Jessie was the daughter of James Eames and Sarah Megevan
She was born in Fulham.
She married John Thomas Wainwright.
She spent her later years at the home of Walter Noel Wilson in Rugby. Her niece Edith had already died.
Her reminiscences, aged 87 seem reasonably accurate and need to be considered in conjunction with Petersfield records. As many of the family emigrated to America, further tracing becomes more difficult.
Her reminiscences:
John Eames (i.e. Hugh Crawford Eames d. 1815) lived at Borough Farm, Petersfield.
After his wife's death he moved to a house at the bottom of Ram's Hill, and before his death bought a cottage at the top of the hill for his three daughters. (See below).
He had seven children (and more, who are listed on the Eames tree). Of these children,
John married a Miss Atkinson and had one daughter, who married a Mr Scott. (Scottish). They had two children-a boy and a girl-the girl was killed by the nurse lying on her!
Jane did not marry.
Joseph remained unmarried and became a Freemason. Vide Masonic China in Bureau. Anthony went to India as a young man and was never heard of again.
Mary did not marry.
Elizabeth did not marry.
The three maidens lived together in Ramshill Cottage, Petersfield. They were buried in one grave in Petersfield Cemetary.
Betsy, the youngest, was a keen gardener and the lawyer that lived next door gave her a walled piece of ground at the end of their strip of garden for her own-which he planted with fruit trees-and Aunt Jessie's father (James) used to send her buddings for her pear trees-so that some of the trees bore more than one variety.
These three Miss Eames were very benevolent and much respected by everybody, particularly the poor. When the window tax was passed, the windows of the room at the cottage were bricked up-making it quite dark-like a cupboard. In that room were hoarded an immense quantity of old china and many boxes of old dresses-These were never touched until the death of the last of the three old ladies , and when the executors went in to see what was there, they came out covered with cobwebs.
James, who married Sarah Megevan.
(The rest of the account concerns the descendents of James and Sarah Megevan) Their children were:
John, who married Miss Biffin and had one daughter, Salome, who married 1st Charles Megevan, the son of George Megevan (Sarah Megevan's brother). She married second a Mr Cresswell, and went to live in Colchester.
Henry Hugh Eames. (See Professor Henry Hugh Eames). He married first Elizabeth Parsons.
Their first child, a girl, was born on board the "Argo" during the passage to America. The child was christened Elizabeth Argo and died aged four.
Their next child was James (Jack and Will's Uncle Jim-who married Miss --- , and had a girl and a boy).
After his wife's death he moved to a house at the bottom of Ram's Hill, and before his death bought a cottage at the top of the hill for his three daughters. (See below).
He had seven children (and more, who are listed on the Eames tree). Of these children,
John married a Miss Atkinson and had one daughter, who married a Mr Scott. (Scottish). They had two children-a boy and a girl-the girl was killed by the nurse lying on her!
Jane did not marry.
Joseph remained unmarried and became a Freemason. Vide Masonic China in Bureau. Anthony went to India as a young man and was never heard of again.
Mary did not marry.
Elizabeth did not marry.
The three maidens lived together in Ramshill Cottage, Petersfield. They were buried in one grave in Petersfield Cemetary.
Betsy, the youngest, was a keen gardener and the lawyer that lived next door gave her a walled piece of ground at the end of their strip of garden for her own-which he planted with fruit trees-and Aunt Jessie's father (James) used to send her buddings for her pear trees-so that some of the trees bore more than one variety.
These three Miss Eames were very benevolent and much respected by everybody, particularly the poor. When the window tax was passed, the windows of the room at the cottage were bricked up-making it quite dark-like a cupboard. In that room were hoarded an immense quantity of old china and many boxes of old dresses-These were never touched until the death of the last of the three old ladies , and when the executors went in to see what was there, they came out covered with cobwebs.
James, who married Sarah Megevan.
(The rest of the account concerns the descendents of James and Sarah Megevan) Their children were:
John, who married Miss Biffin and had one daughter, Salome, who married 1st Charles Megevan, the son of George Megevan (Sarah Megevan's brother). She married second a Mr Cresswell, and went to live in Colchester.
Henry Hugh Eames. (See Professor Henry Hugh Eames). He married first Elizabeth Parsons.
Their first child, a girl, was born on board the "Argo" during the passage to America. The child was christened Elizabeth Argo and died aged four.
