The Family of Florence Violet Emily Wilkey and John Charles Maurice Leyin
from 1903 (Stepney)

Florence Violet Emily Wilkey was born in Stepney on the 6 March 1903 and was descended from Charles Ambrose Wilkey and Martha Caroline Williams. Charles was one of four sons born to William Tavenor Wilkey (c 23 March 1821 in Bath) and Mary Anne Jones who moved to Stepney around 1855.

Florence married John Charles Maurice Leyin on the 29 March 1922. John was born in Riga, capital of the Republic of Latvia, one of the Baltic states of Northern Europe on the 6 November 1892. He was a merchant seaman.

Before she was married Florence lived in the same family home as her grandparents William Tavenor Wilkey and the former Mary Ann Jones at 7 Pigott Street, Stepney E14. However, William died at the relatively young age of 52 in 1873, as did Florence's father Charles Ambrose Wilkey, who is believed to have died at the age of 54.

John and Florence Leyin had five children: John Charles Leyin was born on the 2 February 1923, Doris Florence Verena Leyin on the 16 May 1924, Winifred Lucille May Leyin on the 17 March 1926, Lilian Joyce Leyin on the 31 October 1927, and finally Irene Hester Leyin on the 9 February 1934.

During WWII Florence and her family were evacuated to Swindon, Wiltshire and lived at Bampton Grove and also at 64 Newcastle Street. All returned to Stepney and then lived in a downstairs flat with five children at 4 Pigott Street. Granny Wilkey (the former Mary Anne Jones) still lived with them until her death sometime after WWII.

Florence and John Leyin lived to celebrate their diamond-wedding anniversary on the 29 August 1982.

The marriage of John Charles Leyin and Lilian Watts in 1949

John Leyin was an accounts manager and married Lilian Watts (born 3 August 1923) on the 6 August 1949. There are two children, Alan Leyin, a psychologist, who was born on the 27 March 1952, and Graham Leyin, a salesman, born on the 25 March 1958.

Lilian died on the 10 July 1987.

The marriage of Doris Leyin and Eric Fitzgerald in 1943

Doris Florence Verena Leyin married transport manager Eric Fitzgerald (born 30 October 1921) on the 6 November 1943. There is one child, Raymond Fitzgerald, a QC supervisor, born on the 20 November 1946. They lived at 13 Pigott Street in Stepney up to 1968, and then moved to West Sussex.

Raymond married Dawn Primrose Sayers, a nurse, in Chichester on the 5 April 1969. They have two children, Angela Louise Fitzgerald, an art technician, born on the 13 May 1970, and Lisa Natasha Fitzgerald, born on the 29 September 1973.

Doris survives her husband Eric, and sadly, their granddaughter Angela has not survived.

The marriage of Winifred Leyin and Leonard Swain in 1948

Winifred Lucille May Leyin married Leonard Albert Swain (born 3 October 1923) on the 9 October 1948. They had one child, Daniel Swain a heating engineer who was born on the 17 January 1950.

Leonard died on the 31 March 1977 at the age of 54.

Happily, Winifred remarried on the 31 December 1977, marrying Clifford R McCoy (b. 29 October 1925), an engineer, in the London Borough of Havering.

Daniel married Annabel Raynor on the 12 March 1983 and they have one child, Daisy Raynor, born on the 25 June 1985.

The marriage of Lilian Leyin and William Truman in 1946

Lilian Joyce Leyin (known as Lily) married William Matthew Truman, a driver/messenger, on the 12 October 1946, and live in Hullbridge in Essex. They have two children, Hazel Ann Truman, a secretary, born on the 13 September 1948, and Irene Ellen Truman, a housewife, born on the 7 February 1952.

Irene married Sattar Abdulrazzak, an engineer, on the 3 September 1979 and they have two children, Joanna Irene Abdulrazzak, born on the 8 May 1984, and Hanna Abdulrazzak, born on the 6 July 1987. Joanna has a daughter, Yazmin.

The Marriage of Irene Leyin and Sidney Woods in 1954

Irene Hester Leyin married Sidney Woods (born 22 November 1928), a crane driver on the 13 March 1954. They now live in Hockley, Essex, after moving from London in 1988. They have three children.

The eldest, Susan Woods, married Eric Alan Peachey (born 9 March 1953), a mechanic on the 1 February 1975; they live and work in London. They have two daughters Kelly Louise Peachey, who works in office management in London, and Lucy Caroline Peachey, an I.T. teacher working in Quatar in the Persian Gulf.

Following this are twins Michael John Woods, who was a hotel manager before his premature death in 1991, and Stephen Edward Woods, a music teacher who lives and works in Australia.