The Singleton family lived at Povington from c.1928 until the evacuation in 1943
Frederick George Singleton (1899-1934)
Frederick was born in Upper Parkstone, Poole, Dorset in 1899. He was the son of painter and paperhanger William Fowler Singleton (1868-1935) and his wife Susan Singleton nee Parker (1868-1957). The family lived at the White House, Albert Road, Upper Parkstone from 1901 or before until 1911 or later. When enlisting in 1914 William gave his address as Sarum, Albert Road, a neighbouring property where widow Mrs Harriet Trulock and her blind son were living in 1911, along with widow Mrs Victoria Turgiss. William and Susan are known to have lived at 14 Albert Road until 1931 or later – whether number 14 was the White House or Sarum, or another property, we do not yet know.
During the First World War, Frederick served as a Private with the 8th Berkshire Regiment (45977). Unfortunately during his time in Europe he suffered from the effects of gassing.
In 1922, Frederick married South Africa-born Beryl Beall King (1899-1950) at Christchurch, Hampshire.
Frederick and Beryl had four children:
- Yvonne Beall Singleton (1923-1936) – sadly Yvonne died at the age of just 13
- Baden Beall Singleton (1924-2017) – please see below
- Leon Fowler Singleton (1926-1988) – Leon married Edith May Hindmarch (1928-2006) in 1947 and they had three daughters
- Brenda Elizabeth Singleton (1928-2009?) – married Alfred and had five sons and two daughters
Frederick ran a shoe repair business in Rossmore.
Around 1928 the family moved to Black Cottage, Povington and then on to Pine Tree Cottage, Povington about 1930. It had just four rooms, one used by Frederick to carry out shoe repairs.
In January 1934, Frederick, aged 35, died at the Poor Law Institution in Wareham, more commonly referred to as the workhouse, where he had been receiving medical treatment. He was buried at Wareham on 15 January 1934.
After their father’s death, Baden and his brother Leon were responsible for looking after the family’s three goats. The Singleton children attended the Catholic School in East Lulworth, a two-and-a-half mile walk each way although occasionally they might cadge a lift on the postman’s van.
The family continued to live at Povington until the evacuation In December 1943 when they were relocated to Stoke Cottage, Wool.
Son Leon returned from a trip at sea and was heading home when he was stopped by two soldiers who asked where he was going. When he said to his home at Povington they told him he didn’t live there any more and he ended up staying the night in Wareham police station until they could establish where his mother Beryl had been relocated to.
In 1948 Beryl married widower Arthur Henry Robert Sancroft Richard Lionel Barnes. They lived at Thatch End, Lytchett Minster. Beryl died just two years later on 24 November 1950 aged 51. She was buried at Lytchett Minster. The following year Arthur married his third wife Effie Tuffin (1897-1991).
Baden Beall Singleton (1924-2017)
Baden was born in 1924 at French’s Lane in Lytchett Minster.
During the Second World War, Baden served with the Royal Naval Patrol Service, also referred to as Harry Tate’s Navy or Churchill’s Pirates, carrying out minesweeping operations in the Mediterranean aboard HMS Romeo and HMS Walborough. Baden speaks about his time in the RNPS in a number of filmed interviews.
In 1946 Baden married Rosanna ‘Rosa’ Durrant (1927-2009) in Suffolk. Rosa was the daughter of fisherman Dennis George Durrant (1898-1968) and his wife Rosanna Durrant nee Chase (1898-1968).
Baden made a model out of cardboard boxes to show the location of properties at Povington:
The well was in one corner of the field and we had to carry the water in buckets some 500 or 600 yards. The toilet was outside the house – a bucket type that had to be emptied by hand.
My memory of visiting my grandfather’s home in Albert Road, Parkstone was the flush toilet. I had never seen one of those before. I remember the great fascination it had for me just to pull the chain.”
Baden Singleton
Baden and Rosa had three sons and a daughter who sadly died aged 19.
In later years Baden and Rosa lived in Waterlooville, Hampshire. Rosa died in 2009 aged 81 and Baden died in 2017 aged 93.
With thanks to: Pauline Barran
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Page last updated: 15 September 2022