Orwin & Millar
Genealogy
Lilian Ethel Burn
1908 - 2007 (98 years)-
Name Lilian Ethel Burn Birth 10 Aug 1908 Sunderland, Durham, England 
Gender Female Burial 2007 Bishopwearmouth Cemetery, Bishopwearmouth, Durham, England Death 17 Jan 2007 Sunderland Royal Hospital, Sunderland, England Person ID I1641 OrwinMillar Last Modified 27 Jan 2025
Father James Johnson Burn, b. 2 Aug 1880, Sunderland, Durham, England d. 31 May 1962, Sunderland, Durham, England (Age 81 years)Mother Elizabeth Ann Cossins, b. 10 Oct 1883, Sunderland, Durham, England d. 1972, Sunderland, Durham, England (Age 88 years)Marriage 1904 Sunderland, Durham, England Family ID F519 Group Sheet | Family Chart
Family 
Leslie Ditchburn, b. 2 Apr 1904, Sunderland, Durham, England d. 1 Jun 1974, Sunderland, Durham, England (Age 70 years)Marriage 7 Aug 1928 St Thomas, Sunderland, Durham, England [1] Children 1. Living 2. Living 3. Living 4. Living 5. Living 6. Living 7. Living 8. Living 9. Living 10. Living 11. Living 12. Living 13. Living Family ID F521 Group Sheet | Family Chart Last Modified 27 Jan 2025
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Notes - These notes were provided by Leslie Ditchburn, and recall some of the memories of his mother Lilian Burn as related to her daughter Jessie
Some of my fondest memories stem from my childhood and the many times I spent with my Grandmother Burn and her family; and my cousins.
Grandmother Burn was widowed in 1914, at the beginning of the 1st World War, while living in Nile St. Grandfather Burn was a distant figure of whom I recall little, although don't recall ever seeing him sit down. He died when I was six and although I have little memory of him I do recall Gran talking about hom on occasions. His early years were spent at sea and Gran told mem that every time he left for sea he would recite Robbie Burns "My love is like a red, red rose." After Grandfather died Gran took in two lodgers.
It was while my father was at sea during the 1st World War that I spent many happy times with Gran at her home in Nile ST and with it being a family home there was little spare room, consequently when I stayed there I shared a bed with Auntie Beatie. Sometimes mother would stay overnight and as there were no spare beds she would share the bed with AUntie Beatis and myself. I enjoyed that I would pretend to be asleep and listen to them talking.
One conversation I overheard was Mam and Auntie Beatie discussing two proposals of marriage that Auntie Beattie had received from two different men. The discussion ranged over the various merits of both men as Auntie Beattie tried to reach a decision as to which one to marry. She married Stan, who later became a top Union man and stood for office in the Labour Party, and I was Auntie Beatie's bridesmaid at their wedding but only because I had a pretty dress. Much of the time I stayed at Grans was spent playing with my cousins with whom I would run messages for Gran such as the time I went to Ditchburns of Villiers Street for firewood.
Grandmother Burn was not a housewife, she was a home worker for Union Flannel for whom she was a seamstress. Much like Lillian in latter years Grans house was her work place as well as her home and as such was her main source of income. I would often go with Gran to Liverpool House to collect rolls of wadding, to make quilts for the Firm, as well as other materials. Union Flannel made a range of products and so Gran would spend her days sewing anything from shirt collars to blankets and the family had to fit in around her work.
It was during this period that Grans youngest son Joseph Baxter Burn was killed in the war, she was devastated but it was only when she got a letter from the War Office with £5.00 that she broke down and cried.
When the was over and Dad came to stay I stopped visiting Gran, I think Dad felt his sisters were bad influence on his daughters. After I married I resumed my visits to Gran, the last visit I recall was an occaasion when I was pushing Jack in his pram along Union St when he fell from the pram> Iwas firghtened that hew as hurt and as Grans was a short distance away I went to her for help, fortunatley he was unhurt. Gran died shortly afterward, the year I beleive was 1930.
Aunt Violet was Grandmother Burn's youngest daughter asn was idsabled having been born with a deformed foot, a condition for which they were described as "cripples". This was the reason that Auntie Violet didn't gp out to work but helpedd her mother at home with the housework and cooking as well as working for Union Flannel. I recall some of the work she undertook but in particular she made black velvet collars but at the front of the collars she pained bright flower. Mam regularly wore one of Auntie Violets collars.
After the was Auntie Violet was taken ill and admitted to hospital for an operation for appendicitis, which, for some reason went wrong and left Violet in a coma. She was sent home while in a coma for her mother to look after and it was thought she would die without regaining consciousness. However it was not to be for AUntie Violet survived to tell the tale of Gran and Auntie Beatie discussing her insurance in the room where she was lying in a coma, never dreaming she could hear them. When she recovered Auntie VIolet was paralysed from the waist down but she could still laugh when describing her mother and sister discussing her insurance. Auntie VIolet died sometime before my last visit to Gran but we talked about her at some length.
- These notes were provided by Leslie Ditchburn, and recall some of the memories of his mother Lilian Burn as related to her daughter Jessie
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Sources - [S282] Marriage Index (Reliability: 3).
- [S282] Marriage Index (Reliability: 3).