Ann St John# Wright

  Notes:

Birth details from birth cert. Fathers occupation given as Rubber Planter.

From Wendy H;The Times May 1 1917. Births. ST JOHN WRIGHT on 27 April at 'Bancroft', Mitten Road, Bexhill on Sea, the wife of C.St John Wright, of a daughter. Malay papers please copy.
Bancroft appears to have been the Griffiths family home (rather than the Wright) as this is the address her Uncle Oswald gave on his marriage in 1910.

1919; From Wendy; Wright, Violet St John (29) and Wright, Ann St John (1) travelled first class on the Yokohama Maru 1919. They embarked at London and the ship was bound for Japan, they disembarked at Singapore and their final destination was the Federal Malay States. Christopher not on list.

1920; From Wendy; Ann is listed on the SS Laomedon which she boarded in Singapore. Arrived London 11 April 1920. There are no other Wrights or familiar names on board nor any nannies or governesses listed. However the list is not alphabetical and she appears within a family group consisting of William Gibson Stewart, Railway Manager Malay Federal States, his wife Sarah and their 19 year old son Jean-Paul. Their nationality is Scottish and UK address 22 West King Street, Helensburgh, North Bute. Ann's is 12 Bedford Ave, Bexhill. So it looks as if she was put in their care for the journey. If Ann stayed in England this could sort of tie up the with the story of her coming back to UK with her 'ayah'.
BUT; This is fully 4 years before her mother died, so why is Ann travelling back by herself ...... ???

Largely raised in Bexhill-on-Sea by her grandmother Agnes after the death of her mother.

Education;
(From Wendy H) Probably went to St Catherine's Primary School in Bexhill, where actor Patrick Cargill was a contemporary. Probably cousins Diana, Bardie and <> also went to same school. The senior school the sisters went to was possibly Thornbank in Bexhill.

Attended Wadhurst School, then Teacher Training. "Wadhurst College, a boarding school for girls, at South Park in Mayfield Lane was opened c 1930 by Miss Mulliner. Its numbers grew and other large houses were acquired to house the girls, namely Durgates Lodge, Aston House, and Wigram. In the 1980's the Legat Ballet School joined the establishment and in the early 1990's Wadhurst College was amalgamated with Micklefield School from Seaford and became known as Micklefield Wadhurst. In 1997 it had a further change and is at present known as Bellerbys". Not sure who paid the fees ?!? Possibly Bardie StJW (same age as Ann) was also a pupil at Wadhurst at the same time. Have sent email to Bellerbys FP assoc - they no longer own the Wadhurst properties and have no details from that period.

Career; Taught at Wadhurst School only very shortly after leaving it as a pupil

Was Secretary at County Hall, Glos. when met Thomas. Wendy has found several references to her being involved in amateur dramatics around this time ; and MTGP says Tom was also involved ; although perhaps backstage.

From Wendy H;The Times 23 April 1940. Marriages GEORGE POWELL : ST JOHN WRIGHT. On April 18 1940 at St Lawrence Church, Cheltenham, Thomas George Powell, of Bath & Gloucester to Ann St John Wright, of Swindon, Cheltenham.

Witnesses at wedding were Gladys Griffiths (Ann's aunt), Kate George-Powell (Thomas' sister) and Arthur St John Wright (Ann's Uncle). Her father and mother were both dead by this time (father earlier the same year).