Their next child was James (Jack and Will's Uncle Jim-who married Miss --- , and had a girl and a boy).
They then had twins, who died as babies.
Their next child was Edith (See Edith Eames).
Henry's second wife was a Ms Magee, who already had a a son and a daughter.
Charles James, who married Isabel Blackledge, and had two children-Edith and Charles.
Richard Megevan was the twin of Charles James.He married Frances Baines in 1856 and had four children-
1. Richard Megenan Jr., who was a mining engineer, who travelled extensively in North
America, Central America and India. He died in a railway accident, leaving a widow and three children:
Richard-an aeronautical editor of a newspaper, who lived in Houston, Texas.
Phillip McCorkle Eames-who was living with his mother in North Carolina, running
a farm.(He also had an electrical education).
Kathleen Hathaway Eames, the youngest, also lived with her mother.
Jessie (The author of the reminiscences), who married T.W.Wheelwright and had two daughters-
Jessie was the only niece who went to school in Petersfield.
-The school was kept by a Miss Newport living in the High Street.
-She used to spend her holidays with her Uncle John's wife (widow) at Borough House, Petersfield. "Aunt Eames", as she used to call her, was very kind to her.
-She left school when she was sixteen and then went home to live with her father and mother and her brothers and sisters in London.
When Aunt Jessie first went to school from London, she was ten years old: She was sent to Petersfield by herself and was put in the care of the guard on the train at Waterloo- and the guard undertook to see that she was in the care of the guard of the coach for Petersfield at Godalming-The railway at that time had its terminus at Godalming-She remembers her indignation at the many questions asked her by a stern old lady in the coach, including the one whether she had a bible in her trunk!
She wonders now that she was allowed to go about alone so much-but remembers that she was of a very independent nature and never got into any difficulties- as an instance of this, when she was between seven and eight and when they lived at Pimlico, her mother put her into a bus for Herne Hill and sent her to Meekin's shop to fetch her mantle. At the shop she showed him the money (between 2 and 3 pounds had been sewn into her pocket) she received the brown paper parcel. Mrs Meekin praised her for being so business-like for a little girl and
Their next child was Edith (See Edith Eames).
Henry's second wife was a Ms Magee, who already had a a son and a daughter.
Charles James, who married Isabel Blackledge, and had two children-Edith and Charles.
Richard Megevan was the twin of Charles James.He married Frances Baines in 1856 and had four children-
1. Richard Megenan Jr., who was a mining engineer, who travelled extensively in North
America, Central America and India. He died in a railway accident, leaving a widow and three children:
Richard-an aeronautical editor of a newspaper, who lived in Houston, Texas.
Phillip McCorkle Eames-who was living with his mother in North Carolina, running
a farm.(He also had an electrical education).
Kathleen Hathaway Eames, the youngest, also lived with her mother.
- Jenny Megevan, who married a Mr Buerbaum and had four children: -Mrs G.D. Morgan, Elizabeth Eames, Alfred and Francis Eames.
- Mary.
- Mini Ha-Ha.
Jessie (The author of the reminiscences), who married T.W.Wheelwright and had two daughters-
- Ada Jessie, who married a Mr Murray, and had no children.
- Florence Jane, who married Edouardo de Souza and had no children.
Jessie was the only niece who went to school in Petersfield.
-The school was kept by a Miss Newport living in the High Street.
-She used to spend her holidays with her Uncle John's wife (widow) at Borough House, Petersfield. "Aunt Eames", as she used to call her, was very kind to her.
-She left school when she was sixteen and then went home to live with her father and mother and her brothers and sisters in London.
When Aunt Jessie first went to school from London, she was ten years old: She was sent to Petersfield by herself and was put in the care of the guard on the train at Waterloo- and the guard undertook to see that she was in the care of the guard of the coach for Petersfield at Godalming-The railway at that time had its terminus at Godalming-She remembers her indignation at the many questions asked her by a stern old lady in the coach, including the one whether she had a bible in her trunk!
She wonders now that she was allowed to go about alone so much-but remembers that she was of a very independent nature and never got into any difficulties- as an instance of this, when she was between seven and eight and when they lived at Pimlico, her mother put her into a bus for Herne Hill and sent her to Meekin's shop to fetch her mantle. At the shop she showed him the money (between 2 and 3 pounds had been sewn into her pocket) she received the brown paper parcel. Mrs Meekin praised her for being so business-like for a little girl and
gave her a shilling. One of the girls in the shop saw her into the eight bus :so that her journey was safely accomplished!
