| Notes |
- 1895 KATHLEEN FRANCES
Born at Woodside, Surrey, and at aged 6 sent as weekly boarder to Campion Home School, Sydenham (“horrible”). Spent her holidays at CASTLEDENE at the top of Fox Hill and kept her donkey at her Grandfather’s house, BEAU CHENE, half-way down Fox Hill. About 1904 the family moved to GRANGEHURST, Woldingham, where she remembers the horse, pony, governess cart, picnics. Woldingham was at this time deep in the country and completely undeveloped. It was at this time that a large house called SYLVAN MOUNT was built by her father and the family moved in 1907.
She continued and finished schooling at Ravenscroft School, Seaford (since moved to Eastbourne) and, finding school work easy and being good at games, became School Prefect.
Having left school just before the Great War, when war broke out she insisted that she should take up a career and entered University College Hospital as a Medical Student. Here she seems to have been able to study and enjoy herself, at the same time qualifying both as a L.R.C.P. and M.R.C.S.
In 1920 Kathleen married the senior curate to Dick Shepherd at St. Martin-in-the-Fields, London - HUGH J. MATTHEWS. After marriage and about five years in Poplar, she continued with her career as a G.P. and later as an eye specialist until she retired in 1970.
In 1914 lady doctors were a rarity, but she had the example of Dr. Ethel Bowlby, who was her mother’s doctor and had attended at her birth and that of her younger brothers and sisters.
Kathleen was no doubt the brains of the family, but tended to plough her own furrow and for this reason was less one of the family than her brothers and sisters.A FEW OF KATHLEEN’S RECOLLECTIONS OF HER EARLY CHILDHOOD (aged 87
I. First I remember Castledean”, Upper Norwood, once owned by Bulmer Lytton and had a folly in the garden - Pa in good funds!
Death of Queen Victoria - ran along the parapet wall of the hotel in Crystal Palace Road - a terrible thing to do! Ticked off by hateful old nurse.
II. Moved to country, “Grangehurst”, Woldingham. Had in turn, goat and chaise, donkey and trap, and finally pony and governess cart (Leighton fell out into the road).
III. Moved to “Sylvan Mount”. Had a pony for myself to ride - hunted once with Old Surrey Staghounds on a leading rein - Master: Mr. McTaggart- soon joined Old Surrey Foxhounds and we hunted from Addington Park to Edenbridge (we used to “box” down to Edenbridge meet).
IV. Schools.
Ravenscroft, Warlingham
(a) Either train to Upper Warlingham - 2d return or
(b) Rode there and taunted the groom “Girlie” - Randall our Mrs. R’s brother.
Ravenscroft, Seaford until 17½ years old.
All my youth it was peaceful until I was about 13 (1908), the beginning of fear of German invasion. Pa said he would shoot Ma and me if they came.
V. Before the War, Pa had his ups and downs financially - had the land but not always the “ready”. When he was down, Ma said he would wear a flower in his buttonhole. She was marvellous with him and I think felt it when in the early thirties Leighton became “Mick and Mack” as she had always been his helpmate until then.
VI. The feeling in my youth was that things were always “fixed happily” and could not change.In 1914 all changed and now too awful everywhere and in the U.K. beginning with us - of our seven horses, six were requisitioned, leaving one untrained called “Rowley” - a beast I “cubbed” it and it was sold at Tattersalls “Ridden by a lady”. It used to rear and I was terrified it might fall back.
Early days at Sylvan Mount and later
(a) Mother “at home” third Thursdays (Kathleen once ate all the cherries on the top of the little cakes before the people came).
(b) Hughes boys riding on Sunday morning to “vet”. The adolescent Kathleen hoofed off by Pa. I later met Basil Hughes when to ? Charity.
VII. After the War, we moved many times, each time buying cheaply and improving and selling again.
- 1911 Census :
Kathleen Frances Cawthorne Pupil 15, School
was at Southlands School, Sutton Avenue, Seaford
- WILL :
Kathleen Frances Matthews of Sierra Vista Apartado 62 Mijas Malaga Spain died 9 June 1987 Administration with Will London 4 July £98088 in England and Wales 8851107946Z
- 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
|
1895 - 1987 (91 years)
