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Sam and Ethel Prior, 10 Gas Road, circa 1916

10 Gas Road, March

History of 10 Gas Road, March

1916

The priors moved into 10 Gas Road in 1916. Sam was in the forage department in WWI. In WWII he drove Italian prisoners of war to different farms. Ethel was born in Station Road March in 1895. Her parents died of TB in 1910 and 1912.

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1939

Henry Stanley [Sam] Prior, b 1892, general labourer,

Ethel M, b 1893,

Charles, b 1919, railway wagon repairer,

Doris M, b 1921, cinema attendant,

Leonard, b 1924, errand boy

In 1911 Henry was at Gas Lane, March

In 1911 Ethel May was a servant at 4 Clarkson Avenue, Wisbech

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WWII:

George, Leonard’s eldest brother, fought at Dunkirk. He went on to become a policeman in Peterborough.

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1950 March, Cambs

Leonard Prior married Mary P O’Reilly. Mary was born in Ballyjamesduff Co Cavan in 1926.

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1953

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PMJ sent us these reminiscences in 2025:

My late dad’s family lived at no 10 Gas Road.   The Prior family,  my dad’s parents,  Henry Prior and Ethel May Prior  née Leeder,  moved in in 1916 after they married  went on to have 8 children including one who died age 4.   Grandad had an allotment down by the gas works.   My dad at the start of the 2nd World War said there was a sentry at the top of the street  asking who you were before letting you go to your house.   My grandad’s mum and dad were living at no 14.  George and Mary Anne Prior  née Charity.  A brother to grandad, lived at no 23, Ernest Prior.    My gran died 1970;   my grandad  in 1975.

I remember the outside toilet and wash house;  it had no electric upstairs.   We took candles up to bed.  When the wind was in the right direction you could smell the gas works  which were down the road.   Grandad Sam had an allotment near the gas works;   he grew lots of vegetables and fruit  and at one time kept pigs.   My gran’s Sunday dinner was wonderful.   We always had Yorkshire pudding and gravy first.    When dad was young there was just an outside cold tap  before eventually having piped water.   Dad told me about the night-soil men that would empty the outside toilets in the yard at the back.  I remember that toilet;  it was scary –  a big dark hole with a wooden seat.