Harry Walter Swain

Harry Walter Swain, born 11th November 1904, died 7th September 1943, East Anglia Sanatorium, Nayland. Or Camberwell??

Harry was affectionately described by his family as ‘the weak one’ – in terms of health anyway. In terms of love and faith though, he was definitely the strong one.

As a child, Harry always wanted to become a Minister in the church, something his father was sceptical about! He frequently suffered from chest problems, which would ultimately take his life. As a boy he most likely shared a bedroom with his brother Vic, who was two years younger than him. Despite their proximity in age, the brothers couldn’t have been more different. Vic was loud and out-going, whilst Harry was quiet, retiring, soft. Harry worked at Carter’s Seed Factory for most of his life, and later as a supervisor in an Iron Foundry according to his death certificate.

He married Annie-Louisa Moorshead, known as Louie, in 1927 and they had a daughter, Sheila Victoria, in 1929. Louie was a vibrant, popular woman: she loved going out to dances with friends, whilst Harry preferred to stay at home in New Malden with Sheila. Louie was a very kind woman, but obviously the differences between the couple became irreconcilable and they eventually parted. Louie was lucky to find love again with George Lemon, with whom she had another daughter, Gina (Georgina) – a half-sister for Sheila, though much younger than her. As a young girl, Sheila chose to live with her father following the divorce. However, the law was that a teenage girl could not live solely with her father, and so she went to live with her mother and step-father.

In 1941 Harry developed tuberculosis and was treated in East Anglia Sanatorium, but unfortunately he died in September of that year. Sheila remembers writing to her father in the sanatorium, at Nayland, while he was in there. His exact dying place is unknown: death records suggest it was Camberwell, his death certificate says Lambeth, and family believe it was Nayland. He is buried … ??