At London Historians we learn that Fanny and her husband, Reverend Alfred Wilson, had 5 sons, three of whom, Charles Edgar, Harold and Laurence, were killed while serving their country.
Andrew Behan has kindly carried out some research on this woman: Born Fanny Cobbe in 1848, a daughter of Charles Henry Cobbe and Ann Cobbe née Gravatt. Her father was a major in the Bengal Army. Subsequent census returns completed by enumerators variously give her place of birth as 'At Sea', 'Mauritius' or 'South Africa'. The 1911 census was completed by herself and in this she claims that she was born 'at sea'. She was baptised on 3 November 1848 at All Saints Church, Edmonton and the 1851 census shows that she was living with her mother and sisters at Church Street, Edmonton. Her mother died in 1858 and her father remarried in 1864 to a Louisa Knox. The 1871 census shows the family living at St Aubin's Road, St Helier, Jersey.
On 13 January 1876 she married Alfred Wilson, a Clerk in Holy Orders, at St John the Evangelist Church in Hammersmith and they had five sons, Captain Charles Edgar Andrew Wilson (1877-1918), Second Lieutenant Harold Alfred Cobbe Wilson (1878-1900), Alan Campbell Wilson (1881-1960), Second Lieutenant Laurence Trench Wilson (1885-1915) and Brigadier Edward William Gravatt Wilson CBE (1888-1971).
Her husband was the incumbent of St Michael's and All Angels Church, Chiswick and the 1881 census shows them living at 2 Woodstck Road, Bedford Park. On 15 May 1887 she laid the foundation stone of the new St Michael's and All Angels Church, Bedford Park, Chiswick and her name is recorded on the stone as Mrs A Wilson. The 1891 census has their address as The Vicarage, Priory Gardens, Chiswick. Her husband died on 4 August 1909 and the 1911 census shows her living at 4 Sheffield Terrace, Kensington. She died there, aged 76 years, on 12 April 1925 and probate records show her estate totalled £1,792-11s-0d.
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