Maidenhead man who married into a family with 10 children dies aged 81

Many 25-year-olds would run a mile at the thought of having to look after one child, but Leonard Campbell Mason took on 10 so he could marry the love of his life.

The former gardener, who also worked in an auction rooms in Portlock Road, died aged 81 on Sunday, May 17.

When former Merchant Navy man Len wanted to marry Christel, she had 10 children.

Christel had two with her ex-husband in her native Germany, who divorced her in 1949, after she thought he had died in a prisoner of war camp. She had two more children with a British serviceman she was briefly married to, and six with a Maidenhead man she had lived with for 10 years.

But this, and an 11-year age gap, did not put off the then 25-year-old Len from the old East Street.

In 1959 he promised to marry Christel. They tied the knot in 1960.

Adopted daughter Rosalinde said: “He wouldn’t marry her unless she took us all out of our homes, because we came from broken homes.”

“He was just amazing, he took us all on at a young age and treated us all well. He kept us on the right road.”

He formally adopted Brian, Rosalinde, Marjorie, Ronald, Petula, Nicholas and Allan.

Three of the children – George, Monika and Dieter – were too old to be adopted by Len, but he helped reunite Christel with them, after they lost contact with their mother.

He bought a caravan on hire purchase, and then worked as many hours as he could to fund a home for the family, who he was committed to reuniting.

Christel and Len then had a daughter, Briggitta.

Briggitta says her father was well-known around the pubs.

In 1979 he was pictured in the Advertiser taking on a yard of ale at a charity event in the North Star.

Briggitta said: “He was just such a wonderful character. He would do whatever he could to help, if anybody wanted help. If he couldn’t help himself he would put them in contact with somebody who could.

“How he was a man of 25, to take on the children, it’s incredible for anybody.”

“He’ll be so sadly missed.”

Christel died suddenly in 2000.

Len’s funeral is at 11.30am at St Peter’s Church in Furze Platt on Friday, June 5.