Comments on: Jacqueline Billings Of Wellclose Square

By: Christine Harding

Christine Harding — Wed, 20 Aug 2025 14:26:20 +0000

My mother, Jean Harding (nee Harrington) knew this lady, and her sister Andree. Mum lived at Thorpe Lea, in Egham. Her family took in evacuees and Mum attended the evacuees’ school at Englefield Green with the girls – I believe it was a Catholic School. At weekends she went to London with various evacuees, staying with their families, including Jacqueline and Andree in Wellclose Square. She used to tell my brother and I about the two girls, their brother George, their French mother, and their father who worked for the gas company and and looked after all the gas equipment for the area, which was installed in the house where they lived. It all sounded like a fairy tale, and I’m not sure we believed her, but Jacqueline’s memories confirm Mum’s tales. Her wartime trips to London opened up a whole new world for her. Is Jacqueline still alive I wonder.

By: Brian Sims

Brian Sims — Mon, 11 Aug 2025 11:26:49 +0000

My Grandfather (George Mead) was born in the Princes Street Workhouse Infirmary in Aug 1888. He then lived at 8 Ship Alley, which was a small alley off a corner of Wellclose Square. He was brought up by his Mother(Martha Jane Mead) who was a ‘domestic servant’ at Ship Alley, which classed as a bothel. Apart from looking after the working girls his mother also had three other boys to bring up !. Two (Sydney Albert and James Vincent Mead) of the boys were arrested for vagrancy in 1890 and sent to the Purbrook Industrial School in Hampshire. By 1893 the family moved in with their paternal Grandfather (Vincent Mead) who lived at Phoenix Court, Shorter Street. Shorter Street linked Wellclose Square to Cable Street. At this time the area was working class and was classified as being one of the poorest districts in London. Many ere unemployed and those those that were had jobs in the London Docks.

By: Josephine Bickle

Josephine Bickle — Sat, 11 Nov 2023 23:33:03 +0000

My father, born in 1898 lived in Wellclose Square. He was Joseph George Clayton and designed the war memorial of st George in the East church. His first wife was called Winifred and continued living there long after he left. I would be interested in hearing from anyone who might have more memories of that era.

By: Marcia Howard

Marcia Howard — Fri, 28 Oct 2022 20:18:22 +0000

Thank you so much Gentle Author. You treat us to truly fascinating stories and insights into others’ lives.

By: Cherub

Cherub — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 10:46:22 +0000

I know the article says it was demolished as part of slum clearance, but had the properties been renovated it looks like it could have been a lovely area. I don’t understand why things have to be ripped down all the time, is it purely for financial reasons?

By: Mark

Mark — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 10:01:06 +0000

What a lovely person with an interesting story.
The bastards who sanctioned the destruction of this glorious square needed sorting out. Mind you, it would’ve been gentrified and untouchable for the working class.

By: Jean M

Jean M — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 08:13:34 +0000

What an interesting lady, somebody you could sit and listen to for hours. Also how sad about Wellclose Square, another London gem lost forever.

By: achim

achim — Thu, 27 Oct 2022 06:47:03 +0000

Jacqueline Billings belongs to the generation that experienced the war when they were teenagers. My father was born in the same year and I know his memories of that time very well. He has now passed away at home at the age of 94.

I have great respect for people of that age. And I can understand very well that Jacqueline once moved to the green garden of Surrey. (I have a secret vision: I would like to do exactly the same…)

Love & Peace
ACHIM