Winifred Noel Wilson was born on 20 December 1892, the younger of the two children of James Lee (1850-1917) and Margaret Cowan Lee née Downes (1862-1924). Her birth was registered in the 1st quarter of 1893 in the Kensington Registration District, London.
In the 1901 census she was shown as Winifred Lee, aged 8 years, living at 78 Warwick Gardens, Kensington, with her parents and her elder sister, Margaret Lee (1888-1936), together with a nurse and two female domestic servants. Her father was described as a chartered account.
When her father completed his 1911 census return form she was shown as Winifred Noel Lee, aged 18 years and was still residing at 78 Warwick Gardens, Earls Court, Kensington, a property consisting of ten rooms, with her parents and her sister, who was now no longer shown as Margaret Lee, but as Marjorie Lee, together with two female domestic servants. Her father continued to list himself as a chartered account and also confirmed that his wife had only given birth to two children.
On 15 February 1915 she married Duncan Randolph Wilson (1875-1945) in St Philip's Church, Kensington, where in the marriage register she is shown as Winifred Noel Lee, aged 22 years, a spinster, living at 78 Warwick Gardens, Kensington, whilst her husband was described as aged 35 years, a bachelor and a civil servant, living at 44 Whitehall Court, London, the son of George Wilson deceased, a manufacturer.
It would appear she started using Freda as her first name as electoral registers from 1923 list her as Freda Wilson, together with her husband, at 7 Sydney Place, London, SW7. From 1932 she was listed as Freda Noel Wilson.
In the 1939 England and Wales Register she was shown as Lady Freda N. Wilson, whose occupation was given as unpaid domestic duties, living at Catts Cottage, Sevenoaks, Kent, with her husband whose occupation was listed as an Inspector of Factories, together with a needlewoman and two female domestic servants.
Her husband died in March 1945 and in the 1951 electoral registers she is shown as Lady Freda N. Wilson at 24 Peel Street, London, W8, together with a Sybil Eaton. Electoral registers from 1953 to 1964 show her recorded as Lady Freda Wilson at 2 Jay Mews, London, SW7, together with Sybil E. Eaton. The registers in 1969-1970 list her as Lady Freda N. Wilson at Flat G, Oscar Court, 17/19 Tite Street, London, SW3, together with Sybil E. Eaton.
She died, aged 84 years, on 19 August 1977, her death being registered as Lady Winifred Noel Wilson in the 3rd quarter of 1977 in the Westminster Registration District, London. Probate records list her as Wilson, Lady Winifred Noel otherwise Freda and confirm her date of death and her address as Flat G, 17 Tite St, London, SW3. Her effects totalled £66,699.
She and her husband are shown as 'Sir Duncan and Lady Wilson' on the information plaque attached to the boundary railings of 1-24 Malvern Court, Old Brompton Road, London, SW7, about 4 yards north east of the statue of Bela Bartok.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
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