ANNIE / ANNA WELLS, nee Crawford. Also known as Pat.
My maternal grandmother.
She was born of Hugh and Annie Crawford and Belfast on 17 March 1890.
This is her birth certificate (an extract from a general one) District of Belfast. (Entry 248 of sheet 01905945 327). Note that her parents were then living at 50 Lavinia Street.
She went to school in Belfast.
She went to South Africa in the early 1900s. There is a family story that says that she went out to nurse an ailing sister. I do not know who that was, but do know that at some point her sister Mary went out there (and returned to the UK so that her daughters could continue their dancing careers). I have recently found a reference to Cherry family going out and wonder if this story could also refer to a sister-in-law. Anyway such actions influenced chance and our eventual families.
Annie met and married Cuthbert Ernest Wells, my maternal grandfather known as Da, in Johannesburg.
Christian Science may well have played a part in them meeting. (See CRAWFORD AND RELIGION index.asp?pageid=693957). I remember them living in a flat next to the church in Belgravia in East London, South Africa.
We lived at 10 Tait Road in Baysville in East London. We then moved next door and they moved into our house. We later moved into a house in Pembroke Place in Nahoon, in East London and they moved in too. By that time my grandfather was poorly and he died there.
When we moved again, this time to 5 Clarendon Road, Selborne in East London, South Africa, she moved in with us into a purpose made conversion of the garage. I remember ardent bridge parties there and the suffocating smoke left by her group.
She died there in 1967.
Many people knew her as Pat, even Patricia, but that was a nickname refering to her Irish origins.
Her Irish origins were kept alive each St Patrick,s Day, just subtley with some green or a shamrock item of jewelry. She collected some antiques on trips. We have a silver tea pot with the Red Hand of Ulster on it. I don't think it was from her family, but found on such a trip. That emblem also appeared on a bed warming pan that she had bought simply because it looked nice.
It is worth digressing here. If you don't know what the Red Hand of Ulster is have a look here. It plays a prominent role in Ulster and Irish symbolism. In essence it is based on the legend that : One potential king so desired the kingship that, upon seeing that he was losing the race, he cut off his hand and threw it to the shore — thus winning the kingship. https://belfastchildis.com/2015/10/14/red-hand-of-ulster/
It is a very potent symbol. Even here in Scotland. Near where we live now is a grand house called Dalmoak House built by an Irish businessman. The impressive stainedglass to the central stair depicts the event in a romantic interpretation. I cover it in my website on Scottish architecture : http://www.spanglefish.com/watsononarchitecture/index.asp?pageid=669783
