Helen Margaret Donaldson-Hudson

Helen Margaret was the third child of Ralph and Muriel Donaldson-Hudson. She was born on the 21st April 1906 at Cheswardine Hall, Shropshire. She was recorded as living at Cheswardine Hall with her elder sister Ruth and her younger brother John at the census on the 2nd April 1911 under the care of their Governess Marie Michelin. She was known by the nickname Twinks.

She left Avonmouth docks, near Bristol, on the Elders & Fyffes shipping line steamship 'Coronado', which could carry 45 passengers, on the 17th January 1927, bound for Kingston, Jamaica in the West Indies. She returned on the same ship arriving back at Avonmouth on the 4th April 1927. The Coronado was built in 1915 and scrapped in 1935.

On the 4th January 1932, she became engaged to John Orme Kerrison, who was born in London on the 16th January 1907. It was announced in The Times on the 5th February 1932, that the wedding would take place on the 2nd April at St Swithun's church in Cheswardine, but that there would be no reception, but all friends would be welcome at the church. The marriage was conducted by the Rev. R S Renfree and the Rev. E C Freeman. on the 2nd April 1932 at St Swithun's church, Cheswardine. Attached below is a copy of the report of the wedding proceedings

(It is probable there was no reception because on the 7th April 1932 court proceedings were to take place in the divorce between Michael Donaldson-Hudson, Helen's elder brother, and his wife, Hersey Muriel Corbet - more of this elsewhere!) 

On the 16th February 1933, Mr John Orme Kerrison and his wife Helen Margaret arrived  in London on board the Oronsay, of the Orient Steam Navigation Company Ltd from Brisbane, Australia. The Oronsay, had a tonnage of 20,001, and could carry 592 first class and 1244 third class passengers. She was built in 1925 and was torpedoed off the West African coast by a German U-boat on the 9th October 1942. 

Helen  was present at her father's memorial service on the 3rd May 1941, and apparently John Orme Kerrison was not present.

On the 20th July 1953 in Chester, she quietly married Sir John Hurleston Leche, who previously had been married, firstly to Amy Violet Unthank, (born on the 25th November 1892 at Intwood in Norfolk) who bore him a stillborn child, and a daughter Marie Therese, born on the 21st July 1927 in Chester, and secondly to Helen Morris (Babba) Janney, (born on the 15th January 1903 in Philadelphia, USA) who bore him two daughters - Helen Jacqueline, born 30 September in Berne, Switzerland and Emily Alexandra, born on the 23rd September 1942 in Guatemala City, Central America, and two sons - John Hurleston born on the 5th May 1933 in Madrid, Spain and Andrew Nicholas, born the 4th February 1935 in Buenos Aires, Argentina.

Their marriage did not last very long, and on the 23rd March 1957 in her 50th year, Helen Margaret died at Stretton Hall, Malpas, Cheshire, the home of the Leche family. She left estate valued at £1,868 16 6d gross. Her husband died on the 12th May 1960.