To set the context of the story, I wrote previously of my Aunt Nessie (Agnes Christie Malcolm Davidson), I spent a fair bit of time with Auntie Nessie as she immigrated to Rhodesia shortly after my Mum and Dad. She lived with us for a time - she was (in my opinion) my glamorous Aunt, she loved clothes and wore them with style, her hair was beautifully coiffured each week and her nails manicured and polished. She was unmarried when she migrated and prior to that time had worked with Scottish Rail and had travelled to Saint Quentin, France many times to visit the French cousins. Aunt Nessie wrote regularly to the French cousins, she had photographs of them. I loved hearing about them and I always thought it romantic and exciting to have these French relatives.
There was Nellie, Daisy, Dora and William all living in Saint Quentin. As I said I loved hearing the stories of them and .. here comes the memory, I could remember a French Aunt visiting us in Monifieth when I was a child, along with an American Uncle George!! The French Aunt brought as a gift a large box of Bonbons. Who was this Aunt?
Auntie Nessie did tell me of the connection, who was married to whom and I carefully recorded the facts. This was on a visit to her in 1990 after I had migrated to Australia, and before my Family history passion began. Big confession I "lost" the book in which I had recorded the story. However I do know that Nellie, Daisy, Dora and William were my Mum and aunt's cousins.
I did talk to my Mum about the connection and Mum confirmed it was her Dad's sister who married a Frenchman and went to live in France, but she went on to say that it was always Nessie her sister who kept close contact.
When I began my family tree, I added all the known relatives and as the tree grew I realized that my Grandfather had two half brothers and a half sister sister. His half brothers, George Davidson and John Davidson both migrated to USA and so it would have to be his half sister Helen who met William Snowden and moved to France. Aunt Nessie died in 2004 so I was unable to confirm with her, but my Mum was almost certain that it was Helen who married William Snowden and moved to France. Mum hadn't realised that Helen, George and John were half siblings. I haven't been able to find a marriage certificate or birth certificates of children born to Helen and William, but with the family stories, small snippets of information in letters, and in correspondence with John Davidson's granddaughter in USA, I am fairly sure that it was Helen Davidson who met William Snowden in Monifieth and later married him.
According to the 1891 Census, Helen was living in Monifieth with her Dad David, and brothers John and George. William too was residing in Monifieth according the census. He was a lodger, a British Subject born in France and his occupation was a Jute Mill Mechanic.
Jute was being spun in Monifieth at that time, and I am sure romance stepped in and Helen met William, the two married and sailed away to France..
In correspondence, birthday books belonging to my mum and Aunt I have managed to record birth dates of 2 of their 4 children as well as death dates. In the correspondence between myself and John Davidson's, granddaughter as well as other snippets discovered in letters between my Mum and her sister Nessie, I have established that it was Uncle George from USA, and Helen's daughter Nellie from France who visited us in Monifieth in 1950. John Davidson's Granddaughter Chris and her parents were also with them, prior to their migration to USA.
Auntie Nessie holidayed in Monifieth and France after migrating to Rhodesia and on one of the visits she returned with a beautiful painting, the artist being Nellie M Snowden. This was a wedding gift as my Aunt was soon to be married. One of her wedding photographs shows the painting. My Aunt loved this painting and it had pride of place in her homes.
My Aunt died in 2004 and was survived by her husband Eddie who later died in 2009. As they had no children, it was expected that my Mum ( or my sister and I ) would inherit the modest estate, modest because of the economic downturn and political events in Zimbabwe. However it was discovered that there was no current will. (Difficult to understand as Eddie was a particular and precise Assistant Commissioner of Police, but that is a another tale.)
I flew over to Zimbabwe with documents to prove who I was, photographs of family, including the photograph of the painting and a list of several items that my Mum believed were family heirlooms and possessions of my Aunts before she married and the hope that the large box of photographs which my Aunt had of the family, including one of my Grandad, her father in his Blackwatch uniform was still there. I was able to take the family possessions including the painting out of Zimbabwe - however the box of photographs was never found.. I think my Uncle may have disposed of them, again another tale.
The painting was hung in my Mums home and moved with her into aged care accommodation last year. Unfortunately my Mum passed away shortly after her move to aged care and my sister and I decided that as i had physically carried the painting from Zimbabwe to Melbourne Australia, I would inherit it and it now hangs in my lounge room. A tale of many romances I think.....
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| This is my Aunt Nessie on her wedding day behind her is the painting 11th June 1964 |
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