She left school when she was between fifteen and sixteen and it was soon after that she sickened with Typhus fever. Her doctor was Dr Golding of Charing Cross Hospital: unlike the custom of these days he ordered all the windows to be flung wide open, and possibly that helps to explain the fact that her brothers and sisters were allowed in and out of the room! No one else took the fever . It took her nearly a year to reach complete recovery. From that time until she was 23, she lived at home-spending her days chiefly in home-ways -in needlework etc. and becoming proficient in dress making. A Miss Wheelwright was a friend of her mother, and introduced her to her brother John Wheelwright, a man twenty two years older than Aunt Jessie, into the family circle, where he fell in love with her. They were married in 1857, and she says that "she never found him a day too old". He was proficient with the violin and also played the organ, for he was one of a musical family.
Her daughter Ada was the one who most inherited this musical taste and at the age of four could hum and tune correctly while her father accompanied her on the violin. The two girls Ada and Flo grew up, the former short and fair, the latter tall and graceful. Their father died when Ada was fifteen and Flo sixteen. (There was exactly two years difference to the day in their ages). When Mr Wheelwright died , Aunt Jessie took her girls to America to stay with her brother Charles and keep house for him. His wife had died some months before and had left a girl and a boy. They lived in New York. Aunt Jessie went once to Philadelphia to stay with her brother Henry and there she first saw her niece Edith-then a girl of fifteen. (Jack and Will's mother).She was a very pretty girl, with beautiful wavy hair, and usually wore over her dark dress, a white fiche round her neck. (See photo of what I assume is the Eames family- Edith sits on the right, dressed like this). She had inherited from her mother a placid nature, not easily ruffled, and she was loved by everyone.
This brother (Henry) of Aunt Jessie's was a mining engineer, he assayed mines and moved from place to place for this purpose. Aunt Jessie fancies that Edith was born at Minnesota. Aunt Jessie and her girls stayed with Charles Eames until he married again- after a time her sister in England (Mary Jane Stone) who had lost her husband-wrote and asked her to come and live with her. By that time both Aunt Jessie's daughters were married and Ada had died- Flo had gone with her husband to Rio de Janeiro. So she came and lived with Mrs Stone in Worthing-who shared a house with a Miss Short. From there she went to live for a time with the Miss James' at Coulsdon, who held a Kindergarten School. Here she was visited from time to time by dear Edith, her niece-and Walter and the boys. Brena, also, was very good in calling on her.
She moved after some time to Southsea and here Ernest Wilson's wife-Katie(Kate Adeline Lawrence) and Norman Wilson's wife-Maggie (Margaret Louise White) were very good to her and she also made a lasting friendship with Mrs Albert Workman (A cousin). It was Maggie who sent reports of her to Walter Noel Wilson and who told of her frequent illnesses and her loveliness and want of attention and care in the last nursing home (of a sort) that she drifted to. this. out of a very kind heart, her nephew-in-law (Walter) offered her a home in 4, Norham Gardens, Oxford, at the age of 84.
She was brought there on October 26th 1919 by the kind Maggie, who left her after a day or two-feeling certain the plan was to be a success, and so it proved. Aunt Jessie won her way into every heart-including those of the four servants-of whom Ellen was her special maid. She made a few friends outside the house-especially Miss Bullock, Mrs Mee and Mrs Richards.
The vicar, Mr Inge, was very kind in visiting her and during the winter months, brought her the Blessed Sacrament. occasionally when he weather was possible she was able to go to an invalids' celebration at St Phillip and St James' church. Mary (Walter's sister) got hold of a
She left school when she was between fifteen and sixteen and it was soon after that she sickened with Typhus fever. Her doctor was Dr Golding of Charing Cross Hospital: unlike the custom of these days he ordered all the windows to be flung wide open, and possibly that helps to explain the fact that her brothers and sisters were allowed in and out of the room! No one else took the fever . It took her nearly a year to reach complete recovery. From that time until she was 23, she lived at home-spending her days chiefly in home-ways -in needlework etc. and becoming proficient in dress making. A Miss Wheelwright was a friend of her mother, and introduced her to her brother John Wheelwright, a man twenty two years older than Aunt Jessie, into the family circle, where he fell in love with her. They were married in 1857, and she says that "she never found him a day too old". He was proficient with the violin and also played the organ, for he was one of a musical family.
