The Story of Beatrice Mary Mason. A daughter's biography of her mother. http://www.nanaginge.com/ http://blogs.law.harvard.edu/tech/rss Sun, 5 Jun 2011 13:16:40 +0700 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:49:42 +0700 FeedForAll v2.0 (2.0.2.9) http://www.feedforall.com Beatrice Mary Mason was born in Meerut, India on March 26, 1910. She died in Peterborough England, on Tuesday November 24th, 1998. Aged 88 years, 7 months and 30 days. http://www.nanaginge.com/ 04F2E984-4C65-434F-BA51-829741316FC4 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:15:09 +0700 I have started this story by listing some of the places mentioned by mum when she spoke about her life in India. The information comes mainly from a brilliant old encyclopaedia I have, that was published soon after the 1951 census http://www.nanaginge.com/glossary.php 5D21AB3B-E2FF-450F-8F0A-BDD575967536 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:26:08 +0700 When Mum returned to Agra with her parents and brothers Basil and Michael, John, Bill and Peter had all enlisted in the army during their time in.... http://www.nanaginge.com/introduction.php 66D9FDCD-26F2-4C37-9B77-B08F572058BD Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:26:56 +0700 f you have any elderly relatives still living, talk to them now about their lives and write down the information before it is too late. If you don’t, all the facts and stories about their life and times will be lost forever. http://www.nanaginge.com/foreword.php 5430AC25-2007-4C40-AC6B-569EFF95FA32 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:29:00 +0700 Granddad Lowey was born on 21st January 1886 in Greenock Scotland and Dada Mason on 11th October 1882 in India. For all I knew as a small child, both were born in countries that could have been a million miles away from Peterborough Northamptonshire (now Cambridgeshire), my home town. http://www.nanaginge.com/my-grandparents.php 6EC79D44-4F34-4FB3-B7FC-2307CB7BDD8D Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:30:37 +0700 Paston Lane Peterborough England 1946-1956. How I loved my early childhood. I spent most of my pre school days in the kitchen with my mum, helping her as only a four year old can; and listening to the stories of her life in India. http://www.nanaginge.com/paston-lane.php BD660E06-FDD6-48D2-A1A1-ED06E7B9628F Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:31:40 +0700 One of mum’s favourite stories was about an experience she was too young to remember, but one her mother often related to her as she grew up. It has now been passed down through four generations and is as fascinating today as it must have been all those years ago. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-infant.php A188C9DB-54B7-41C5-83C2-BA54571E93C0 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:32:21 +0700 "Come Beatrice. We will miss the train if we don’t hurry." Two huge blue eyes met his as he beckoned her to follow him. Her small hands felt as safe as they tightly clasped his large freckled ones that smelled pleasantly of aromatic pipe tobacco. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-schoolgirl1.php 9DB3D466-E360-4E1D-8921-E6921D5FF445 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:33:23 +0700 Beatrice was still staring at the dirty floor as the train came to a shuddering halt. It was late evening. She knew this because not only was the black sky lit by thousands of bright twinkling lights, but also because her eyes wanted to go to sleep and she needed that good night cuddle from her Dada. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-schoolgirl2.php 7D70693D-C4A6-44B2-8473-B9456227B6A3 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:34:15 +0700 One wiry tuft of hair was all that was visible; the rest of Beatrice was buried under the coarse white sheet. She had curled tightly into a ball, pulling the fluffy grey blankets as high over her head as she dared without causing a fit of sneezing. http://www.nanaginge.com/holidays-and-christmas1.php 5FDBEA93-4833-449C-8F32-FA88FA759B18 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:35:16 +0700 Mumma, Dada, I’ve got you a present,’ she cried as she ran to greet them. Then as she fumbled in her schoolbag, her face started to crumple. Instead of the firm ball of snow, all she could find was one soaking wet handkerchief. http://www.nanaginge.com/holidays-and-christmas2.php 5F2F233D-0F81-47E5-BEBA-14A3295F7663 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:36:11 +0700 The hustle and bustle of preparing mince pies and all the delicious goodies associated with Christmas was over. It was Christmas Eve. The boys, helped by their father had dragged a huge Christmas tree into the house; pine needles scattered everywhere. After a lengthy struggle and much gleeful squealing, the tree now stood upright just outside the veranda. http://www.nanaginge.com/christmas-1923.php 5D7100A6-2A01-404E-BE69-FC68D6FCCC2A Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:37:03 +0700 The harsh confines of the convent life had quickly faded to the back of Beatrice mind. She had finished her schooling more than three months ago, and most of her time was now divided between getting to know her five brothers and helping to run the home. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-teenager1.php 44F16986-B699-4656-982A-EE7336156DE8 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:37:45 +0700 ‘All right Beatrice, now tell me all about it. I promise you won’t get into trouble.’ Aggie was very puzzled. This child had only returned a few months ago from the convent. She had hardly been let out on her own since returning home. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-teenager2.php 33683C1E-A34F-47ED-952A-24144C395B23 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:39:04 +0700 She could see huge flames rising from the European quarters, from bungalows, mess houses, public buildings and residences of the unofficial Christian community. Horses had been burned to death in their stables. Only the elephant house was still standing. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-nurse.php F1A6420E-97D9-4132-B9E4-8B2045448334 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:39:41 +0700 Beatrice smiled as she headed for the ward. Jean thought all the young male patients were handsome, so she would reserve her own judgement on this new admission. As she did the rounds, she spotted him in a bed near the doorway. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-patient.php AC18F4C7-0E52-4D1C-8228-F17A77767AFB Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:40:15 +0700 Beatrice sat gazing in the mirror as she applied a dash of lipstick. A feeling of wellbeing flowed through her veins. Her life had taken on a new meaning these past three months. Until now, nursing had been the love of her life, but recently another much stronger love had taken over, a love in the form of a gentle Scotsman; her ex patient whom she now called Bill. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-proposal.php 25529B04-CD3D-4E20-991E-2857D4486892 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:41:16 +0700 A much happier occasion, Mum and Dad’s honeymoon was incorporated in the trip back to Calcutta where Dad now worked. Mum resigned from nursing on marriage. The newlyweds broke their journey at Agra to visit the Taj Mahal. They stayed with one of Mum’s maternal uncles, whose son Cyril Lettington was manager of the grand colonial hotel ‘Laurie’s’ in Agra. http://www.nanaginge.com/post-honeymoon-period.php 86432340-6CC9-4E7C-A9BA-29BECB03C74F Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:41:59 +0700 JOHN RICHARD was born in Meerut on 27th March 1911. PETER ANTHONY was also born in Meerut on 20th June 1912. He served as Battery Sergeant Major in the Royal Artillery. WILLIAM JAMES was born in Lansdowne on 17th October 1914. BASIL ROBERT was born in Allahabad on 13th July 1918. MICHAEL FRANCIS was born in Chakrata on 15th October 1922. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-mason-brigade.php E2B43EDD-3B6C-404C-A8A4-C1ABD2797A96 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:42:53 +0700 One day,’ she said, ‘my brothers were playing on their bikes. Peter free wheeled down the hill straight into a group of people standing at the bottom, He knocked one of them over as he fell off his bike.’ http://www.nanaginge.com/the-bicycle-brigade.php D655E031-6F07-4D38-B57C-ADF3A5EC8B01 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:44:41 +0700 Another time, Basil was in class being taught his Times Tables by the Irish Catholic Brothers. It seems that like Mum, maths was not his forte, so this small boy was being caned by his teacher for not being able to answer his questions. Now these Irish Brothers were not known for showing any sort of compassion to small boys and Basil suffered many torn ears from a swift, sharp slice with a ruler as well as other injuries. http://www.nanaginge.com/brotherly-love.php 1565302C-31A1-4796-9678-639C5769D704 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:45:30 +0700 As I mentioned earlier, the Mason boys were all good swimmers – they needed to be. They often went swimming together, but not to any Governor’s pool or even in the various local rivers. Instead they chose to swim in the water tanks built to service the old steam trains of the day. http://www.nanaginge.com/the-water-babies.php C981E255-FB5E-424C-AC9D-C2C488D0C0F0 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:46:02 +0700 Crocodiles were hunted for sport and it was very profitable to kill for skins. In a short span of sixty years, these magnificent animals that had survived for millions of years were almost wiped out. The Mason boys weren’t hunters but they certainly helped in the Crocodile demise as I will shortly explain. http://www.nanaginge.com/crocodiles.php 0B0E3EF6-85B2-46EB-A7EE-893DC21A6059 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:46:45 +0700 Mum told me that one day her dad had set a trap to catch a mountain lion. Basil, being the curious boy that he was, wanted to see what sort of animal was in the trap. Or so he said. He dragged the cage into his bedroom and surprise, surprise, the cat got out. http://www.nanaginge.com/basil-the-bold.php 8E562D7F-93D3-4018-98E7-1B567E9495AE Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:47:38 +0700 Welcome to the gallery of Beatrice Mary Mason. Here you will find all the photos pictured on the site an any additions submitted since the publication on this biography http://www.nanaginge.com/gallery.php E11FAABC-487E-4E54-BA36-FF84CC5AA719 Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:48:29 +0700 If you want to contribute to this book you can do so by adding comments at the bottom of the story pages. http://www.nanaginge.com/have-your-say.php 010A1EEE-D142-4583-B39E-639BDBDB6E2C Fri, 22 Oct 2010 13:49:42 +0700