Ethel Aldous
Ethel Aldous was born 29th May 1887 in Manchester. She was the second child of Fred and Alice Ann.
Ethel & Rennie Thornley
b. 29 May 1887
Hayfield, Derbyshire
d. 1 March 1953
b. ?
d. 1953 ?
1916
Chorlton, Manchester
divorced in 19?
In 1916 in Chorlton, Ethel married a very clever and serious man called Dr Rennie R. Thornley. They had a son Frederick (born 1918). Ethel and Rennie separated when he was still quite young.
Freda wrote about her aunt, "Ethel was never as strongly disciplined as her elder sister and she was more “flighty” and much more frivolous".
Dot remembers her as rather scatty with loads of imagination. She was artistically gifted but did not develop her talents as much as she could have done. Freda said that it was fun to visit her Aunt Ethel.
Jack says she is remembered as being a bit of an eccentric who painted ceilings lying on her back on scaffolding.
Ros remembers that she had frizzy hair. Dot remembers she had a fringe.Ethel was always different. At a time when most people had somber decor in their homes, such as brown wooden skirting boards and dark wallpaper, Ethel’s house was gaily painted with bright colours. Ethel painted her ceiling red before anyone thought of doing anything like that. There were birds on the walls and the ornaments and dishes were all bright and shining with glossy paint.
Ethel painted two panels with ships on them which Ros remembers having at her family home; particularly she remembers them in the basement passage at Limehurst.
Ethel was kind and generous to her young relations.
In her later life, Jack remembers that Ethel caused problems for Frederick by wandering off in the night in her nightie. He had some hard times looking for her.
Ethel passed away on 1st March 1953.
Frederick Thornley
b. 1918
d. 11 September 1994
one son Alan Thornley
d. ? Oct 2014
m. Anne Reid, 28 August 2009
