The Grand Old Lady of Mumbles - Fanny Catherine Davie
Table of Contents
Fanny Catherine Davie is sitting in the centre, along with Harry and Gertie Beynon, along with their shildren, George Edward and ‘Winnie’ Winifred (later Jones).
The photo was taken around 1906 at ‘Northlea’ Grove, Mumbles (Up Queens Road, by the Cubs HQ.)
Fanny Davie lived with her daughter Gertrude (Gertie) Beynon for 53 years.
The Grand Old lady of Mumbles -
Fanny Catherine Davie
Fanny Catherine Davie
Fanny was born at Bittadon on 21 May 1852 and died on 8 February 1957, aged 104. She was a truly remarkable lady who deserves to go down in the Davie history as one of the "greats".
21st May 1954.
Back Row: Kathleen Millard, Grand-daughter; Margaret Blows, Grand-daughter; Ralph Blows, Grand-son-in-law; Dinah Beynon, Great Grand-daughter-in-Law; Eddie Beynon, Grandson; Margaret Beynon, Great daughter-in-Law; Kristine Jones, Great Grand-daughter.
Middle Row: Noel Blows, Great-grandson; Michael Beynon, Great Great-grandson; Winnie Jones, Grand-daughter; Fanny Catherine; Gertie Beynon, Daughter.
Front Row: Adrian Blows, Great-grandson; Viviene Beynon, Grand-daughter; Hilary Blows, Great Grand-daughter.
1. Background and Early Life.
Fanny Catherine Davie ( nee Harris ) was born the eldest of 3 children to James and Elizabeth Harris at Bittadon, North Devon on 21 May 1852. Her father was the local squire and the family were from Devonian aristocracy. Her sister Phillippa married the artist Seeley, whilst her brother James owned a small bank later taken over by Lloyds Bank.
FFanny’s upbringing was typical of that of an aristocratic family. She was taught at home by French and German governesses and was able to converse in both languages. She also had a musical flair and played the organ at the little church of St. Peter in Bittadon. Fanny also loved horse riding and was a spirited girl who didn’t take kindly to the strict parental controls which were customary at that time for young girls in her position.
Family history has it that she met William Davie, a shepherd boy, when she was 16 and out riding in nearby Bampfield. William was not from an aristocratic family and they both knew their union would not receive the approval of Fanny’s family.
Nevertheless they decided to marry as they were in love. Squire Harris met them at the church and asked her to have the marriage annulled in exchange for a considerable financial inducement provided by 2 wealthy spinster aunts. As Fanny loved William she refused and her father then cut her off financially from the family.
Fanny played the organ at the little church of St Peter at Bittadon.
The first years of her marriage with William were, to say the least, difficult for Fanny. Not only was her new environment completely foreign to her but they had very little money. However, Fanny was devoted to William, and she was determined to make a success of the life she had chosen. In this she showed great courage and, no doubt, her keen sense of humour helped her to survive. Throughout her life she always maintained that she would not have had it otherwise.
n 1870 Fanny and William came to Margam in South Wales where they initially settled with William ultimately finding employment as a dairyman in nearby Swansea. They had 2 children born in their home at 1 Rodney Street, Swansea - William Edward in 1872 and Gertrude on 9 October 1875. Gertrude ( Gertie ) later acquired the family name of Pine as her middle name.
Glen Farm, Glen Road, (Also known as Boarspit Farm, Lower Boarspit) towards the end of its days, August 1964.
The view north includes Glen Road, from The Steep, photo Brian Hixson . Glen Farm is hidden behing the bush in the centre of the photo.
In 1876 T. D. Griffiths granted William the tenancy of Glen Farm ( then known as Boarspit Farm ) in Norton in Oystermouth parish. The farm flourished although William Edward died aged 24 in 1896 and on 18 January 1899 William, himself, died aged 53. Fanny and Gertie moved to the adjoining cottage which Fanny owned. A month or so later Gertie Davie ( 1875 -1966 ) married local builder, Henry “ Harry “ Beynon ( 1872 - 1952 ).
