Dorothy Rose Winstone (1898-1995) was born at Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, on 17th April 1898, the second of 12 children of William Henry Augustus Winstone, a grocer’s clerk, and his wife, Rosanna (née Cyphus).
In the first quarter of 1919, Dorothy married George Frederick Cox in the Evesham area. George had emigrated to Canada in 1910, had served overseas with the Canadian Overseas Expeditionary Force, and was now staying with his widowed mother in the family home at Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford. They lived in Wickhamford after marriage. William George, the first of their eight children, was born at Wickhamford on 25th April 1919 and baptised in the Church of St John the Baptist on 29th June 1919.
Dorothy, George and baby William left Liverpool on 23rd April 1920 and arrived at Quebec on 6th May 1920. George, as a returned soldier, appeared in a separate place on the ship’s manifest to Dorothy and William; he described himself as a farmer. They were going to Scollard, Alberta, where George’s older brother, Charles, lived, and intention was to stay permanently in Canada. Five further children were born in Canada: Charles Henry (1921), Ruth Irene (1922), Dorothy Elizabeth (1923), James Winstone (1928), Alice Mary (1931).
Soon after arrival in Canada, George applied to the Soldier Settlement Board for a grant and was given land at Delia, a village in southern Alberta. The family had to leave Delia, however, in April 1933, and the land was transferred to the Director of Soldier Settlement.
Dorothy and George and their six children returned to England a few months after this and settled in Wickhamford where George’s widowed mother still lived, and some of his siblings. Charles, Ruth and James all enrolled at Badsey Council School on 6th November 1933. Two more children were born after the return home.
They built a house on Pitchers Hill, Wickhamford, and named it Delia after the place where they had lived in Canada. They started a village shop in the room to the left hand side of the front door (this house is adjoining the now defunct Post Office and shop).
Dorothy and George paid a return visit to Canada in 1958. George died at Wickhamford on 1st August 1962; Dorothy died in 1995.