Michael Sheehan and Dorothy Fields' story
Michael Sheehan
My Greatgrand father, Michael Sheehan, was born in Covert Garden 1911 in an Irish community, brought up working in the Covert Garden market as a young boy. At fourteen, he left school and became a Motor mechanic in a garage in Hampstead. This was were he then became chairman of the Hampstead young conservatives, where he then met his future wife, Dorothy Field, in 1933.
Dorothy and Michael would go on cycle rides, hike and camp with their friend. He worked in Hoovers before the war began, and then was stationed in many airfields in the South mending Lancasters on their return from bombing raids.
Dorothy and Michael Sheehan got married at a registry office in 1935 and had their son, Peter Sheehan, in 1944. Michael Sheehan was then sent off to Burma in 1944 where he then returned home in 1946 when Peter was 2. After the war he returned back to working in Hoovers until his knees became too painful to work on anylonger, so then became a store clerk in Mulliner Park Ward who produced top of the range Rolls Royces.
After the war, like many men who served, he seemed to seek a quiet life with work, football, and greyhound racing, and later with the two dogs, Husky and Pixie. He delighted in country walks and trips to Covent Garden. A delightful, amusing, steady man, he was aware of his lack of formal eduction and was slightly in awe of Dorothy, who he loved dearly.
Their son, Peter Sheehan, wrote them a poem named "the tree" when he was eleven, which Dorothy Sheehan took much pride in. Michael's poems as displayed were his way of showing her how much he loved her, despite being unable to give her the grand things of life, and of seeking her pride in his poetry, which he certainly achieved. Michael died of cancer in 1986, aged seventy-five, eight months after their Golden Wedding (50 years). Mikey to his older brother, or Mick to others. A lapsed Catholic from a Catholic family, and had an avid interest in politics and was a reader of novels. Despite his little educational background, he produced these breathtaking poems for his wife Dorothy.
Dorothy Sheehan
Dorothy was born in Willesden Green in 1909 as the fourth child to Amelia Field. Amelia's roots were from rural Oxfordshire. the Fields moved to West London as part of the Market Garden community. Amelia's love of her life was a man named Sadler who had fought in the army in India, after his unfortunate death she later married again her cousin Albert Field. Albert Field died when Dorothy was born and Amelia was left to raise four children all on her own. They had no money, until a while later when her small shop in Willesden was bought. Dorothy left school at 14, she heard herself described as a good worker but with a cockney accent, and felt hugely ashamed of flea marks found along her arms. She would work in Aeolian Hall in London, and would attend night school to learn Shorthand, typing, French and German, whilst also taking elocution lessons. She went on to become a department Manager dealing with foreign customers and serving debt summonses in central London. Dorothy loved to learn, and wanted nothing more. She loved history, plays, poems and astronomy. Later in life she attended U3A in the West End. Whilst not initially wanting children, once she had her son, Peter Sheehan, she lavished on him with the education she wished she had access to. During the war, she worked at Canada House in Trafalgar House and worked for many senior military leaders including General Crerar, later President of Canada. she worked as a P.A/ secretary all the years after the war had finished, where she then retired at the age of 70. In her life she and Michael would play tennis, and she had been Middlesex champion for 100yds. "Little Dollie Fields" to her brothers, "Dottie" to her father, and "Doll" to others. She loved poems and plays including Shakespear. She was an intrepid tourist visiting Canada, France, Greece, Italy and spain.
Michael and Dorothy Sheehan on their Golden Wedding, celebrating at a restaurant in Bedford.