Fanny, Gertie and Harry stayed on in Glen Farm for a little over a year during which Winifred ( Winnie ) Jones ( nee Beynon ) was born in 1900 - the first of Fanny’s 5 grandchildren.
In late 1900 / early 1901 Fanny, Gertie, Harry and Winnie moved to Bournemouth Villa ( later Ael-Y-Don and now flats ) in Langland Bay Road which Harry had bought with some assistance from Fanny. Whilst Harry continued to develop his building business Fanny established Bournemouth Villa as an upmarket Guest House, for which she kept a Visitors Book >. Fanny ran the business, did all the shopping, the accounts etc and was assisted by Gertie who gave birth to 4 more children whilst at Bournemouth Villa.
Fanny was the mainstay running this business until she retired in September 1918 aged 66. This coincided with the family’s move to “ Northlea " 5, The Grove, Mumbles one of a number of houses built by Harry Beynon. Fanny continued to live with Gertie and Harry until the latter died on 6 August 1952. She had spent the entire 53 years of their married life living with them.
After Harry’s death Fanny and Gertie moved to 65 Southward Lane, Newton until the end of 1956. She spent the final few weeks of her life with her youngest grand-daughter, Margaret Blows ( nee Beynon ), and her family at their home at 4 Caswell Drive, Caswell where she died on 8 February 1957 aged 104 - just 3 months short of what would have been her 105th birthday.
65, Southward Lane, Newton.
2. Notable Events & Recollections.
c1880: Fanny’s father cut-off family money from her because of her marriage to shepherd boy, William. Nevertheless he later instructed son, James, to “ take care “ of her. James provided Fanny with a small annuity of about £6 per month for life. It was paid quarterly and Fanny’s long life meant the she was on her 4th set of trustees at the time of her death.
c1880 -c1910.Fanny had twin sister spinster aunts ( Septimia and Octavia Pine-Coffin ) who shared a home in Bath. She travelled to Bath to visit her aunts, meeting up with Elizabeth Harris ( her mother and their sister ) all without James Harris’s knowledge. Some family heirlooms were passed to Fanny from her aristocratic family. These remain in family descendant's safe keeping today.
1942. 1st June at All Saints' Church, Oystermouth. The wedding of Maraget Beynon & Ralph Edmond Blows,
Left to right -Brides sisters, Kathleen Millard, and Winnifred (Winnie) Jones. Mother-in-law Elizabeth Blows, Bridesmaid, niece Dreena Millard, Best Man, Edward (Eddie) Beynon; Bridegroom Lt Comander Ralph Edmond Blows and Bride Margaret Beynon. Brides father, Harry Beynon,; Chief Bridesmaid Olive Blows; Brides mother Gertrude (Gertie) Beynon; Grandmother, 90 year old, Fanny Catherine Davie.
Eddie Beynon gained three caps playing Rugby for Wales; Harry Beynon, local Builder.
WONDERFUL OLD LADY OF MUMBLES , NOW 97
Mrs. Daive, has just returned from shopping.
South Wales Evening Post
1949 - WITH her long dark coat and orch brown shopping bag, Mrs. Fanny Catherine Davie, of Northlea, The Grove, Mumbles, well-known in Mumbles shops. Her straight, up. slight figure is to be seen in the village any day of the week, for, in spite of her 97 years, Mrs. Davie sets out from her home every day, be it sunshine rain, and she never misses church on a Sunday.
Last Saturday Mrs. Davie celebrated her 97th birthday, and cards and telegrams came by the score for she is widely known as the wonderful old lady of Mumbles.
“Active and as keen minded as a girl in her twenties," as she was described to an "Evening Post" reporter.
