Ampthill, Bedfordshire, Record 10: The Mills Family

Record 7: The Mills Family

The tenth record of Dunstable street introduces the Mills.

Head: Annie Mills (nee Scurr)

Ann "Annie" Scurr was born in the village of Barford, in Warwickshire, in 1865. The eldest daughter of Robert Scurr (1834-1906), a butler, and his wife Mary Ann Dry (1837-1909). Ann had one younger sibling, William Robert (1866-). Ann attended school in Barford and remained in education until her latter teenage years. Despite this, she seemingly never worked. Towards the end of the 1890's Ann met 30 year-old dairyman John Mills. The two were married on the 3rd of April 1899.

The couple had four children together, John Robert Scurr, Muriel Mary Scurr, Ethel Hilda Scurr, and Marjorie Scurr. During these years they notably moved to Suffolk from around 1901 to 1905. By 1911, the family had settled in Ampthill.

Not much is known of John Mills, as he does not appear with his family on either the 1901 or 1911 census, although Ann was still listed as married to him in the latter census. By the 1930's, the family had again moved, this time to Wellingborough, Northamptonshire, where Ann died in 1933, aged 68.

Son: John Robert Scurr Mills

The first child of Ann and John, Robert John Scurr Mills was born in Leamington Spa on the 19th of February 1900. Growing up, Robert's education was presumably affected by his family moving from Suffolk to Warwickshire, and then to Ampthill, where he completed his school time around 1914. By 1918, John had left Ampthill and had moved to Northamptonshire, where he met and married Elsie 17 year-old Maria Simonds in 1918. The couple had multiple children, Mary Emily (1918-), Margery Annie (1921-2011), Joan Constance (1924-1992), Doreen Joyce (1928-2015), John Robert Scurr (1930-1997), Rex (1932-), Henry William (1933-2001), and Laurence (1935-).

After 30 years of marriage, Elsie passed away in 1949, aged 48. After two years as a widower, he remarried in 1951 to Norah Newman, however this marriage did not last, and in 1957 John married once more, to 18 year-old June Dunkley. Whether this marriage lasted is unknown. Either way, John eventually passed away in 1976, aged 76.

Daughter: Muriel Mary Scurr Mills

Muriel Mary Scurr Mills was born in Ipswich, Suffolk on the 19th of February 1902, sharing a birthday with her older brother John. Not much is known of her life, although it is known that she never married, and consequently had no children. She died in Wellingborough on the 17th of February 1997, two days before her 95th birthday.

Daughter: Ethel Hilda Scurr Mills

Ethel Hilda Scurr was born on the 20th of August 1904, as was her twin sister Marjorie Scurr, who died in 1905. Ethel, like her brother, left Ampthill for Northampton in the 1920's. In 1925 she married 22 year-old bus conducter, Harry Enerst Cowper. The couple settled in Wellingborough, and had five children, Kenneth Ernest William (1925-2004), Raymond Harry (1928-2010), Jean (1929-), Morris (1936-), and Veronica J (1942-1943).

Harry eventually passed away in 1968, aged 65, and Ethel passed away 8 years later, in 1976, aged 71.