John Harvey 1861-1944 and Sarah Jane (Ayliffe) 1862-1944
"MR. & MRS.
HARVEY’S WONDERFUL RECORD
When a couple can say they have been through married life together for 50 years and have always
pulled together, then truly it is a great record.
Yet this record is held by Mr. John Harvey and his wife Sarah, who celebrate their golden wedding
on Saturday May
21st.
In a cosy little kitchen at the back of their greengrocer’s shop in Fulham Palace Road, Hammersmith
a W.L.O. reporter chatted to Mrs. Harvey and two of her daughters. Mr. Harvey, although aged 76,
had gone off as active as ever to collect his orders. Mrs. Harvey, but a year younger and still merry
and bright, explained that she and her husband were married at St Andrew’s Church, Vereker Road,
West Kensington in 1888.
For 47 years they
have run a greengrocer’s business in Fulham Palace Road.
Mr. Harvey was born in Fulham and before his wedding worked for his mother, who had a greengrocery
business in Margravine Road, Fulham.
His wife came from Wiltshire to enter service at Ealing. In Mr. Harvey’s younger days schooling was
expensive and he soon left to earn his own living. All his children, like himself, attended
St. Paul’s National School in Hammersmith Broadway. Altogether this happy couple had eleven children,
six of whom are still living. There were six daughters and five sons. They have seven grandchildren
and three great
grandchildren, so their celebrations,
which will be held the day after their 50th wedding anniversary, will
culminate in a real family affair.
N.B.The couple sold their business at the beginning of the war and moved with two of their unmarried
children to Chiswick.
Sarah died in January 1944 and John died soon after a bomb fell on the house a few weeks later in
February. Three of his daughters were in the house at the time but fortunately none of them was
seriously hurt.
They had to be rehoused until the house could be rebuilt after the War.