Brett - Lee
Data for the family of Michael Brett and Nellie Mary Lee.
They married in 1902 - see BMD record.
Michael’s census record for 1911 shows him to be living in Hangerlea, Stansted Road, Bishop’s Stortford, with this household:
| Name | Age |
|---|---|
| Michael Brett | 39 |
| Nellie Mary Brett | 29 |
| Joan Brett | 8 |
| John Brett | 6 |
| Peter Brett | 1 |
| Tirzah Faulder | 25 |
| Caroline Alice Hudgell | 24 |
| Annie Amelia Smith | 27 |
Martin Brett described Nellie (“Granny Brett”) as “wonderfully accommodating”.
Children
- Joan Brett (1903)
- John Brett (1905)
- Peter Brett (1910)
See BMD record for Joan, Peter’s records; John’s birth record is a little more difficult to work out.
Joan Brett married Alistair William Hay — presumably subject of this article.
Joan and Alistair William had three children (from conversation with Martin Brett) - Alison, Sally and John.
The BBC has some reminiscences by Alison Keating (née Hay) about the war, her father’s death, and her mother, and more reminiscences about her father.
Peter Brett apparently worked for ICI in Cheshire (Martin B).
He married twice.
He designed boats:
Peter Brett is best known nowadays as the designer of the famous Rival range of yachts.
The Dee 25 Class was one of his early successes and subsequently evolved into the Rival 31.
He designed the first boat, Fair Rover for himself, the design was featured in Yachting World magazine in 1951 and she proved very successful in his local Irish Seas races.
10 more Dee 25s followed.
No 2 Rondinella is a name many people will know, winning the Cowes Dinard Race in 1959 and the only boat in Class 111 to finish the 1965 Channel Race – see Adlard Coles, Heavy Weather Sailing.
All the Dee 25s were built by Allansons of Freckleton on the Lancashire coast and the class that followed was named after the River Dee at Freckleton.
Such was the success of Fair Rover, the yard went on to build another 9 boats to the same design.