Annie Mabel Howell Evans was born on 29 September 1871 in Boughton, Flintshire, Wales, the second of the five children of William Howell Evans(1835-1892) and Elizabeth Evans née Edmunds (1844-1928). Her father was a clerk in holy orders. See her sister Mary for comments on the 'Howell' in their names.
The 1881 census shows her living at The Vicarage, Church Street, Oswestry, Shropshire, with her parents, four siblings, a cook, a nurse, a parlour-maid, a housemaid and an under-nurse. The 1891 census informs that she was residing at the vicarage of St Thomas's Church, Russell Road, Rhuddlan, Rhyl, Flintshire, Wales, with her parents, two siblings, a cook, a parlour-maid and a housemaid.
When her father died on 26 April 1892 as the Clerk Canon of St Asaph, his estate totalled £11,549-17s-5d.
The 1901 census shows her living at Trewythan, Gresford, Wrexham, Denbighshire, Wales, with her widowed mother, four siblings and three female domestic servants and she was still here at the time of the 1911 census with her mother, three siblings, a cook, a parlour-maid and a widowed old servant of 61 years.
British Red Cross records state that she lived at Edderton, Montgomeryshire, Wales and that she joined their organisation on 4 November 1911 in 'Denbigh 4' on general duties and transferred to 'Montgomery 36' as Commandant on 12 February 1914. She ran a weekly working party in the winter of 1915 until 12 April 1916 at Forden, Welshpool, Montgomeryshire, Wales, funding all the materials and the work was done at home.
When her mother died on 11 September 1928 in Edderton Hall, Welshpool, both she and her brother, Lieutenant Colonel Hugh John Howell Evans, D.S.O. (1873-1961), were granted probate and the estate originally totalled £15,688-18s-5d but was subsequently resworn to £15,639-5s-1d.
Electoral registers and telephone directories from 1931 list her at 11 Little Chester Street, London, SW1. Electoral registers from 1932 and the 1939 England and Wales Register confirm that she was living at 11 Little Chester Street, as a woman of private means, with her sister Gertrude Harriett Howell Evans (1875-1940).
The February 1940 edition of the London A-K telephone directory lists her at 11 Little Chester Street, but the November 1940 edition informs that she had moved to 1 Sloane Court East, London, SW3.
She was an ARP telephonist and died, aged 72 years, on 3 July 1944, together with her elder sister, Mary, as a result of enemy action when a V1 bomb fell on their home at 1 Sloane Court East, London, SW3. Probate records state that her body was not found until the following day and that her estate totalled £19,272-18s-7d.
She is also commemorated in the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour, located just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey, London.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan
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