From Wendy; Gloucestershire Echo ; April 20th 1940; Swindon Wedding; "Mr.T.G.Powell and Miss A.St.John Wright. The marriage took place at St. Lawrence's Church, Swindon, Cheltenham, on Thursday, between Thomas George Powell of Bath and Gloucester, and Ann St.John Wright, of Swindon, Cheltenham.
Mr.George Powell is the only son of Mr. Thomas (should be James!) G. Powell, of Bath, late County Surveyor for Wiltshire. Miss St.John Wright is the only child of the late Mr. and Mrs. C. St. John Wright, of the Malay States.
The wedding took place at the residence of the bride's aunts, Mrs.Griffiths and Mrs.Locke, of The Old Cottage, Swindon.
The bride, who was given away by her uncle, Colonel A.St John Wright, O.B.E., wore a blue two-piece suit with a fuchsia coloured turban and a silver fox fur. She carried a bouquet of white carnations tied with a fuchsia ribbon.
The bridesmaid was Miss Betty Evans, who wore a maize-coloured frock with matching bandeau and carried a bouquet of anemones. The best man was Mr. R.A. Downs, of Gloucester. (Bob Downs was a colleague of Tom's according to MTGP, not sure about Ms Evans).
The ceremony was performed by the Rev. R.J.Northcott, Vicar of Holy Apostle's, Cheltenham. Afterwards a reception was held at The Old Cottage and the bridal couple left for the Lake District, the bride wearing a grey coat and skirt and navy-blue accessories. On their return they will live at Stow-On-The-Wold.
Many cheques and beautiful presents were received from numerous friends, and among the many guests were:- Mrs.Griffiths (aunt), Colonel and Mrs. A. St. John Wright (Uncle and Aunt), Miss K.St. John Wright (aunt), Mr. and Mrs. Miller (cousins), Colonel and Mrs. Watson (cousins), Miss Sonia Watson and Mr. Cyril Watson (cousins), Mrs.Bushe Salmon (great-aunt), Mrs Locke (aunt), Flight-Lieut R.A.Bell Syer (uncle), Mrs. and Miss George Powell, Miss Evans (bridesmaid), Colonel and Mrs. Gordon Smythe, Major and Mrs. Cunynghame, Mrs.Lomer, Mrs.Gloster, Mrs. and Miss Hedley Davies, Mrs.Millar, Dr. and Mrs. Carpenter, Mrs.Carpenter, junr., Mr. and Mrs. Downs, Mrs.Pugh, the Rev. R.J. Northcott, and others".
See Tom's page for breakdown of guests.

Was godmother to Tessa Bogue (qv), her cousins dau.

Later (1960's/70's) Secretary to the Leeds City Librarian

Keen amateur poet - many (100s) published, frequent subject matter a comical twist on current events. Often in the Yorkshire Post, Yorkshire Evening Post, The Lady. Also had poem's on Radio Four's Women's Hour.

Also keen family historian, although most of her research has vanished, what there is has been used as the basis for her family here.

Residences;
Bexhill-On-Sea
Then moved to Griffiths' in Glos after Agnes died.
At time of wedding gives address as 'The Old Cottage, Swindon' (N of Cheltenham) Gloucestershire - this was Uncle Cyril Griffiths' house.

Marriage Residences;
2 different addresses in Stow-On-The-Wold
345 Easterley Road, Leeds - 1944 - 19??
50 The Drive, Gledhow, Leeds 8 - 19?? - 1957 (?)
28 Gledhow Avenue, Leeds 8 1957? - 2005
Currently; Nursing home in Roundhay, Leeds

The myth#1; Was abroad when a very small baby and was brought back to England on the boat by an "Aya" - an Indian lady employed to look after young children. She had no recollection of her Mother who had departed by then. She was told - when very young - by her Grannie, that her Mother had died when she was very small. BUT her mother died when she was seven, which is young, but hardly "very small". (However see 1920 posting above).

The myth#2; Anne took up music and became an accomplished soloist in her teens, passed many piano exams and performed in small concerts in the Bexhill area. She once was scheduled to play in Hastings or Brighton. Her grandma got into quite a state in the build up to the concert and just a day or hours before the concert she was stopped by her grannie from going to the concert to play. Many years later and having heard little bits of information from here and there Anne formed the opinion, rightly or wrongly, that her mother had not died when she was young and that she had either left her husband (and child) or that they were divorced and that she had been living not too far away on the South Coast. BUT:there is information regarding her death and dying intestate which would also discount this theory.

However; the dates don't tie up - Ann came back in 1920, but mother didn't die till 1924, so perhaps there is some small grain of truth in this (although doesn't tie in with teenage piano concert).

Ann married Thomas James# George-Powell, son of James# George-Powell M.I.C.E., M.I.M.C.E. and Alice Maude# Grant, on 18 Apr 1940 in St.Lawrence Church, Swindon Village, Glos. (Thomas James# George-Powell was born on 27 Jun 1904 in Godstone, Surrey, christened in 1904 in Pocklington, East Riding and died in Jan 1990 in Leeds.)