1943 Nov 3. Jane Robinson, was born to the un-married Peg (Batia Steedman) Robinson.
Oct/Dec 1943 Birth Cert . Oddly gives mother as Steedman. ref 4b 380. in Downham, Norfolk
Jane was born after her mother and grandmother stayed at Rose and Crown, Hilgay, Downham Market, Norfolk for 5 months
Peg was sent from Cheltenham to Norfolk to have her baby . Jane's daughter was told that Jane was handed over to the new adopting parents at a railway station by her grandmother, Ada, with a complete layette set from Harrods.
Whilst in the sixth form at Cheltenham Ladies College her father who was an inveterate gambler, died and the school fees could no longer be afforded. Peg had to leave school and became an educational secretary. She became pregnant. The circumstances surrounding this are unknown. She never disclosed the name of the father to anyone and took this secret to her grave. The name and surname of the father section of my birth certificate has a line through it.
Desmond was a housemaster at Oakham school and had in his house the son of the Medical Officer of Health for Norfolk. Through this connection as childbirth outside marriage could not be countenanced, Ada accompanied her daughter Peg to The Rose & Crown public house at Hilgay, Norfolk where they stayed for five months and where Jane was born on the November 3rd 1943. The adoptive parents had lived in the small town of Downham Market, three miles from Hilgay before moving north to Chester-le-Street in County Durham.
Eventually Jane made contact with her birth mother, Initially contact was fine, but soured terribly.Peg and Sarah were at Desmond's funeral, but did not speak to Jane, who was also there.