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b.1882-d.1914
Annie’s Parents
Annie Harriet Becket (nee Rolfe) was born on 12th November 1882 at 3 Union Street, Kennington Road, Lambeth. She was the daughter of William Rolfe and Elizabeth Harriet Rolfe (nee Edwards).
On 15th March 1881, the year before Annie’s birth, her parents were married at St James the Great Church in Bethnal Green. Elizabeth gave her age as eighteen but it is thought she was just fifteen. William Rolfe was twenty-eight. Not a lot is known about William and Elizabeth Rolfe with any certainty but the marriage did not last long.
Annie was thought to be their only child. Elizabeth, William’s first wife cannot be found after the birth of Annie. It is thought that shortly after Annie’s birth, the couple went their own ways. Had Elizabeth died William probably would not have stated that he was a bachelor at his second marriage? No appropriate marriage or death records have been found for Elizabeth Rolfe.
A few years after her birth, William Rolfe remarried, this time to Mary Jane Le Masurier, who was from Jersey. At this marriage on 20th June 1888 William stated he was a bachelor.
Annie living with her grandparents
Little Annie was seen living with her maternal grandparents in 1891. They were William and Elizabeth Edwards. William was working as a painter and the family were living in 8 Chapel Street, Lambeth.
It doesn’t appear Annie’s parents were involved in her life and it’s not sure how much the grandparents helped out. Annie was an only child. Records are patchy and it’s not even clear if, as she got older, that she worked. It was not possible to find her on the 1901 Census, which would have been just before her marriage.
Annie marries John Beckett
In the third quarter of 1901 Annie Harriet Rolfe aged nineteen married John Henry Beckett aged twenty-five. John was from the Kensington area and was born in 1876. On the 1881 Census, aged five years, and living with his family in Brompton, the census records John was a cripple from birth and this is repeated on further censuses, helping confirm that this is the right person.
Annie’s children
The first child, whose birth registration was found, is Edward John Beckett. He was born on 29th March 1903 at the General Lying In Hospital, York Road, Lambeth. This was at a time when hospital births were not that common. It was likely Edward was their first child. Annie and John must have had some support, as little Edward’s funeral was arranged by friends and he must have been collected from the Workhouse Infirmary.
Annie and John Beckett were at this time living at 2 Luscombe Street, Wandsworth Road, Lambeth. John was working as a builder’s watchman.
On 25th August 1903 aged just 5 months, Edward was admitted to the Infirmary at Lambeth Workhouse. He was baptized a few weeks later on 25th September at St Philips’s Church. St Philip’s church was the one used by the workhouse.
Little Edward died a week later. The cause of his death was congenital syphilis. epidemic diarrhea and convulsions. Edward’s father was the informant at the time and he gave the family address as 3 Alfred Mansions, Dorset Road, South Lambeth, his occupation a watchman. The discharge record from the Infirmary states Edward’s burial was arranged by friends and he must have been collected from the Workhouse Infirmary.
Annie does not appear to have been admitted to the workhouse at this time, so Edward’s admission to the Infirmary was solely about his illness.
Annie is pregnant when she enters Horton Asylum
It was to be a few years later on 7th February 1908 that Annie was admitted to Horton Asylum. The order for her admission was under section 317 of the Lunacy Act 1890 and was signed a few days before, at the Lambeth Infirmary, where Annie was a patient. She would have been around four months pregnant at the time.
In the admission statement signed by two persons, it states this was her first ‘attack’ and its duration was just one week. Admission to the workhouse was common, with the order for reception of a lunatic was being arranged by both a Justice of the Peace and a surgeon. Annie’s stay at Lambeth Infirmary was only three days before her transfer to Horton Asylum.
On examination the surgeon records Annie was a known epileptic, she appeared noisy and to be hearing imaginary voices and responding to them, hitting out at others.
Whilst at Horton Asylum, Annie was delivered of a daughter. Ethel Elizabeth Beckett, who was born on the 19th July 1908. Little Ethel didn’t stay at Horton for long. On the 29th September 1908 aged just two months Ethel Elizabeth (now called Annie) died at the Lambeth Infirmary. Her cause of death was congenital specific disease. It doesn’t look like Henry was involved with the Infirmary at this time, as some of his details on the death certificate are recorded as unknown.
It’s not surprising the fear and dread a Workhouse evoked. Annie had been admitted there at the height of her problems, whilst an order for her admission to the asylum was made and at least two of her children also died there
In the 1911 Census, Annie Harriet Beckett (nee Rolfe) is recorded as a patient in Horton Asylum. This census records she had three children, all of whom had died by that time. However, only evidence of two of the children dying has been found.
Annie Harriett Beckett died on 19th April 1914, aged 31. The cause of her death was 1. Epilepsy and 2. Bronchopneumonia 3 days. She is buried in the Horton Estate Cemetery in grave 1023.
