Family History
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Adkins families
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Name | Henry Francis 'Frank' ADKINS [8] | Birth | Male; 14 Nov 1878; Kings Norton, Staffordshire UK | Death | 20 Aug 1950, age 71; Paternoster House, Ottery St Mary, Devonshire UK [46] | Burial | Ottery St Mary parish church | Education | Rossall School, Fleetwood, Lancashire UK. See notes | Occupation | Barrister at law with Douglas Wenham Later, accountant with William Wenham | Military | 17 Aug 1916: 33559 Private in the Worcestershire Regiment | Residence | 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. [10] | Father | Thomas ADKINS (1850 - 1922) | Mother | Ellen SOTHAM (1843 - 1936) |
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Spouses: |
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Marriage |
11 April 1907, St Alphege Church, Solihull, Warwickshire [45],[95] |
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2
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Married, 1923 |
Name | Ida Laura TOWNSEND [8],[95] | Birth | Female; 27 Dec 1888 | Death | 19 Oct 1972, age 83; Brockhill Nursing Home, Broadclyst, Devonshire, UK | Burial | Ottery St Mary parish church | Residence | Grays, 5 Church Hill, Solihull Warwickshire to 1929 Eastcroft, Herbert Road, Solihull to January 1939 Paternoster House, Ottery St Mary, Devonshire to late 1950 The Vicarage, Ottery St Mary Yew Tree Cottage, North Street, Ottery St Mary, Devon, UK | Father | John TOWNSEND (~1855 - ) | Mother | Hannah Warner ALLEN (~1865 - 1944) |
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Marriage |
12 Sept 1923, Parish Church, Solihull UK |
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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]
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 Ida Laura TOWNSEND Ida joined the Adkins family sometime after 1912 as governess to the children. When
Frank's first wife, Barbara, died young, he married his children's governess,
Ida. On the death of Frank she moved to The Vicarage, Ottery St Mary,
Devonshire
UK and later to Yew Tree Cottage, Ottery St Mary. She was brought up in
Staffordshire. The picture (left above) was taken at a family gathering on the
lawn at Mickleover Vicarage (her step-daughter Pat's home) in 1948 when she was 59.
The girl behind is her daughter Evelyn then aged 23. It is regrettable that Ida
and her own child, Evelyn Adkins, were never fully accepted by some of the Adkins
children as being a full part of the same family. [95]
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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) |
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