Her daughter Ada was the one who most inherited this musical taste and at the age of four could hum and tune correctly while her father accompanied her on the violin. The two girls Ada and Flo grew up, the former short and fair, the latter tall and graceful. Their father died when Ada was fifteen and Flo sixteen. (There was exactly two years difference to the day in their ages). When Mr Wheelwright died , Aunt Jessie took her girls to America to stay with her brother Charles and keep house for him. His wife had died some months before and had left a girl and a boy. They lived in New York. Aunt Jessie went once to Philadelphia to stay with her brother Henry and there she first saw her niece Edith-then a girl of fifteen. (Jack and Will's mother).She was a very pretty girl, with beautiful wavy hair, and usually wore over her dark dress, a white fiche round her neck. (See photo of what I assume is the Eames family- Edith sits on the right, dressed like this). She had inherited from her mother a placid nature, not easily ruffled, and she was loved by everyone.
This brother (Henry) of Aunt Jessie's was a mining engineer, he assayed mines and moved from place to place for this purpose. Aunt Jessie fancies that Edith was born at Minnesota. Aunt Jessie and her girls stayed with Charles Eames until he married again- after a time her sister in England (Mary Jane Stone) who had lost her husband-wrote and asked her to come and live with her. By that time both Aunt Jessie's daughters were married and Ada had died- Flo had gone with her husband to Rio de Janeiro. So she came and lived with Mrs Stone in Worthing-who shared a house with a Miss Short. From there she went to live for a time with the Miss James' at Coulsdon, who held a Kindergarten School. Here she was visited from time to time by dear Edith, her niece-and Walter and the boys. Brena, also, was very good in calling on her.
She moved after some time to Southsea and here Ernest Wilson's wife-Katie(Kate Adeline Lawrence) and Norman Wilson's wife-Maggie (Margaret Louise White) were very good to her and she also made a lasting friendship with Mrs Albert Workman (A cousin). It was Maggie who sent reports of her to Walter Noel Wilson and who told of her frequent illnesses and her loveliness and want of attention and care in the last nursing home (of a sort) that she drifted to. this. out of a very kind heart, her nephew-in-law (Walter) offered her a home in 4, Norham Gardens, Oxford, at the age of 84.
She was brought there on October 26th 1919 by the kind Maggie, who left her after a day or two-feeling certain the plan was to be a success, and so it proved. Aunt Jessie won her way into every heart-including those of the four servants-of whom Ellen was her special maid. She made a few friends outside the house-especially Miss Bullock, Mrs Mee and Mrs Richards.
The vicar, Mr Inge, was very kind in visiting her and during the winter months, brought her the Blessed Sacrament. occasionally when he weather was possible she was able to go to an invalids' celebration at St Phillip and St James' church. Mary (Walter's sister) got hold of a
second hand basket chair-and it was her delight to be taken to the parks. Once in a way a drive through Oxford was an added pleasure. She had quaint stories to tell of her life in New York, and a ready sense of humour. For instance she greatly relished being able to eat the crusts of Walter and Mary when they were not disabled after visits to the dentist: and this provoked the following rhyme from Walter, which she kept as a great treasure.
"An old lady would go on the bust, she might eat cheese, so she just, to show that she was younger, would satisfy hunger
by eating up every crust."
This was in March 1920, when she was at her best, and all that summer she was well, able to come down every day, and often into the garden. But the Autumn showed gradual signs of failure noticeable to those to those who watched her. But it was not until the last week of the old year, after a bright and happy Christmas, that definite weakness began with an attack of bronchitis. She rallied from this after some weeks of anxious nursing. As the warm days returned she made one or two efforts to get down and out, but her breathlessness increased and slight dropsy began. Dr Whielocke advised keeping her on one floor, and upstairs she had the happiness of a second visit from her dear niece by marriage, Miss Cobbett, in the second week of July and it was while she was in the house, on July 14th 1921 that she passed to her rest most peacefully. She was laid to rest in Wolvercote Cemetary at 8 o'clock on the following morning after a service in St Giles' church, in the presence of Walter, Mary, Mrs Cobbett and Brena-the four servants attending the service at St Giles' only. There were many to whom letters were written, for she had many kind friends, but few remaining relations. One of these was her surviving brother Dr Richard Eames of Salibury, North Carolina. Walter wrote to him, but crossing his letter came one to Mary from Aunt Jessie's niece, Minnie Eames, asking her to be so kind as to break to Aunt Jessie the sad news of the death of her father, Dr Richard Eames. This took place on July 12th after an illness of three weeks, just two days before his sister. She enclosed the newspaper cutting and added these words:
"The name of our sister, Mrs Theo. Buerbaum was omtted from the report by mistake-she also survived. Aunt Jessie has often spoken of you all with great love. Edith's boys were very dear to her."
