Annie Gertrude Elin

Her Parents

Her father was John T Elin, a West India Merchant and her mother was Anne Elin. There little is doubt that John T Elin was a wealthy man who was born in Jamaica in 1821 and his first marriage in 1845 was to Maria Amelia Hitchins who was also born in Jamaica in 1825. Unfortunately, she died in 1849. He remarried Anne Steel in Bridekirk, Cumberland in 1853 and together they had four children. John T Elin died in London in 1900 and Anne Elin in 1905.

Her Grandparents

Miss Elin’s grandparents were John Bloxam Elin and Elizabeth Harriot. John Bloxham Elin was born in London in 1791 and the 1824 Almanac shows him as Assistant Judge or Magistrate for Kingston, Jamaica. In 1823 and 1826 he signed the slave register as owner for 5 slaves and in 1826 he signed the slave register for 109 slaves in Port Royal as Receiver for the estate of Arthur Savage. Elizabeth Harriet appears to have been born in Jamaica in about 1796 and she appears to have died in London in 1869. No marriage or baptism details have been found for her in either Jamaica or Britain. However, this does not appear to have stopped them having children as records show that they had a total of 9 children, 8 in Jamaica and 1 in London and this includes John T Elin of course. Some of the baptism notes for these children are interesting. For example, “Anna Eliza Elin and Jane Francis Elin, children of Eliza Harriot “free of colour” by John B Elin both baptised in Kingston Jamaica in 1825” and “Thomas Henry Elin, son of John Elin and Elizabeth Harriot, “coloured”, parents not married, was baptised in 1826”. Records show that they had moved to London by about 1832 and it was here that she died.

Her Brothers and Sister

She had two brothers, Walter Francis Elin and John Edward Elin and one sister, Jane Elizabeth Elin.

Walter Francis Elin was born in 1855 and died in 1867 of typhoid fever.

John Edward Elin was born in 1855 in Marylebone and died whilst living in Gracefield in 1936. The story of his life is almost as mysterious and intriguing as that of Miss Elin. The 1861 and 1871 censuses show him living as a boy/young man with the family at 12 Cavendish Road, Marylebone. The 1881 Census shows that the family had moved to 33 Upper Hamilton Terrace in Marylebone and John Edward Elin is shown as living there at the age of 25 and as a Lieutenant in the Royal East Middlesex Militia. This was not a regular army unit and was finally absorbed into the Middlesex Regiment in 1881. The 1881 and 1891 Censuses show him living with the family at the same address and listed as an Army Officer. However, in 1900 he married Grace Emmeline Botterill in Sussex following the birth of two children, Margaret Millicent Elin in 1896 and John E Elin in 1899. In the 1901 Census Grace Elin is shown living in Brighton with Sarah Botterill her mother, a retired school mistress, and with her two children Margaret and John Elin. Their father John Edward Elin was living in an “up market” lodging house in another part of Brighton and is listed as “living on his own means”. It is not known exactly when he left the army but he was obviously too old to fight in the first world war. However, the Electoral Registers show him living in Duke Street, The Strand in the period 1892 to 1895 followed by a move to Chesham Place in Chelsea where he appears to have shared a property with his sister Miss Elin. He also appears to have joined her on her visits to Gracefield and he finally died there in 1936. His wife, Grace Emmeline Elin died in St Leonards on Sea in 1950.

Jane Elizabeth Elin was born in 1857 and married Alfred Carlon Markes, who was an African Spanish Merchant, in 1879. They had 2 children, John Carlon Markes and Alfred Edward Markes, and lived in London mainly in the Marylebone area. John Carlon Markes was in the army and was a Major in the Leinster Regiment when he was killed in France in 1916 during the first world war. He left a wife, Philomena Markes and four children including Charles Carlon Markes who also joined the army and fought in the second world war.

Major John Carlon Markes

The early life of Miss Annie Gertrude Elin

In the 1861 Census Miss Elin is shown at the age of 4 years, living at 12 Cavendish Road with her parents and family i.e. her father, mother, 2 brothers and a sister. They had 4 servants, a cook, a housemaid, a nursemaid and an under nursemaid. John T Elin is listed as a West India Merchant.

In the 1871 Census Miss Elin is shown at the age of 12 years as still living at 12 Cavendish Road with her family but this had been reduced to 5 as Walter Elin had died in 1867. Miss Elin is listed as scholar but details of her schooling have been difficult to find. The number of servants had been reduced to 2, a cook and a housemaid.

