WHEN Albert Parker started delving into his family’s past, he had no idea what he would find.

What he discovered was the heartbreaking tale of a woman struggling through the loss of six of her children and her first husband, constantly struggling to keep her family going.

His grandmother, Keziah Hinchcliff, then Parker, lost a husband through pneumonia, four sons in the First World War and then two daughters to flu.

She also had 18 pregnancies but lost eight of her children before they were even born.

Mr Parker, 71, a retired builder from Woodfield Road, Bicester, said: “It’s unbelievable when you think what that generation went through.

“I was only four when she died but I remember her.

“She was a lovely woman. And when you think what a hard life she had, losing all those children. It’s incredible.”

Keziah Hinchcliff was born in Little Chesterton, near Bicester, in 1867. Her first husband, Arthur Hirons, also came from Little Chesterton.

She had six sons and two daughters with him. Mr Hirons passed away in 1911.

Mr Parker said: “She was quite a woman. My uncle used to say she was always taking the washing out and would iron until 2am to make some money. And she would make sure they would always have two hot meals a day.”

She married again, this time to Felix John Parker, and the family lived in North Street, Bicester. But at the outbreak of war in 1914, five of her sons – Joseph, William, Arthur, Frank and Maurice Hirons – went off to fight, aged in their late teens and early 20s.

Her sixth son Robert was too young to see action.

Four of them would not live to see the end of the war. Maurice died at the Battle of Ypres in November 1914 and Frank lost his life in 1915.

Joseph died in 1916, while Arthur, was killed the same year during the Battle of the Somme.

Only William, who was in the Royal Engineers, returned home. Maurice, Joseph and Arthur were in the Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire Light Infantry, while Frank was in the Rifles.

Mr Parker said: “And sadly, Frank had just been married and had a baby son who he never met. I have a lot of letters and postcards sent between family members during the war and they were a very loving family, they all seemed close.”

Mrs Parker lost her two daughters as well. Both in their 20s, Edith and her sister – whose name is unknown – died from flu. She had two more sons, Felix – Mr Parker’s father – and James. She lived in North Street until her death in 1944, aged 77.

Mr Parker, himself now a grandfather, said: “She lost so many children, it’s unbelievable. It doesn’t seem possible that people could go through such things. And yet here was a family just living their lives in Bicester, but faced with such hardship.”

Mr Parker would like to find out more about his uncle Robert, who lived in Wolvercote.

l Did you know Robert Hirons? Or do you have any interesting stories from your family history? Call Rhianne Pope on 01865 425411 or email rpope@oxfordmail.co.uk