but not quite yet! I couldn't resist another bit about the Bacons.
The Hastings and St Leonards Observer of 26 January 1895 has a long article entitled 'The Ore Centenarian: the old lady interviewed'. It's about one Mrs Diana Bacon (who according to the local relieving officer was 103 years old) and refers to a photograph taken to mark her 100th birthday. The reporter sought out Mrs Bacon for an interview.
Here are a few extracts:
'lives in that portion of Ore known as Red Lake . . . a district where poverty abounds'
'Mrs. Bacon lives with one of her granddaughters, Mrs. Roberts, herself the mother of seven boys and girls, and it was in her humble cottage . . . that I found the venerable lady, the picture of contentment and cheerfulness.'
'She is slightly deaf, and her memory is rather weak, but her physical powers are remarkable. She is able to move about the house without assistance...'
'her son and daughter-in-law, Mr. and Mrs. Charles Bacon . . . live in the adjoining cottage.'
'Most of her sons and daughters, seven in number, have lived to a good age.'
'Mrs. Bacon was twice married, her first husband's name being Shepherd.'
'She could not recollect when her second husband died'
' "Are you a native of Hastings?", I enquired. - "No, I was born on the water, as my parents were coming home from India after my father had got his discharge. My father was a soldier for many years..." '
There are numerous other mentions of her in the newspapers. There is a tree on Ancestry (called 'Isden Family Tree') which has a photograph thought to be Mrs Diana Bacon.