KEEN CHURCH WORKER
Mrs. Davie had a personal congratulatory call by the Vicar of Oystermouth, the Rev. W. D. G. Wilkinson (photo below) for she has played a big part as a church worker. Every Christmas Fair in conection with Oystermouth Church has a number of gifts of embroidery in the shape of table cloths and other items, the clever needlework of the old lady, and it is eagerly snapped
FAMILY
"I came here from Devonshire,' said Mrs. Davie, "but that was a long time ago. I have or been in the Mumbles district for 76 years. Mr. Davie, who was a farmer at Glen Farm, Glen Road, West Cross, at what was then known as Boarspit Farm, (photo below) died 50 years ago, and now Mrs. Davie lives with her daughter and son-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Harry Beynon, who celebrated their golden wedding last February. Their son, and Mrs Davie's grandson, is Mr. Eddie Beynon, the former All White, now in Glasgow as chief of the Scottish Railway Police. Mrs. Davie has, in all, five grandchildren and nine great grandchildren.
ROGUISH HUMOUR
In addition to being in possession of all her faculties, the grand old lady has almost roguish humour. "You should have come down on Saturday, young man, and seen me cut the birthday cake,' she said. "That would have been a better photograph than seeing me come home after shopping.
South Wales Evening Post
1950: Fanny shopped daily in Mumbles, walking there and taking the bus to Queens Road. She refused to join any bus queues in Mumbles Square claiming she was a resident to anyone who objected.
1952: On the eve of her 100th birthday Fanny was guest of honour at a family dinner party held at the Langland Bay Hotel and, the following day, at a larger birthday party which took place at the School Room attached to Mumbles Baptist Church. At 6.00 pm that afternoon she said to her great nephew Hugh Davie. “ Hugh, I am bored with all of this. Let’s go off and have a jolly good game of bridge “ which they did. It isn’t known who made up the foursome. Fanny was very fond of playing bridge and taught many of the younger members of the family how to play the game.
SWANSEA CENTENARIAN
Aged 100 today
1952. This photo from the family archives, was also taken on Mrs. Fanny Davie's 100th Birthday, 21st May. Fanny is seen climbing the steps to her home It serves to illustrate how mobile she was.
1952 - SWANSEA CENTENARIAN, Mrs. Fanny Catherine Davie, "at home" on her 100th birth day to-day with her daughter and some of her grandchildren and greatgrandchildren. The little greatgrand children are Pauline and Richard Millard, of Weston-super-Mare, with whom is their mother, Kathleen Millard (nee Beynon). On either side of them are other greatgrandchildren, Gweno and Kristine Jones. At back are Dorothy Beynon and Margaret Beynon, wives of grandsons, 'Eddie' Beynon, London, a BR Police Superindent and former Welsh rugby international wing forward, Winnie Jones, a grand daughter, and Gertrude (Gertie) Beynon, the daughter with whom Fanny Davie has lived for 53 years.
South Wales Evening Post
Ten candles - one for each decade
Life and soul of her ''100" party
1952 - BIRTHDAY party of Mrs. Fanny Catherine Davies. of the Grove, Mumbles, who celebrated her 100th birthday yesterday took place at the Mumbles Baptist Schoolroom, lent for the occasion and in spite of the fact that the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, Dr. E. W. Williamson, the Mayor and Mayoress, Councillor and Mrs. Dan Jones, Archdeacon Harold Williams and several other well-known people were present, it was generally agreed by the 120 guests present that the wonderful old lady herself was the life and soul of the party.
Apart from the Queen's message of congratulation, there were more than 100 telegrams, letters and cards, and Mrs. Davie, who wore a costume and hat and had a spray of carnations, enjoyed the experience of cutting the two-tier cake, on top of which were ten candles, one for each ten years of her life.
HAPPY PARTY
It was a happy party in every way, The Bishop recalled Mrs. Davie's continued active interest in All Saints' Church, Oystermouth, where she had been a member for many years, still attending the Wednesday morning com munion service.
He offered her congratulations and good wishes from the diocese generally.
When the Bishop men tioned that he had recently visited another old lady who had attained her 100th birth day, Mrs. Davie in her inimitable conversational style, asked: "Oh yes, what was she like? Of course, they are usually bedridden at that age!"
TOWN'S FELICITATIONS
The Mayoress, Mrs. Dan Jones and a representative of the Baptist Church ladies at Mumbles each presented Mrs. Davie with bouquets. The Mayor offered her the felicitations of the town generally,
Canon W. D. G. Wilkinson spoke as her parish priest, and the Archdeacon as a very old friend and former Vicar of Oystermouth.
