Roy Henry G STROUD, son of Alexander STROUD and Phillys Eveline KNIBBS , was born 17 June 1929 in Weymouth, Dorset, England. He married Edna Mary BLANDAMER 21 February 1953 in Radipole, Weymouth, Dorset, England. He died 02 May 2006 in Poole, Dorset, England. Edna Mary BLANDAMER was born 30 July 1930 in Weymouth District, Dorset, England. She died 19 June 2011 in Poole, Dorset, England.


Marriage Notes for Roy Henry G STROUD\Edna Mary BLANDAMER:



Roy & Edna were married at St Aldhelm’s, Radipole, Weymouth.


Notes for Roy Henry G STROUD:




This picture was taken of Roy in 1957. (Click to enlarge). I often used to chat to Roy about the family history and the new members of the 'family' that I'd recently discovered, and he always showed an interest. Recently, I took my computer down with me when I visited him and we went through the web pages and spent ages looking at the photographs. Shortly after he was told of his terminal illness, he sent me this photograph. He didn't say why he sent it to me but I have assumed it was to add into the collection.
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Roy told me a story of when as a young man, he used to go with my dad, Harold Knibbs, delivering bread for the Co-operative Wholesale Society's bakery in Basingstoke. Roy thinks this must have been in the summer of 1939 and shortly before the outbreak of WWII - he was about 9 or 10 years old anyway. He remembers one time in particular when they were delivering bread in the Kempshott area. Harold pulled up outside a house, jumped out of the van and proceeded up the path to the house with the bread. Roy suddenly realised that the van was rolling down the hill, so, not sure what to do, he just yelled for my dad. Luckily dad ran back in time to pull on the brake before it rolled too far but he really laid into him for not thinking to pull on the hand brake.
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During the war years, whilst his father Alec was away at war, his mother took him and his sister Joan to Basingstoke in Hampshire to live with her parents George and Evelyn Knibbs. Roy remembers lessons at Fairfields school in Basingstoke. They were completely different from what he was being taught in Weymouth. He found it such a struggle that after the first few days, he decided to "bunk off" and from what I can make out, he didn't go back.

He was about 12 years old at this time, and whilst he should have been at school, he spent his days around the railway station area, carrying suitcases from the station, down to the bottom of Station Hill where all the buses used to stop. He earned a fair bit in tips and used it to buy cigarettes, although I know he never smoked in later years. He also spent time at the cattle market which in those days, was run on the land between the railway station and Phoenix Park Terrace where his grandparents George and Evelyn Knibbs lived. He remembers the excitement when one day, he saw a calf being born at the market.

He excitedly told his mother about the calf when he got home and remembers his grandmother Evelyn saying how terrible is was that they should let a young boy witness such a thing.

Roy also reminded me of a man named George Boyle who I always remember appearing at family funerals, and I wondered who he was. Apparently, during WWII, George was a regulator in the Royal Air Force with some sort of administrative function at the railway station which, in those days, was one of the major rail network hubs. George Boyle was billeted at George Knibbs' house at Phoenix Park Terrace and remained a family friend.
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I remember Roy as a huge man in personality and stature. I'm sure his physical size was extremely valuable to him as a police officer, but remember one story he told me where his size worked against him. When he was growing up in Weymouth and in his teens, one place that the boys all went to meet the girls was the local dancing lessons. He and his friends would all go along with the idea being that they would learn all the steps and then make a beeline for the girls to put them into practice. But, it wasn't just teenagers there - basically, anyone who wanted to learn how to dance could go. He remembers the mother of one of his friends used to go each week. Roy was much bigger than all his friends, so it was obvious which one she would always pick as a partner to practice the steps - Roy! He was the only one as tall as her. His mates would all nudge eachother and smirk in the background as she dragged him round the dance floor.
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As well as being a first class carpenter, boat builder and model maker, Roy was a prize winning sea fisherman and won lots of competitions in his younger days. Here he is pictured on the right with a prize winning skate. I believe the picture is from the 1950's (click to enlarge) and I'm told that it was featured in one of the Weymouth Year Books.

Roy was a member of the Royal British Legion and of the Society of Poole Men. The objective of the latter is to arouse and maintain an interest in all that appertains to the welfare and progress of the Borough of the Town of Poole. Membership is open to all men who are able to show to the satisfaction of the Executive Committee that they are genuinely proud of the historic past of Poole and are willing to work in order to enhance its present and future.


Sources for Roy Henry G STROUD:

  1. Living memory of me, Don Knibbs,

Notes for Edna Mary BLANDAMER:

Also known as: Mary

Edna was the daughter of Jesse Blandamer and Mary Elizabeth Steele. They married in the Weymouth District of Dorset during q4/1928.

Her paternal grandparents were Wiliam John Blandamer and Annie Maria Gulley who married 2 May, 1893 at Charminster, Dorset.

I'm told by Edna's daugter that the origin of Blandamer is Olde French, and as spelt is a part anglicization of the expression "Pleyn d'Amour" meaning "one who is full of love” .
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We first see her father in 1901, living at Dorchester, Dorset in the 1901 census return with his parents, William and Annie:
William John Blandamer Head Mar 36 Blacksmith at Ironworks Dorchester Dorsetshire
Annie Maria Blandamer Wife 29 Laundress Norton Somersetshire
Jesse Blandamer Son 5 Dorchester Dorsetshire
Edith Gertrude Blandamer Daur 4 Dorchester Dorsetshire
Elsie May Blandamer Daur 2 Dorchester Dorsetshire
Hilda Kathleen Blandamer Daur 1 Dorchester Dorsetshire
Julia Gulley Mother 68 Norton Somersetshire
Percy Gulley Nephew 18 Labourer in Ironworks Yeovil Somersetshire
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In 1911, he was still living in Dorchester still with his parents:
William Blandamer Head Mar 45 Blacksmith Gas Works Fordington Dorsetshire
Annie Blandamer Wife 39 Norton Sub Hamdon Somersetshire
Jesse Blandamer Son 15 Brewery Labourer Fordington Dorsetshire
Edith Blandamer Daur 14 Laundry WorkerFordington Dorsetshire
Elsie Blandamer Daur 12 Fordington Dorsetshire
Kathleen Blandamer Daur 11 Fordington Dorsetshire
Julia Galley Boarder 78 Widow Norton Sub Hamdon Somersetshire
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We see Edna in 1939 with her parents, living at 24 Alexandra Road, Dorchester, Dorset:
Jesse Blandamer 12 Apr 1895 Builders Labourer Heavy Worker Married
Mary E Blandamer 01 Mar 1899 Unpaid Domestic Duties Married
Edna M Stroud (Blandamer) 31 Jul 1930 At SchoolSingle
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From the Dorset Echo, 25 June 2011:
STROUD EDNA MARY (Nee) BLANDAMER Widow of Roy, died at Poole, aged 80. Service at Poole Crematorium on Friday 1st July at 2.00pm. All friends welcome. No flowers please but donations to 'Swanage Railway Trust' if wished may be sent c/o Ives & Shand Funeral Service, 568 Ashley Road, Parkstone, Poole.

Sources for Edna Mary BLANDAMER:

  1. Family Records,
  2. Ancestry.com, England & Wales, Birth Index: 1837-1983 
  3. Living memory of me, Don Knibbs,