Notes |
- ANNIE FRANCES.
Born 29th April 1867 (1866?), one of a number of daughters of a gentleman farmer, WOODS, who farmed near COLCHESTER. Her father had at least 13 children and my eldest sister, Kathleen, remembers nine of them - all charming and, as she says, they all thought" the world was made for the Woods." The only successful one (moneywise) was ATHOL, and perhaps the last to die was the youngest daughter, LILY, in JOHANNESBURG, in about 1968, her husband, Roberts, had been a District Commissioner and Magistrate.
Annie was a very beautiful woman, with auburn hair and brown eyes, a lover of flowers, and really had "green fingers". If Alfred could create fine landscapes and terraces, she could ensure their floral beauty!
Her family did not approve of her marriage in 1892 to Alfred, who was then only 22 and she 25; however, in spite of the ups and downs of their circumstances and the two great wars, they lived a happy life bringing up six children.
Annie suffered great pain from duodenal ulcers during at least the last twenty years of her life - the treatment of a milk diet with charcoal, etc., was not really effective and she died, aged 76, at Eastbourne on 15th February 1943 during the phase of the second war, when the seaside towns were being dive-bombed. The church on the other side of their home, Robin Hill, was demolished by a bomb and Robin Hill had shell holes through the bedrooms.
Annie's grandfather WOODS, who died in 1910, as a young man in the City of London shipping business of HALL, married Mr. Hall's daughter and became a partner - Hall & Woods. This marriage resulted in five brothers (there were probably girls as well), 3 or 4 of whom emigrated to South Africa with £5,000 each (a very substantial sum in the latter part of the 19th century). They all prospered as large-scale farmers until the Boer War - their descendants are professional people and headmistresses, etc.
The remaining son, with his £5,000, stayed in England and became a gentleman farmer, marrying a farmer's daughter, aged 18, whom he had met at a Hunt ball. These were Annie's parents.
One of Annie's maternal forbears - probably her uncle Hall - lived at Kenley and had his house built on thirteen columns - one for each of his children. This Hall was an alderman of the City of London in 1869 and it was he who started the Green Belt plan. He arranged for the Finance Committee of the City to purchase for £7,000 Kenley Common 70 acres, Coulsdon Common 76 acres, Riddlesdown 78 acres and Farthing Downs 121 acres.
Annie always signed her name as Francis with an 'i' and not 'e' as is more usual for a girl, and this is borne out by the spelling on her marriage certificate of 15th September 1892. However, she called her eldest daughter Kathleen Frances.
- Passenger List :
Alfred Matthew Cawthorne 59 Architect
Annie Francis Cawthorne 57
Gwendolen Cawthorne 17
were passengers From Genoa to Southampton on the Prinses Juliana arriving on 13 July 1929. The address given was Littlewold, Warlingham, Surrey.
- 1901 Census :
Alfred Cawthorne Head 31 Surveyor
Annie F Cawthorne Wife 29
Kathleen F Daughter 5
Stuart Son 3
Muriel Daughter 2
Nellie Hill Servant 25
Ballyman Churley Visitor 66 Living on own means
Janet Churley Visitor 58 Living on own means
- Essex vs Sussex?
Clement says that Alfred Woods (Annie Francis' father) was a "Gentleman farmer near Colchester", but Annie Francis appears to have been Born in Buckland, Surrey, and not in Essex. Similarly her many Brothers and sisters also appear to have been Born in Surrey/Sussex and not Essex.
- WILL :
Annie Francis CAWTHORNE of Robin Hill Lodge Fairfield Road Eastbourne died 17 February 1943 at Esperance Nursing Home Hartington Place Eastbourne Probate LEWES 13 April to Alfred Matthew Cawthorne Architect. Effects £5,069 13s 4d
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