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Adkins families

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Parents:
Thomas ADKINS
(1850 - 1921)
John Francis RATCLIFF
(1849 - 1915)
Ellen SOTHAM
(1843 - ~1937)
Elizabeth Mary SMITH
(1855 - 1880)

Married: 11 April 1907; St Alphege Church, Solihull, Warwickshire [45],[95]
Henry Francis 'Frank' ADKINS
(1878 - 1950)
Elizabeth Mary Barbara RATCLIFF
(1880 - 1921)
 bd.  14 Nov 1878; Kings Norton, Staffordshire UK
 dd.  20 Aug 1950, age 71; Paternoster House, Ottery St Mary, Devonshire UK [46]
 brd.  Ottery St Mary parish church
 edu.  Rossall School, Fleetwood, Lancashire UK. See notes
 occ.  Barrister at law with Douglas Wenham
Later, accountant with William Wenham
 mil.  17 Aug 1916: 33559 Private in the Worcestershire Regiment
 res.  1881 Census - Living in New Road, Woodleigh, Kings Norton, Staffordshire
Grays, 5 Church Hill, Solihull Warwickshire to 1929
Eastcroft, Herbert Road, Solihull to January 1939
Paternoster House, Ottery St Mary, Devonshire UK from January 1939 until his death. UK [10]
 src.   [8]
 bd.  26 Oct 1880; Edgbaston, Warwickshire UK [16],[17]
 bpd.  21 Nov 1880; Great Alne, Alcester, Warwickshire UK
 dd.  30 Dec 1921, age 41
 res.  UK
 src.   [8]
Spouses: 1, 2

Henry Francis ADKINS family, the child is Katharine b.1912

Henry Francis ADKINS b.1878 Henry Francis 'Frank' ADKINS b.1878 Paternoster House, Ottery St Mary

Elizabeth Mary Barbara RATCLIFF b.1880 Elizabeth Mary Barbara RATCLIFF b.1880 as a child Elizabeth Mary Barbara RATCLIFF b.1880

Children (4):

Dennis 'Den' ADKINS (1909 - 2005)
Katharine Mary 'Katy' ADKINS (1912 - 2002)
Elizabeth Nancy 'Nan' ADKINS (1915 - 2002)
Frances Patience 'Pat' ADKINS (1918 - 2011)

Family notes for Henry Francis 'Frank' ADKINS and Elizabeth Mary Barbara RATCLIFF

When the children were young the family employed Eliza, a 'cook general' - a house help who both cooked meals and did the general housekeeping. This lady had a favourite saying, in a Birmingham accent, 'Winds chinged, it's coommin from ouver the rilewey.' - the railway being just beyond the bottom of the garden in the days when they lived at Church Hill, now Church Hill Road, Solihull. [95]

Notes for Henry Francis 'Frank' ADKINS

While at Rossall School he won a book prize of Dickens' Curiosity Shop which is endorsed 'Rossall School H. F. Adkins 1st Arithmetic examination Xmas 1896 from CBD'. The book has been returned to the school for its historic archive.

Frank's ambition was to be an accountant. However, his father wanted him to become a solicitor so he joined up with Douglas Wenham, a relation of his brother-in-law (sister Evelyn's husband, William Wenham). As independent solicitors they were not successful and the partnership failed, perhaps also because his heart was not in it. He then took the opportunity to become an accountant under the management of his brother-in-law William Wenham. He provided accounting services for various people and companies and was paid secretary of Oulton Golf Club.

He moved the family to Ottery St Mary on the outbreak of war in order to protect them from the danger of bombing. From then on he was frequently away from home in the week. The family had a presence in that part of Devon until 2000 when his son Dennis moved up to Cheshire. [10]

Frank obtained a coat of arms in 1923. The principle feature was reproduced as a monogram in two rings, one for himself and the other for his son Dennis. On Henry's death Dennis took to wearing his father's ring, and later gave his own to his nephew, Tim Boddington. Regrettably, Henry's ring was lost while Dennis was in care and Tim replaced it with a copy made from his. On Dennis's death (2005) this ring went to another nephew, Jonathon Boddington. [11]

Notes for Elizabeth Mary Barbara RATCLIFF

Named after the mother she never knew, her mother having died while giving birth.

I have a number of very touching letters and notes written to her children by Barbara when she knew that she was about to die of cancer. She also gave each child a bible and a prayer book all enscribed with the name of the child and 'With Mummy's love'. I have those given to my mother, Katharine Mary. [95]

Sources

8.  Document, Evelyn GOODMAN research
10.  Census, 1881 British Census, Kings Norton, Worcestershire, England
11.  Interview, 21 July 2001, Dennis Adkins, Interviewed by STB
16.  Email, Kenneth Ratcliff, February 2002
17.  Email, Kenneth E Ratcliif, 14 April 2003
45.  Marriage certificate, District: Solihull, Witnesses: Dorothea M Fletcher, T Adkins, Ada Holland Smith
46.  Interview, Dennis Adkins
95.  Personal information, Tim Boddington (STB, Webmaster)

Family record last updated: 21 March 2023

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