Hilary Muriel STEBBING (1916-1980)

Hilary Muriel Stebbing (1916-1980) was the daughter of Flora Stebbing (née Orchard) who had become friendly with the Sladden family when she first moved to Badsey in about 1905.

Hilary was born at Evesham on 28th August 1916, the only child of Captain Theodore Stebbing and his wife, Flora Muriel (née Orchard).  Her mother, who had qualified as a midwife in 1912, had previously lived in the Evesham area, and had come back to the area in order to be close to Nurse Beazley’s nursing home for the confinement.  A letter written by Mela Brown Constable on 24th August 1916 reveals that they were staying at High Mead, Bengeworth.  A letter of 7th September 1916 from George Sladden indicates that her parents were disappointed that she was a girl!

At the time of Hilary’s birth, her father, a Captain in the regular army, was recovering from typhoid having been invalided to Bombay from Mesopotamia.

Hilary never married.  At the time of the 1939 register, she lived with her mother at 32 Mutley Road, Plymouth.  Her father died at Brixham in 1946 and her mother died at Brixham in 1974.

Hilary died at Paignton, Devon, on 30th April 1980.