Elsie Graves Starkey

Short Biography

Elsie was born at 4 Hurry Street, Toxteth Park, Liverpool, on the 19th October 1914 to John Gleave and Catherine Martha Johnson.Her father John Gleave (born 11th April 1891) was a bombardier working as a labourer in the tin-works at the garrison of the 8th Battalion Royal Lancashire Artillery when Elsie was born. In civil life, he was a boiler-maker and lived at 3 Loxdale Street, son of William Cleave and Mary Kate Conroy, who married on the 10th June 1889 at St. Michael’s parish church, Walton on the Hill.John Cleae married Catherine Martha Johnson of 18 Tavistock Street at St. Matthew’s church, Toxteth Park, on the 12th April 1914.Catherine was born at 34 Gaskell Street, on the 21 St April 1891, the daughter of a merchant seaman. Her father Andrew was the son of another Liverpool sailor, Peter Johnson; her mother Mary Elizabeth was the daughter of a gardener called James Cunningham also from Liverpool.In October 24th 1936 Elsie Gleave married Richard Starkey, confectioner, at St. Silas parish church, Toxteth. On July 7th 1940 their only child, Richard Starkey, was born at 9 Madryn Street, Liverpool.Both lived with Dick's parents until they found their own home. They enjoyed going out at nights until Elsie gave birth to Richard in 1940. In 1943, Dick left home and they divorced in October of that year; he visited occasionally as Elsie remained close to her former in-laws and remarried on April 17th 1953 to painter Harry Graves.Elsie and son Richie remained close until her death in 1987 while he was estranged from his father and was very close to his stepfather Harry.