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Of the few remaining gravestones at Horton Cemetery, only four can just about be made out and Ann Barrows Howkins is one.
ANN BARROWS HOWKINS
DIED DEC 16TH 1912
AGED 44
INTO THY HANDS
_______
Ann Barrows (or sometimes transcribed Burrows) Howkins, the daughter of Edwin and Charlotte Ann Howkins, nee Barrows, was born in Q2 1868 in Warwickshire (GRO reference: Jun 1868 Rugby 6d 475).
Her parents had married in 1856 in the Northampton registration district. However, their surnames were recorded on their GRO marriage entry as Hawkins and Barrows.
When Annie was baptised on 29 November 1868 in New Bilton, Warwickshire, her middle name was spelt as ‘Barrows’.
Annie had four older siblings: Frederick William, born 1859, Philippa, born 1861, Elizabeth Ann, born 1862, and Edwin, born 1866.
In 1881, Annie and her parents were living at 31a Sawford Street, Rugby with a lodger Thomas Band. Her father was working as a Cordwainer. Even though Annie was only 13 years old, it was recorded that she was a school teacher.
Annie appears in the 1891 census aged 25, single and working as a cook in Camden Hill Road Kensington. Also working there was her 28-year-old sister Elizabeth, who was also single and working as a housemaid.
In the 1901 census both girls were still single and working together as maids in Longridge Road, Kensington. In both censuses their surname was mis-transcribed as Hawkins.
On 3 October 1905 Annie was admitted to the Wandsworth Asylum. On 14 January 1907 she was transferred to Horton Asylum in Epsom, Surrey.
When the 1911 census was taken Annie, aged 43, was recorded as still being a patient there. In the ‘Infirmity’ column it was recorded that she had been a “lunatic” since she was 27 years old.
She was unmarried and had ‘Parlour Maid’ recorded as her occupation; there was no birthplace recorded.
Annie was aged 44 when she died on 16 December 1912 in Horton Asylum (GRO death reference: Dec 1912 Epsom 2a 71); she was buried in grave 2112b in Horton Cemetery on 20 December 1912.