Councillor Harry Libby, Mrs. Rowland Williams and several other speakers joined in the good wishes and among the happiest, and ever moving speeches were by grandchildren of Mrs. Davies, now people in responsible positions in different parts of the country.
Mr. Henry Beynon, Mrs. Davie's son-in-law, made one such speech.
CHURCH GIFT
Mrs. Davie was obviously delighted when Mrs. Wilkinson, wife of Canon Wilkin son, presented her with an inscribed silver cake basket from the Vicar, church wardens and parishioners of All Saints' Church.
Through it all Mrs. Davie delighted the guests with her happy conversation and when called upon to reply, stood and in a firm voice thanked her "dear friends" for their greetings.
In the above picture of smiling faces, the Bishop looks on as Mrs. Davie cuts her birthday cake.
South Wales Evening Post
MADE IN JUST OVER A WEEK
1953- EMBROIDERY is a common enough occupation-but not when the embroiderer is 101 Mrs. Davie, of the Mumbles, seen here with the result of 10 days' work in her lap, celebrated her 101st birthday to-day.
South Wales Evening Post
101, she looked for thimble to complete pictured Embroidered Coronation Cloth in ten days
1953 - WHEN Mrs. Fanny Catherine Davie, of 'Northlea', The Grove, Mumbles, who celebrated her birthday to-day, was asked by an "Evening photographer to pose for a picture with a square Coronation cloth she embroidered in ten days she asked "Where is my thimble?" One of the family brought her red thimble, which Mrs. placed on a finger, remarking, "Now you can take the photograph."
Mrs. Davie finished the em broidery which many a person a fifth of her age would take a month or more to complete, in ten days. She would not work on it on Sundays. Fourteen people attended a party at her home to-day, and there will be five generations in the same house to-night. Mrs. Davie will have around her Mrs. Gertrude Beynon, her 77 year-old daughter, Mr. Eddie Beynon, aged 51, her grandson and former Welsh rugby inter national forward, her great grandson, Peter Beynon, aged 126, of Derwen Fawr, and her great great grandson, five month-old Michael Beynon.
NO ASSISTANCE
Mrs. Davie to-day received 80 cards and four telegrams, and the presents she was given included books she reads regularly chocolate, writing paper-she writes to her family regularly-slippers and other useful gifts. She attended a church service yesterday.
At 101, Mrs. Davie needs no assistance to go to bed in the night or to get up in the morn ing.
1953. Fanny Catherine Davie of the Grove, Mumbles, who was 101 yesterday, looks on a new day through the open window of her home with left to right, Mr Philip Beynon, grandson, his wife Dorothy, Mrs Davie's daughter Gertrude, 77 years old and grandaughter Margaret Blows. ny Catherine Davie of the Grove, Mumbles, who was 101 yesterday, looks on a new day through the open window of her home with left to right, Mr Philip Beynon, grandson, his wife Dorothy, Mrs Davie's daughter Gertrude, 77 years old and grandaughter Margaret Blows.
Here, Mrs Davie is 102 and on here way to Oystermouth Church.
21 May 1952 South Wales Evening Post
Will be 102 on May 21st
1954 - Mrs F. C. Davie, of Southward Lane, Newton, Swansea, who will be 102 on May 21st.
At 101 Mrs. Davie still keeps busy
1954 - If you were meeting Mrs. Fanny Catherine Davie for the first time you would know she was old. But you would never suspect her to be 101 and looking forward to her 102nd birthday on May 21.
Speak to her, and it becomes apparent that her mind is active and as sharp as her needle with which she does neat embroidery. Almost everybody in Newton and Mumbles, Swansea, knows her. As they pass her house in South wards-lane they look up and see her sitting at the window busy with her needlework.
Mrs. Davie takes things easily and rarely leaves her home. But she can walk without a stick or supporting arm, write a letter, read a book and talk clearly and confidently.
Walked to wedding Married to a Devon farmer when she was 18-she walked six miles to the church-she came to Wales 77 years ago and her husband farmed first at Margam and then in the Gower peninsula, Mr. Davie died 54 years ago,
Mrs. Davie had four children and now lives with her sole re maining daughter, Mrs. Sally Bey non, who is 78 but, like her mother, seems a lot younger.
