Some Gidley postcards

 A very kind gentleman, who has been collecting postcards for years, sent me recently four postcards addressed to four different Gidley ladies. Two are difficult to date, but two clearly have the postmarks 1906 and 1902. I am happy to send them to descendants or close relatives.

The Sep 13 1906 postcard is addressed to Miss C. Gidley of Kilburn Hall in Torquay. This is Constance Gidley, whose 13th birthday it must have been, as it is wishing her many happy returns from Auntie and Uncle M. and W. in Norwood, London S.E. Constance became a milliner with the department store Bobby's and married Walter Bird in 1921.

The postcard to Mrs M. C. Gidley of Bridgetown, Totnes, is a Christmas greeting for 1902 from C. Moore in Rome. This is Mrs Mary Coulton Gidley (1836-1928), the wife of Richard Gidley, former Relieving Officer in Totnes. Eight of her ten children predeceased her, but she does have descendants. 

The second Christmas greetings card is addressed to Mrs F Gidley of Beaumont Place in Plymouth from Dick and Mary. Formerly Edith Rockey, she was tragically widowed in 1917 by the First World War and married again in 1920. As the card is addressed to Edith and Fred, the date must be before 1917.

The final card is for Miss Jean Gidley of Seymour Lodge, Totnes. It seems to be from an American or Canadian, who writes from "your side of the mighty puddle", from Chamonix in France. It was written to Alice Jean Courtenay Gidley (1868-1940), daughter of Bartholomew Gidley, a wine merchant. She composed pieces for the organ, and died unmarried.