Life History

Notes

From a Web Noticeboard for Budleigh Salterton:
"He told us the Anniss family name derives from a sailor in the Spanish Armada whose vessel was shipwrecked in the Bristol Channel. The family was first established in North Devon before relocating to Budleigh Salterton".

Ada's original birth certificatedoes not give details of her parents. A birth certificate acquiredfrom the General Registry Office shows her father as Henry Anniss and her mother as Elizabeth Hannah Terry (formerly Crossley) There is a '26' which I guess is Elizabeth's age - though no age is shown for the father.

Ada's Baptism record shows her parents as Harry and Elixabeth Hannah. Harry's occupation is 'Clerk'. The family address is 29, Fourth Avenue, Queens Park.

Ada was unfortunately a bit strange in that she never ever mentioned her family and had a fondness for burning personal documents and papers. It has always been rumoured that Ada was from a Plymouth Brethren family and this seems to be the case. Her grandfather, Silas, was a Police Inspector and during his career perhaps the most hated man in Plymouth, if not in England.

Ada's Marriage Brentford Middlesex:

Alfred is shown as 27 yrs; bachelor; Motor Salesman; living at: 21, Ravenscourt Road, Ravenscourt Park.
Ada is 30 yrs; spinster; living at: 46 Eccleston Road, West Ealing.

The marriage is witnessed by Julia T. Drewery (sic) and H. Anniss. (Julia T. was Alfred's sister. Was 'H. Anniss' Ada's brother or her father?)

On the 5th December, 1914, the date of Ada's marriage to Alfred, the card on the left was presented to "Da Anniss", presumaby Harry. Was he given some present? or perhaps this was a place-card for the Wedding feast?

The card gives the couple's new address in Chiswick.

A Letter from China

Mary Drewry, Ada's daughter-in-law said that, sometime around the 2nd World War, Ada received a letter about a female missionary who had been in China for many years since before 1900. The missionary now needed to be repatriated. Apparently, Ada was her nearest relative. (It was suggested that the missionary was an aunt - if so that would have to be her father's sister, Ada.)

Unfortunately the letter went straight on the fire. Mary was desolate that she did not retrieve it. She believes that Ada was disgusted that the woman had had a baby when she was 40! - possibly during her time in China (during the 'Boxer' uprising?). At the time of the letter the 'aunt' could have been in her 80's or 90's.