Died 05/03/1996 in Oldham, cremation at Hollinwood Crem, 13/3/96
Death Index records: Alice Mather Born 1911, Died Mar 1996 85 Oldham
General Notes
Alice was born in Belfast while her father Richard was helping to build the “Titanic” ship. He was a boiler maker so was part of a team building the boilers, then followed where the work was to Manchester docks.
Alice Mather was the keeper of the diary (see Lil Mercer's Birthday Book) and updated till passing it to Susan Robinson in the 1980’s who has also kept it updated.
Sometimes she was like a much older sister to Sue. Anywhere Sue wanted to go her Aunt Alice would take her if her parents couldn’t. Sadly Sue always thought life left Alice behind, or Alice let life leave her hehind. She left school as lots did at 14 yrs and worked at the same company, the Co-op laundry on the same street where she lived in Hemmons Road, Levenshulme till retiring. It got too varied a little too much for her in the 60’s. They started sending her to different laundry shops branches of the Co-op as a temp to cover for staff on sick, etc.
She was a tomboy when she was a kid always climbing trees with the boys, When Winnie (her sister) realised she might be left on the shelf she use to drag Alice with her dancing at the Palace’s Theatre, Manchester on a Sat night to find blokes but Alice gave up going and lived a single life!
Ruth and her first Husband Colin Bettoni and children moved in with Alice for a while at Hemmons Road. After they left Alice moved in with Nellie and Ken Turner at Grange Ave till Nellie Turner died and then Alice Mather moved in with Winnie Doxey, leaving Ken on his own.
She never married, dying at the age of 84 in 1996.
Occupation Details
From before 1939 Alice's occupation was Laundress in services for Co-op Laundry, in Levenshulme.2
Occupation Notes
Alice once worked with John Thaw’s sister at the co-op laundry, Levenshulme. Recorded as Laundress (Enquiry Dept) on the 1939 register.
Alice went to Joe and Ursula Mather's in Austria for hols 30/05/73 just before Sue's Mother and Father went in the July for Hols Sue has Alice's post card that she sent.
Sue’s family were so proud of Aunt Alice being born in Belfast while Grandad helped to build the Titanic but she was always ashamed of being born in Belfast. We could tell, she always went funny about it as if it made her different from the rest of us, her reaction was to clamp up about it and tight her lips and say about the things her parents were warned not to talk about, namely religion and politics. Sue has great memories of her Aunt Alice as she was often with the family. They went on holiday together, she always stayed at the house over Christmas, Easter, etc. Dad use to call us his Harem, with three women looking after him!
Alice moved in with Nellie and Ken Turner at Grange Ave till Nellie Turner died and then Alice Mather moved in with Winnie Doxey, leaving Ken on his own.