Mrs Hornsby was born in Barrack Yard, in one of six houses in The Street which were pulled down when the bungalows were built by The Cock public house.  The house had one room and a kitchen downstairs, although there was a bakehouse in the back yard which had been turned into a wash house with two brick coppers which the residents of the houses in Barrack Yard would take it in turns to use.  Her mother used to cook on an open fire in the kitchen with an oven to one side of the fire.  The grate had to be constantly black-leaded.

There was a pump in the back yard for water and her mother kept a water butt by the back door so they used the soft rain-water for washing themselves and their hair.  The toilets were at the bottom of the back yard and the children had to be escorted to the toilet at night as they were frightened of the dark.  There was no toilet paper - they had to use newspaper.

There were stairs from the kitchen to two bedrooms for the parents and six children (she had four sisters and one brother).  The brother slept with the parents and the girls shared the other room, although they were not always there at the same time as as soon as they were fourteen years old they went into service and slept there.  Each of the houses in Barrack Yard had a small garden where they used to grow vegetables.

She was not allowed out of the house much, although she used to play with her spinning top in The Street as there were very few cars then, just a few horses and carts along the road, so it was comparatively safe for children.  Apart from playing with her spinning top, she would sit on the doorstep a lot and play with her fivestones.  On Sundays the children were not allowed to do needlework or play.  They used to go to chapel twice a day, then go for a walk after the evening service.

Her father was a farm worker, a cowman at Rayne Hall.  At fourteen Mrs Hornsby went into service in Black Notley where she had to milk cows among other jobs.