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Bessie was born in 1896 in London.
Leon says Sam was from Russia, and was in fact related to Bessie, a second or third cousin. Albert say that Sam was in the Russian army in 1917 and deciding it was 'no good' he just walked out, headed off westard, living the whole time on jam. He told Albert thats why he never ate jam after that.
They had a child- Lionel, who had Taysachs disease and died aged around three (I was also told that he died at around one year old)Tayschs is carried by about 4% of Ashkanazie Jews. Toby says the death of their child affected the them deeply. Leon says she was nice, a good aunt with Leon being a bit of a favorite, a substitue for Lionel in some way perhaps. They cetained 'spoiled' their nieces and nephews.
Bessie worked as a secretary in a stockbrokers office at one stage, and her and Sam also had a series of tailors shops, the first being in Elephant and Castle.
During the war they got bombed out of elephant and castle Toby said that was when Sam and Bessie went to Nottingham, and that zeida went to live with them. I have been told both that they stayed there, but also that they were there less than a year before they to live in Forbury Rd. If they did they must have returned to Nottingham again, because they died there.
I wrote to the Nottingham congregation and on their behalf Mr Bernard Millet replied. He said that Bessie was a friend a his mother. He said hethat believed Sam worked for a cothing manufactures in London. When the war came his firm switched to making uniforms, military clothing and gas protective clothing, he says "for safetys sake a number of the companies were moved to the comparative safety of Nottingham"He remembers them them as a quiet friendly couple.
Sam died in 1962, and Bessie died in the same year.The Nottingham congregation records show that Bessie Brooker died at sea in April 1962. She and her husband lie in graves 388 and 389 in the Wilford Hill cemetary.