There are five generations of the family alive. Mrs. Davie has ive grandchildren, ten grandchildren and great-grandchild. great one great.
Western Mail & South Wales News, Friday, April 9
THE OLDEST VOTER
1955: On 26 May a General Election was held. At the age of 103, Fanny Davie must have been the oldest voter in Wales ( if not the United Kingdom ) to go to the polling booth that day. She said that she had not failed to register her vote in any election since women were enfranchised in 1922 and added, emphatically, “ I have always voted Conservative and always will “.
Her only complaint was that although she had all her faculties her legs were getting weak and she would have to go by car to vote. She also found it difficult to walk to Oystermouth Church on Sundays. Local Canon, W D G Wilkinson used to drive her to the mid-week service each Wednesday.
SHE IS 104 TO-DAY
AND STILL ENJOYS HER BREAKFAST
1956 - WOULD you say there is over a hundred years difference in the ages of these two persons photographed in their garden at Newton, Mumbles, to-day. Well, there is. Mrs. Fanny Catherine Davie, of Southward-lane, Newton, celebrates her 104th birthday to-day. At her side is 3 year-old Michael Beynon, her great-great-grandson. Mrs. Davie is also proudly displaying a basket of fowers sent her to mark the occasion.
South Wales Evening Post1956 - Mrs. Davie likes to embroider and read
ONE hundred and four years old to-day, Mrs. Fanny Catherine Davie, of 65, The Gables, Southward lane, Newton, Mumbles, still gets up at 8.30 every morning and tucks into her favourite dish-bacon and laverbread.
Wales's oldest living person, she stays up for twelve hours a day, going to bed between 8 p.m. and 9 p.m.
"I have got a lot of friends," she commented to-day when an Evening Post" reporter called on her to congratulate her and found her looking through 50 birthday cards that had arrived by the morning post.
FIVE GENERATIONS
She's also had lots of letters, telegrams and flowers. "It's like a garden in here," said her 80- year-old daughter, Mrs. Sally Beynon, who looks after the Grand Old Lady of Mumbles. There are five generations of the family alive, and many of them have travelled to Swansea to join in the family. Mrs. Davie does not like the pace of life to-day. "It is too fast." she says.
She likes to dwell, in her memory, on those days of her childhood in Devon when the London horse-drawn coach used to pass her home once a week. The event used to bring people from their homes to watch the spectacle.
She thinks that these days young people don't save as much as they should. She says she would not be so comfort able as she is now if she had not saved.
Mrs. Davie has been a widow for 56 years. She was married to a Devon farmer when she was 18. and came to Wales 78 years ago. In recent years, she has gone religiously to register her vote at the Newton poll
South Wales Evening Post
Fanny enjoyed excellent health and, in later years, was the object of much interest because of her great age. She walked to Mumbles from The Grove almost daily until well into her late 90’s. She was a keen needlewoman and embroidered many table cloths and other items for sale at the annual All Saints Church Bazaar.
Her work was exquisite, all achieved without spectacles, and performed until she was well over 100. Her items were all well sought after.Table cloths still remain in use in family hands today. Fanny attributed her good health to hard work and plain, wholesome cooking.
Southward Lane, Newton.
James Harris never forgave his daughter for running off with William, but her mother finally relented, and Fanny received some family money from her and also from two twin aunts, Septima and Octavia, all of whom lived well into their 90's.
Fanny Davie died on 8 February 1957, aged 104, She was a truly remarkable lady who deserves to go down in the Davie history as one of the "greats".
Fanny lived with her daughter Gertrude (Gertie) Beynon for 53 years and with her granddaughter, Margaret and Ralph Blows during her last few years.
Gertrude and Harry Beynon had five children:
Winifred m. Cynon Hunter Jones
George Edward m. (i) Laura Stonehouse (2) Margaret Wilson.
Philip m. Dorothy David
Kathleen m. Paul Cole Millard
Margaret m. Ralph C Blows