The 1881 Census shows that the family had moved to 33 Upper Hamilton Terrace in Marylebone and Miss Elin, now aged 22 years, is listed without any occupation. The family now numbers only 4 as their other daughter, Jane Elizabeth, had left to marry Alfred Carlon Markes in 1879. John T Elin is now described as a Bank Director and the number of servants now numbered 6 – a cook, 2 housemaids, a kitchen maid, a butler (from Switzerland no less) and a footman. One senses a fairly affluent household.

The 1891 Census shows the family still living at 33 Upper Hamilton Terrace and Miss Elin is now listed as 31 years old and without occupation. The family still numbers 4 and John T Elin is shown as “living on his own means”. However, the domestic staff have increased to 9 and included a domestic nurse, a cook, a lady’s maid, 2 housemaids, a kitchen maid, a butler, a footman and a nurse.

The 1901 Census shows that the family had moved to 5 Chesham Street in Chelsea. John T Elin died in 1900 aged 80 and the family in residence was reduced to 2 with just Miss Elin, aged 42 and her mother Anne Elin aged 72 years. However, the domestic staff had been reduced to 6 with a lady’s maid, a butler (from Essex!) a cook, 2 housemaids and a kitchen maid.

   5 Chesham Street

The now small resident family and 6 domestic staff moved to 25 Chesham Place in Chelsea in 1904 and in 1907 Miss Elin’s mother died leaving only Miss Elin.

25 Chesham Place, Chelsea

                                                       

                Miss Elin and Gracefield

                                                             

                                                       An early photograph of Gracefield – date unknown

Gracefield was owned by Sarah Clark who died in 1903 and left the Gracefield “estate” to her daughter, Margaret Emma, who had married The Most Honourable John Henry Loftus, the Marquess of Ely, and had become the Marchioness of Ely. It is known that the Marquess of Ely had enormous financial and legal problems. However, probably to raise funds, it appears that the Marchioness of Ely sold the contents of Gracefield in a public Auction in September 1907 having already “disposed of the residence”.

It is known that Miss Elin leased Gracefield from Marchioness of Ely on the 3rd October 1907 for 14 years, shortly after the sale of the house contents, but it is not known if she bought furniture in the sale.

On the 28^th of February 1911 Miss Elin purchased the freehold of the Gracefield “estate” for £3000 and obviously rescinded her leasehold. At the time the “estate” consisted of Gracefield, 2 cottages, one with stables and the land measured four acres and thirty poles.

Her Parents

Her father was John T Elin, a West India Merchant and her mother was Anne Elin. There little is doubt that John T Elin was a wealthy man who was born in Jamaica in 1821 and his first marriage in 1845 was to Maria Amelia Hitchins who was also born in Jamaica in 1825. Unfortunately, she died in 1849. He remarried Anne Steel in Bridekirk, Cumberland in 1853 and together they had four children. John T Elin died in London in 1900 and Anne Elin in 1905.

Her Grandparents

Miss Elin’s grandparents were John Bloxam Elin and Elizabeth Harriot. John Bloxham Elin was born in London in 1791 and the 1824 Almanac shows him as Assistant Judge or Magistrate for Kingston, Jamaica. In 1823 and 1826 he signed the slave register as owner for 5 slaves and in 1826 he signed the slave register for 109 slaves in Port Royal as Receiver for the estate of Arthur Savage. Elizabeth Harriet appears to have been born in Jamaica in about 1796 and she appears to have died in London in 1869. No marriage or baptism details have been found for her in either Jamaica or Britain. However, this does not appear to have stopped them having children as records show that they had a total of 9 children, 8 in Jamaica and 1 in London and this includes John T Elin of course. Some of the baptism notes for these children are interesting. For example, “Anna Eliza Elin and Jane Francis Elin, children of Eliza Harriot “free of colour” by John B Elin both baptised in Kingston Jamaica in 1825” and “Thomas Henry Elin, son of John Elin and Elizabeth Harriot, “coloured”, parents not married, was baptised in 1826”. Records show that they had moved to London by about 1832 and it was here that she died.

Her Brothers and Sister

She had two brothers, Walter Francis Elin and John Edward Elin and one sister, Jane Elizabeth Elin.

Walter Francis Elin was born in 1855 and died in 1867 of typhoid fever.

