married. Jack had only a few days leave from the army to return to Oxford and propose to Phyllis, and they were married in St Barnabas. Phyllis herself helped the war effort by repairing Spitfires at Morris’s. Towards the end her aches and pains occasionally got her down but she never lost her sunny disposition. Our sympathies to Jack.
