Letitia Elizabeth HARTWELL (née CRUMP) (1870-1915)

Letitia Elizabeth Hartwell, née Crump (1870-1915), was a resident of Badsey who was admitted to the hospital in Birmingham where Mela Brown Constable was working.

Letitia was born in 1870 at Droitwich, the youngest of eight children of John Crump, a general labourer, and his wife, Eliza.  On 3rd July 1892 at Droitwich, Letitia married George Hartwell from Badsey.  Her elder sister, Hannah, had married James Frederick Perkins at Badsey in 1887 and settled in the village, so it is likely that Letitia met George on visits to her sister.

Letitia and George had three sons and three daughters:  Lily May (1893), George William (1894-1923), Rose Ellen (1897-1983), Violet Annie (1899-1988), Reginald Howard (1907-1907) and Harold (1911-1992).

In a letter of 6th March 1915 to her fiancé, Cyril Sladden, Mela Brown Constable said that she had heard from his mother who had told her that Mrs George Hartwell had been sent to Birmingham for an operation for cerebral abscess.  Mela tried to see her but was unable to do so as she was told that she was dying and had been brought in too late for the operation.  Letitia was buried at Badsey on 12th March 1915.