Elspeth S. W. (Thomson) Grahame (1862 - 1946)

Born 3 Jan 1862 in Sunabays, Java, Indonesia

Ancestors

Wife of Kenneth Grahame — married 1899 in St Austell, Cornwall, England, United Kingdom

Died 19 Dec 1946 at age 84 in Pancras, Middlesex, England, United Kingdom

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Judith Robinson [send private message]

Biography

Elspeth was born in 1862 at 'Sunabays' in Java, Indonesia to Robert William Thomson, engineer and inventer, and Clara Hertz. A portrait of Elspeth can be found here[1].

In 1871 the family (showing 3 siblings) lived at 3 Moray Place in Edinburgh. They housed and employed 5 servants: John Hagnes 37, Susan Blair 25, Ann Bremner 24, Margaret Kay 28, Christina MacKinzie 26.

Elspeth's father died in 1873 and her mother remarried, a barrister called John Fletcher Moulton. In 1881 the census shows 'Elsey S. Thompson' living with her mother and step-father in Kensington in London. It shows her birthdate and birth place. By 1891 her mother has died, in the census Elspeth is shown as a 'visitor' at John's residence in Folkstone, Kent, as is her sister Winifred. But then so is his son Hugh! They house and employ 2 servants: Jame Hanton 30, Celine Dor 28.

She was the wife of notable author Kenneth Grahame, marrying in 1899. In 1901 they lived in Kensington London with their young son Alastair, and employed and housed 5 domestic servants: Augusta Volmer 37, Annie J Laird 38, Frances E Barter 30, Mary M Hendry 28, Mary R Menzies 27. Her son killed himself in 1920 and was buried on his 20th birthday. In 1927 they went to Italy on vacation. They were residing at Church Cottage in Pangbourne England at the time. Her husband died in 1932. Theirs was an unhappy marriage.

Residence Year: 1939, Address: Blenham Hotel 119 CHURCH St Residence Place: Brighton, Sussex, England Occupation: Private Means

Elspeth passed away in 1946.

She and her sister, Winifred, and their brother, Courtauld Thomson, gave their home 'Dorneywood' in Buckinghamshire to the National Trust in 1943 for exclusive use of the Chancellor of the Exchequer.

Sources

• Parish: Edinburgh St Stephens; ED: 66; Page: 1; Line: 22; Roll: CSSCT1871_157, Source Information Ancestry.com. 1871 Scotland Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2007. Original data: Scotland. 1871 Scotland Census. Reels 1-191. General Register Office for Scotland, Edinburgh, Scotland.

• Class: RG11; Piece: 48; Folio: 50; Page: 13; GSU roll: 1341011 Source Information Ancestry.com and The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. 1881 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2004. 1881 British Isles Census Index provided by The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints © Copyright 1999 Intellectual Reserve, Inc.

• Class: RG13; Piece: 21; Folio: 148; Page: 34 Source Information Ancestry.com. 1901 England Census [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations Inc, 2005. Original data: Census Returns of England and Wales, 1901. Kew, Surrey, England: The National Archives, 1901. Data imaged from the National Archives, London, England.

• England and Wales Marriage Registration Index, 1837-2005," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:2691-ZNS : 13 December 2014), Elspeth Thomson, 1899; from "England & Wales Marriages, 1837-2005," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing 1899, quarter 3, vol. 5C, p. 169, St. Austell, Cornwall, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

• Ancestry.com. UK and Ireland, Outward Passenger Lists, 1890-1960 [database on-line]. Provo, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2012. Original data: Board of Trade: Commercial and Statistical Department and successors: Outwards Passenger Lists. BT27. Records of the Commercial, Companies, Labour, Railways and Statistics Departments. Records of the Board of Trade and of successor and related bodies. The National Archives, Kew, Richmond, Surrey, England.

• England and Wales Death Registration Index 1837-2007," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:QVCQ-SRCG : 4 September 2014), Elspeth Grahame, 1946; from "England & Wales Deaths, 1837-2006," database, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : 2012); citing Death, Pancras, London, England, General Register Office, Southport, England.

• England and Wales, National Index of Wills and Administrations, 1858-1957," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:W787-D9ZM : 24 June 2019), Elspeth Grahame, 28 Mar 1947; citing Probate, London, England, United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Stationery Office, Great Britain.; FHL microfilm

• Dorneywood[2]

• Find a grave[3]

• The National Archives; Kew, London, England; 1939 Register; Reference: RG 101/2451K Source Information Ancestry.com. 1939 England and Wales Register [database on-line]. Lehi, UT, USA: Ancestry.com Operations, Inc., 2018. Original data: Crown copyright images reproduced by courtesy of TNA, London England. 1939 Register (Series RG101), The National Archives, Kew, London, England.