John Edward Elin was born in 1855 in Marylebone and died whilst living in Gracefield in 1936. The story of his life is almost as mysterious and intriguing as that of Miss Elin. The 1861 and 1871 censuses show him living as a boy/young man with the family at 12 Cavendish Road, Marylebone. The 1881 Census shows that the family had moved to 33 Upper Hamilton Terrace in Marylebone and John Edward Elin is shown as living there at the age of 25 and as a Lieutenant in the Royal East Middlesex Militia. This was not a regular army unit and was finally absorbed into the Middlesex Regiment in 1881. The 1881 and 1891 Censuses show him living with the family at the same address and listed as an Army Officer. However, in 1900 he married Grace Emmeline Botterill in Sussex following the birth of two children, Margaret Millicent Elin in 1896 and John E Elin in 1899. In the 1901 Census Grace Elin is shown living in Brighton with Sarah Botterill her mother, a retired school mistress, and with her two children Margaret and John Elin. Their father John Edward Elin was living in an “up market” lodging house in another part of Brighton and is listed as “living on his own means”. It is not known exactly when he left the army but he was obviously too old to fight in the first world war. However, the Electoral Registers show him living in Duke Street, The Strand in the period 1892 to 1895 followed by a move to Chesham Place in Chelsea where he appears to have shared a property with his sister Miss Elin. He also appears to have joined her on her visits to Gracefield and he finally died there in 1936. His wife, Grace Emmeline Elin died in St Leonards on Sea in 1950.

Jane Elizabeth Elin was born in 1857 and married Alfred Carlon Markes, who was an African Spanish Merchant, in 1879. They had 2 children, John Carlon Markes and Alfred Edward Markes, and lived in London mainly in the Marylebone area. John Carlon Markes was in the army and was a Major in the Leinster Regiment when he was killed in France in 1916 during the first world war. He left a wife, Philomena Markes and four children including Charles Carlon Markes who also joined the army and fought in the second world war.

Major John Carlon Markes

The early life of Miss Annie Gertrude Elin

In the 1861 Census Miss Elin is shown at the age of 4 years, living at 12 Cavendish Road with her parents and family i.e. her father, mother, 2 brothers and a sister. They had 4 servants, a cook, a housemaid, a nursemaid and an under nursemaid. John T Elin is listed as a West India Merchant.

In the 1871 Census Miss Elin is shown at the age of 12 years as still living at 12 Cavendish Road with her family but this had been reduced to 5 as Walter Elin had died in 1867. Miss Elin is listed as scholar but details of her schooling have been difficult to find. The number of servants had been reduced to 2, a cook and a housemaid.

The 1881 Census shows that the family had moved to 33 Upper Hamilton Terrace in Marylebone and Miss Elin, now aged 22 years, is listed without any occupation. The family now numbers only 4 as their other daughter, Jane Elizabeth, had left to marry Alfred Carlon Markes in 1879. John T Elin is now described as a Bank Director and the number of servants now numbered 6 – a cook, 2 housemaids, a kitchen maid, a butler (from Switzerland no less) and a footman. One senses a fairly affluent household.

The 1891 Census shows the family still living at 33 Upper Hamilton Terrace and Miss Elin is now listed as 31 years old and without occupation. The family still numbers 4 and John T Elin is shown as “living on his own means”. However, the domestic staff have increased to 9 and included a domestic nurse, a cook, a lady’s maid, 2 housemaids, a kitchen maid, a butler, a footman and a nurse.

The 1901 Census shows that the family had moved to 5 Chesham Street in Chelsea. John T Elin died in 1900 aged 80 and the family in residence was reduced to 2 with just Miss Elin, aged 42 and her mother Anne Elin aged 72 years. However, the domestic staff had been reduced to 6 with a lady’s maid, a butler (from Essex!) a cook, 2 housemaids and a kitchen maid.

   5 Chesham Street

The now small resident family and 6 domestic staff moved to 25 Chesham Place in Chelsea in 1904 and in 1907 Miss Elin’s mother died leaving only Miss Elin.

25 Chesham Place, Chelsea

                                                       

                Miss Elin and Gracefield

                                                             

                                                       An early photograph of Gracefield – date unknown

Gracefield was owned by Sarah Clark who died in 1903 and left the Gracefield “estate” to her daughter, Margaret Emma, who had married The Most Honourable John Henry Loftus, the Marquess of Ely, and had become the Marchioness of Ely. It is known that the Marquess of Ely had enormous financial and legal problems. However, probably to raise funds, it appears that the Marchioness of Ely sold the contents of Gracefield in a public Auction in September 1907 having already “disposed of the residence”.

It is known that Miss Elin leased Gracefield from Marchioness of Ely on the 3rd October 1907 for 14 years, shortly after the sale of the house contents, but it is not known if she bought furniture in the sale.

On the 28^th of February 1911 Miss Elin purchased the freehold of the Gracefield “estate” for £3000 and obviously rescinded her leasehold. At the time the “estate” consisted of Gracefield, 2 cottages, one with stables and the land measured four acres and thirty poles.

.Research by Laurence Rostron

Miss Annie Gertrude Elin – owner of Gracefield – 1911 to 1942