A recent search of a family suitcase led to the discovery of several letters and documents from the late 1940s. These documents show the early stages of my mother, Aniela Szkawran (1919–2014), as she built up her new life in post-war London. They offer personal insight into Polish refugees of that period, reveal an unexpected connection with high society and a remarkable female explorer, and include a visit from a young John F. Kennedy.

The Letters and the Timeline

After my mother arrived in England in 1946, she took a job as a housekeeper in London, and the surviving letters record her movements during her first two years in the country.

• From January 1947 to August 1947, she worked as a housekeeper for Mr Harvey C. Bishop at 21 Adelaide Avenue, Brockley, London SE4.
• From August 1947 to April 1948, she worked as a housekeeper for Mrs Violet Fisher at 19 Princes Gate, Kensington, London SW7.
• From April 1948 to December 1948, she was once again working for Mr Harvey C. Bishop in Brockley.

19 Princes Gate and Violet Cressy-Marcks

Princes Gate in Kensington image attribution: Kerim44, CC BY 3.0 via Wikimedia Commons.

Photo Gallery of the Documents

The documents shown above are from the Rodziewicz family archive. No Reuse.

Transcriptions of the documents

1. A letter written by Mr Harvey Bishop to Mrs Francis Fisher (about August 1947)

This composite record contains a reference from Harvey Bishop at the top and a reassuring message to Aniela’s mother in Poland at the bottom:

19, PRINCES GATE, S.W.7

TELEPHONE: KENSINGTON 5960

To Mrs Francis Fisher at the above address from Mr Bishop

Dear Madam, “Nella”, as we fondly call Aniela Szkawran, has been with us as housekeeper since she came to England some six months ago. I can give her no higher praise than to say that she goes at her own request and leaves a gap here which no one will be able to fill quite so adequately. As a testimonial to her character, honesty, loyalty and ability, I would state that should she wish to return to us at any time, she would be more than welcome.

Yours faithfully, (signed Harvey Bishop)

From Mrs Fisher to Nella’s Mother

Nella has been here only one day, but my family (Husband and two little boys now on holiday) all are delighted that she is taking care of us; she has tackled the situation here (which has never been more difficult, as our Grig has stopped working and the daily maids didn’t turn up) extremely ably and shows clearly that she is prepared to take the rough with the smooth, a great asset these days. Please do not worry about Nella. I will do my best to make her happy and look after her health and comfort. We are next door to the Polish Institute [Sikorski Institute] and, if she desires, she can meet and talk to Polish people from that house.

Note: “Grig” is likely an incorrect description of an “Aga” or “Grate.”

Yours faithfully, Violet Fisher

2. A reference letter by Violet Fisher (24 April 1948)

19, PRINCES GATE, S.W.7

April 24th 1948

Nella Szkawran has been with me for nine months; she is honest in all respects, carries out her duties cleanly, is very capable, and has some good friends. Every weekend, she was left alone in the house while I was away for four months, and she showed great loyalty in looking after my interests. I would be more than pleased to speak in her favour at any time.

Violet Fisher

3. A reference letter by Harvey C. Bishop ARIBA (4 December 1948)

21 Adelaide Avenue, Brockley S.E.4.

4th December, 1948.

To whom it may concern.

I certify that Mrs Aniela Rodziewicz (my mother, now using her married name) worked in my household as a housekeeper from January to August 1947 and from April until 4th December 1948. She is leaving of her own initiative, and I will be pleased to provide any references that anyone who wishes to employ her may require.

Harvey C. Bishop ARIBA

Clarification: Are Mrs Violet Fisher and Mrs Francis Fisher the Same Person?

Yes, they are the same person. In formal 20th-century social etiquette, married women were frequently addressed using their husband’s first name, in this case, her husband, Francis (Frank) Edwin Fisher, making her formally Mrs Francis Fisher. Her given name was Violet (born Violet Olivia Cressy-Marcks, a noted explorer and travel writer), and she signed personal correspondence and references simply as Violet Fisher or V. Fisher. Both names refer to the same individual, who resided at 19 Princes Gate, London, and Hazelwood House in Kings Langley, Hertfordshire.

Cooking for John F. Kennedy

When my mother worked at 19 Princes Gate, an unforeseen incident occurred that she remembered for many years afterwards. On one of her first days with the Fisher family, just as Mrs Fisher had noted about the broken “Grig” and the daily staff being absent, a gathering occurred, and the usual chef did not turn up, so my mother was asked to prepare the meal.

One of the guests at Princes Gate that day was a young member of Congress from Massachusetts, John F. Kennedy, who was 30 years old.

In September 1947, while Kennedy was serving his first term in the U.S. House of Representatives, 13–14 Princes Gate had been the residence of the U.S. Ambassador during his father Joseph P. Kennedy’s time in office (1938–1940). The family had kept close ties with people in the surrounding area. Although a crisis hit the kitchen, the emergency meal proved a success.

Sixteen years later, in June 1963, President John F. Kennedy made an official visit to the UK to meet Prime Minister Harold Macmillan. As his motorcade travelled along Talgarth Road in Hammersmith on its way into Central London, my mother stood in the crowd holding me up to watch him pass, a quiet full-circle moment connecting a Kensington kitchen in 1947 to world history in 1963.

The Bishop Connection and Later Years

My mother maintained a professional relationship with the Bishop family for years. After her second term in Brockley ended in December 1948, she kept in contact with them. When the Bishop family moved north to Sunderland in the early 1960s, she went back to work for them as housekeeper, and I went with her, spending about a year in the Bishop household and attending infant school in Sunderland.

Many years later, that short stay in Sunderland took on an unusual character: during the inquiry into the notorious “Wearside Jack” hoax cassettes (the Jack the Ripper hunt), the police systematically interviewed men throughout the country who had spent time in Sunderland and had recently been to Yorkshire. My attendance at infants school in Sunderland produced a database match, which led me to attend a voluntary interview at Mitcham Police Station in Surrey, where an officer took my fingerprints, checked my accent and handwriting, confirmed it was obviously a false lead, and would recommend to his superiors that the file be closed.

The main account is still preserved in those yellowed pages: a young Polish woman showing strength as she lived in post-war London, won the respect of her employers, and gradually took on more responsibility when history came to dinner.

---

Enjoy reading my commentary? Add South Coast View as a Preferred Source on Google to see new posts first.

A selection of featured posts. View all posts.