Arthur Ernest (1887-1957) and Richard Harold (1892-1956) Flude were the two surviving sons of Ernest Flude (1858-1938) and Fanny Elizabeth Warner (1859-1928) who married in Leicester in 1886. They also had a daughter, Alice May (1888-1967) and another son, Henry Cecil Simmons (1890-1893) who died in infancy. Ernest was an umbrella manufacturer for the wholesale market. He registered several patents for umbrellas in the 1890s under the name of E Flude Ltd. From the time of Arthur’s birth Ernest Flude had a factory in Charles Street and the family lived at 22 Clyde Street. The exact location of the factory premises within Charles Street was to change several times throughout the course of the business, but by 1908 the registered office was at 8 St Martin’s
and the family had moved to Roseleigh, 185 Narborough Road where they would remain until the mid 1920s. Once they reached adulthood Alice May and Richard Harold worked for their father, Alice as bookkeeper. Ernest was elected sidesman in 1909 and served until at least 1931. Both he and Fanny Elizabeth also served on the PCC during the 1920s.
Richard Harold Flude was born on 3rd December 1891 and baptised at St Matthew’s on 31st January 1892. In 1905, aged 14, he was awarded honours in a first grade piano exam. On leaving school he joined his father’s umbrella works. We know that at some point during the war Richard served as private in the Royal Army Service Corps, where he worked in mechanical transport. Unfortunately no service record survives. After the war Richard resumed working for the family umbrella manufacturing business. He married Jessie Edith Medcalf (1896-1978) at St Chad’s, Derby, in 1922. Jessie and Richard lived at 143 Upperton Road from 1925 when daughter Margaret (1925-) was born, until 1932, when they moved to a brand new house – Abbeydale, 117 Carisbrooke Road.
Just before the second world war they moved again, to 21 Shirley Avenue not far away. During the war Richard served as a dispatch rider with the South Battalion Leicester Home Guard. Afterwards Richard and Jessie settled at 80 Stoughton Road, where Richard died on 15th December 1956. Jessie lived another twenty-two years.
Arthur Ernest Flude was born on 27th March and baptised at St Matthew’s on 29th May 1887. After leaving school he worked as a warehouseman for well-known hosiery manufacturers Messrs Pool, Lorrimer and Tabberer of 35 King Street and in June 1914 took part in a cricket match between the firm’s Leicester and Coventry offices.
Arthur married music teacher Edith Emily Hubbard (1888-1967) at St Margaret’s on 22nd July 1915. Edith wore a garnet cross. Arthur’s address was then 11 Devonshire Street but the couple soon moved into 4 Evesham Road. A daughter, Sheila (1916-), was born almost exactly a year later and baptised at St Margaret’s. By this time Arthur had been promoted to manager.
Some time after the wedding, Arthur joined the Rifle Brigade as a private soldier. His service record does not survive but on May 20th 1918 The Leicester Mercury reported that “Private A E Flude, Rifle Corps, is wounded and at a German hospital – wife resides at Evesham Road.” Arthur recovered and returned Evesham Road, where daughter Barbara May (1918-1993) was born a few weeks before the end of the war. They remained at Evesham Road until 1932 and Arthur worked as a commercial traveller.
Between 1933 and 1941 Arthur and Edith lived at “Hutton”, 38 Ring Road and by now Arthur worked with his brother as an umbrella manufacturer, moving during the Second World War to 36 Knighton Road and finally during the 1950s to 68 Holmfield Road where he died on 22nd February 1957. Edith lived on in Holmfield Road for a little longer before dying in Yorkshire in 1967.
The War and St Martin's 