Lilith Reaks

Lilith Reakes wrote to Christine Myers (aka Gould) in an undated letter, some time before 20 August 1991 (her second letter):

"Dear Mrs Myers,

May I call you Christine?................ I am writing on behalf of my Aunt, Miss Ivy Clara Culverhouse, who until February this year lived at 12 Wedmore Rd, Saltford. She is 96 years of age, blind and now living in a residential home in Keynsham, and is just a little confused at times.
Aunty Ivy is a niece of Edward Culverhouse, he was my great uncle Ted.
Edward Culverhouse was at one time a baker, he had 3 children, 2 girls and a boy, one girl about the time of the first world war, whose name I cannot recall, married an Australian soldier. Ellen married Gilbert Gover, they had one daughter, who I was given to understand joined the Womens Royal Air Force in the 1939/45 war........

Charles or Charlie as Mum called him, was rather an iniga (enigma?) - little was known of him. He was a soldier in the Black Watch Regient, a Scottish Regiment. Mother told me he wore a kilt and looked very smart, Mum believed he went to Mesopotamia and married there, she often wondered what happened to him. I think she rather liked him!

Uncle Ted had a room in my parents' house when we lived in Bath, we moved to Saltford 5 miles out in 1933. Uncle Ted worked at that time in a gentlemen's club in Bath. I vaguely remember him, but recall a visit to him when he went to live with his daughter in Locksbrook Road.

Now for the sad part - Bath was blitzed for three nights, April 25, 26, 27 1942. Some time during those dreadful raids Ellen, Gilbert and his sister Grace were not at home. I understand they left home to take shelter in an air raid shelter: they were killed there and their home was untouched. I have been this morning to trace their resting place at Haycombe Bath Ellen and Grace have headstones with many others in the memorial park. Gilbert must have lived a few days as he died May 7th 1942"


In her letter of 25 August 1991 she wrote:

"Three days of blitz was chaotic. I remember my father going into Bath to look for relatives, and coming home with the news. My aunts Rose and Gerty (now 83) lived on the other side of the river from the Govers, in Twerton. Thet had to leave their house in Lorne Road. I can see them now, sitting in the back of uncle Jim Godfrey's car, looking very shocked and speechless. They never went back to that house.........

I have written to my cousin Elsie in Canada, enclosing copies of your letters. Do hope she has something to add to the Culverhouse saga! By the way, Ivy said - some while ago - that the Culverhouse family came south with James fhe First from Scotland."