A few sentences may be copied from the many kind letters that came after her death.
From Jack:
"She was a dear, and seems to have enjoyed her last years at Oxford, I should have liked to come down to the funeral....but I shall be thinking of you this morning".
From Will:
"I loved her ..... I would never have missed her sweet blessings. I shall think of her urging me on in her quaintly whimsical and witty fashion".
From Kathleen:
"An old lady would go on the bust, she might eat cheese, so she just, to show that she was younger, would satisfy hunger
by eating up every crust."
This was in March 1920, when she was at her best, and all that summer she was well, able to come down every day, and often into the garden. But the Autumn showed gradual signs of failure noticeable to those to those who watched her. But it was not until the last week of the old year, after a bright and happy Christmas, that definite weakness began with an attack of bronchitis. She rallied from this after some weeks of anxious nursing. As the warm days returned she made one or two efforts to get down and out, but her breathlessness increased and slight dropsy began. Dr Whielocke advised keeping her on one floor, and upstairs she had the happiness of a second visit from her dear niece by marriage, Miss Cobbett, in the second week of July and it was while she was in the house, on July 14th 1921 that she passed to her rest most peacefully. She was laid to rest in Wolvercote Cemetary at 8 o'clock on the following morning after a service in St Giles' church, in the presence of Walter, Mary, Mrs Cobbett and Brena-the four servants attending the service at St Giles' only. There were many to whom letters were written, for she had many kind friends, but few remaining relations. One of these was her surviving brother Dr Richard Eames of Salibury, North Carolina. Walter wrote to him, but crossing his letter came one to Mary from Aunt Jessie's niece, Minnie Eames, asking her to be so kind as to break to Aunt Jessie the sad news of the death of her father, Dr Richard Eames. This took place on July 12th after an illness of three weeks, just two days before his sister. She enclosed the newspaper cutting and added these words:
"The name of our sister, Mrs Theo. Buerbaum was omtted from the report by mistake-she also survived. Aunt Jessie has often spoken of you all with great love. Edith's boys were very dear to her."
A few sentences may be copied from the many kind letters that came after her death.
From Jack:
"She was a dear, and seems to have enjoyed her last years at Oxford, I should have liked to come down to the funeral....but I shall be thinking of you this morning".
From Will:
"I loved her ..... I would never have missed her sweet blessings. I shall think of her urging me on in her quaintly whimsical and witty fashion".
From Kathleen:
" I am so sorry never to see dear little Aunt Jessie's loving face again, but like you, I am so thankful she is at rest".
From Ruth:
"You will miss the bright bird-like cheeriness of her greetings on your returns home, but none of us can forget how weary she was and how glad she must be now with her incapacitating age fallen from her forever in the eternal maturity of the Other Side".
From Miss Bullock:
"I shall always remember how beautifully graceful she was -she expressed it so nicely when we were alone together......... Do you know I shall miss her very much".
From Phillip Story (one of the Old Rugbeians, who was fond of her and once thought of sending up to her room his visiting card with a message of love in it.)
"Whenever Aunt Jessie is mentioned , I always picture her sitting in the arm chair in the dining room, encouraging Mr Wilson to clean the mantelpiece (carving) with his penknife".
Aunt Jessie's grave-Wolvercote section E3 no. 131.
From Ruth:
"You will miss the bright bird-like cheeriness of her greetings on your returns home, but none of us can forget how weary she was and how glad she must be now with her incapacitating age fallen from her forever in the eternal maturity of the Other Side".
From Miss Bullock:
"I shall always remember how beautifully graceful she was -she expressed it so nicely when we were alone together......... Do you know I shall miss her very much".
From Phillip Story (one of the Old Rugbeians, who was fond of her and once thought of sending up to her room his visiting card with a message of love in it.)
"Whenever Aunt Jessie is mentioned , I always picture her sitting in the arm chair in the dining room, encouraging Mr Wilson to clean the mantelpiece (carving) with his penknife".
Aunt Jessie's grave-Wolvercote section E3 no. 131.
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