Born 25th September 1928, possibly at 2 back 61 Heaton Street, Birmingham. Her mother Hannah was 37 and her father Ralph was 24.

By 1930 the family had moved to at 4 Court 2, Hanley Street, Birmingham where her sister Florence Marjorie was born 30th August 1931.

the Witton Lodge Farm Estate

The electoral registers show Hannah that returned to central Birmingham by 1945 (169 St Martin’s Flats, Leopold St, Deritend) and 1950 (20 Talfourd Street, Small Heath).

In 1951 she married Tom Mercer in Blackburn; they lived in Tockholes on a small holding and Hannah joined them there. Presumably Hannah had kept links to Blackburn, enabling Irene to meet and marry someone from there. OPC Lancashire records have Tom and irene’s banns being read at Tockoles church, and later both Glenn and Dawne being baptised there. Adopted as babies?