Olga Georgina M Pryce
Olga was the youngest daughter of Edward Stisted Mostyn Pryce and Henrietta Mary Beauclerk. Edward and Henrietta had married in 1877 at St Peter’s Church, Eaton Square, shortly after Edward had completed his MA from Balliol College, Oxford. A year previously, Edward had been appointed as an HM Inspector of Schools – a job role that I had naively assumed to be a relatively modern creation, but no! Apparently as long as there have been schools, there has been a government official to inspect them!
The Pryce family had long been associated with Gunley Hall, Chirbury, Montgomeryshire, including a long line of Sheriffs of Montgomeryshire. The family were clearly part of the County Set, a circle that would have included Lovetts and other families that have featured in this guest book.
In common with many County families, Olga’s brother, Hugh had joined the military straight from Eton. He saw active service in South Africa with the Rifle Brigade, and gained his promotion to Captain in 1911. When WW1 broke out, Hugh was sent to the front line. In 1915 he was shot in the head by a sniper and died on 19th March at Bailleul hospital. About a year later, Olga joined the VAD and became a nurse at the military hospital at Fargo, on Salisbury Plain.
At the end of the war, Olga married Henry Francis Bury. Henry had been born in Kensington but seems to have grown up in Kinsom, Dorset, where Olga had been born. Henry worked on the railways, and 2 years after their marriage, the 1921 census shows Henry and Olga living in Stoke on Trent, with Henry’s job given as being Assistant to Good Manager, for the North Stafford Railway Company. Their only child, Robert Hugh Bury was also born in 1921.
By the time of the 1939 register, Robert was at school in Brighton, whilst Henry and Olga were living at Gunley Hall, Chirbury. Notations in the register indicate that Henry became an ARP warden at Forden whilst Olga became a Red Cross Commandant.
Henry died on 3 February 1957, he and Olga having moved to Eastbourne. Olga made the newspapers the following year, after being involved in a minor vehicle collision – Olga had stopped her car to ask direction, with the van behind having to brake sharply and then being run into from behind by another van. For this “slight oversight” (Eastbourne Gazette, 7th May 1958) Olga was fined £3 and costs of 16s 9d.
Olga died in Eastbourne on 12 January 1965.
Comments