Violet Lee

Violet Annie Kray (née Parsons; 5 August 1909 – 4 August 1982) was a British matriarch best known as the mother of the notorious East End gangsters the Kray twins, Ronnie and Reggie. A central and stabilising figure within the family, she maintained a home at 178 Vallance Road in Bethnal Green that served as a sanctuary for her sons throughout their criminal careers. Despite the twins' reputation for extreme violence and organised crime, Violet remained fiercely loyal and protective of them, often cited by biographers as the only person who held significant influence over their behaviour. Her death in 1982 was marked by a high-profile funeral that saw her incarcerated sons permitted to attend under heavy police escort, highlighting her enduring status within London's East End folklore.

Early life Violet Annie Parsons was born on 5 August 1909 in Hoxton, London. She was the daughter of James Parsons, a well-known local figure and street trader, and Mary Parsons. Raised in the working-class districts of the East End, she grew up in an environment where family loyalty and community ties were paramount.

Family and domestic life In 1930, Violet married Charles David "Charlie" Kray, a dealer in second-hand clothing and jewellery. In 1933, the couple moved to 178 Vallance Road in Bethnal Green, a terraced house that would become the longterm base for the family. Throughout the 1970s, she served as the twins' main link to the outside world and the East End community. She continued to live in her Vallance Road home for several years, before eventually moving to a flat in Hoxton. Violet remained fiercely protective of her sons' reputation, often granting interviews where she defended their character and maintained that they were "good boys" who had been targeted by the authorities. During this period, she also focused on her eldest son, Charlie, and her grandchildren, while her home remained a site of pilgrimage for those loyal to the Kray family. She was survived by her husband, who died the following year. Her death prompted a massive outpouring of grief in the East End, where she was regarded as a matriarchal figure of the old community. Her funeral was held on 11 August 1982 at St Matthew's Church, Bethnal Green. The event became one of the most high-profile funerals in London's history, with an estimated 60,000 people lining the mile-long route from the undertakers to the church. The service was attended by several notable figures of the era, including actress Diana Dors. The image of the twins following their mother's floral-laden hearse under armed guard remains a defining cultural image of the Kray era.

Burial

Violet Kray was buried on 11 August 1982 in a private family plot at Chingford Mount Cemetery in East London. Jane Wood in the 2015 biopic Legend, starring Tom Hardy. In this version, Violet is depicted as a stabilising force who largely ignores the violent nature of her sons' criminal empire. Nicola Stapleton in the films The Rise of the Krays (2015) and The Fall of the Krays (2016). Stapleton's portrayal focused on the earlier years of the family and the domestic life at Vallance Road.

Violet is also a recurring character in British true crime literature and was a significant figure in the 2015 documentary The Krays: The Prison Years, which explored her role as the twins' primary connection to the outside world during their long incarceration.