Catharine Bodham Donne (1862-1967)

 

Catharine Bodham Donne 

A Centenarian

Catharine Bodham Donne (seemingly known as Katie to close relatives[1]) was born on 29 April 1862 at 40 Weymouth Street, Marylebone, London[2][3]. She was the oldest child of Mildred Kemble and Charles Edward Donne.  Her father was then curate of the Holy Trinity Church, Paddington.

In 1866 her father became vicar of Faversham[4] and the family (3 girls, 3 boys) is recorded there in the 1871 census[5]. In 1872 she developed an abscess in her ear and was sent to London for specialist treatment. She remained there for several years, going to school at Notting Hill Gate[6].

In 1876 her mother died[7]. Her aunt Gertrude wrote to Blanche Donne “…it is of the greatest of importance for the poor children not to be left entirely to their own devices. Katie…only wants a little constant affectionate guiding to become all we wish for her. She is not strong enough of herself at present to manage the house, and all the children….”[8].

The situation did not last long as in August 1877 Katie’s father married Augusta Rigden[9], daughter of William Rigden, JP, landowner, banker and brewer – a leading man in the town. GAM reports that this was not a happy event for Katie who at first refused to call her step-mother “Mother”. She remembered all her life a painful interview with her father’s curate, Algernon Boys, for whose sake she eventually relented. Augusta (known as Gussie) was very possessive of Charles and the children were banished for much of the time to the nursery. Katie was thankful to go to boarding school where she was very happy[10].

Katie is recorded as being resident at the vicarage in the 1881 census[11] but at some point during that year she was taken by her uncle-in-law, Sir Charles Santley, to Bavaria, Milan and Parma where she met various professional opera singers[12]. From references in GAM’s “Letters”, music, particularly singing, would appear to have featured quite strongly in Katie’s life. In her memoirs Katie wrote “In 1882 I spent the best part of the Spring and Summer at Weymouth Street for my beloved Grandfather was failing fast. Aunt Blanche had engaged a male attendant, but grandfather took a great dislike to this man and said he was poisoning him, and refused to take any food unless I gave it to him; it was pathetic to see this wonderful but overworked brain losing its grip and my dear grandfather becoming childish and forgetful”[13]. William Bodham Donne died on 20 June.

There are various entries in GAM’s “Letters” suggesting that Katie did the rounds of relatives over the next few years[14]. At one point GAM notes that in autumn 1887 “Henry invited himself to Uncle Mowbray’s and he and Katie Donne had a very happy week together, and she hoped he would propose to her. But Henry was probably only too much aware of the 15 years difference in their ages and could not bring himself to speak”[15]. GAM did not record a source for this information which could possibly have been Katie’s memoirs. In September Henry took photographs at a family wedding and first sent the prints to Katie which she took as a good sign[16].

They met again at a music festival when Katie was staying with Harriette Donne. GAM recorded a extract from Katie’s memoirs: “During the interval to my great surprise and pleasure Henry Johnson came to me and asked me to wait for him at the end of the performance and he would escort me to the entrance to meet the Turners. Happily, they were a long time coming and we stood behind the door and by that time I felt all would be well in the end”[17]. On returning to Faversham he discovered that her sister Ada was engaged to Dr Walter Scatchard[18].

Henry’s father recorded in his diary that he finally proposed in January 1888[19]. Katie accepted this proposal. The match appears to have been greeted with general approval in the extended family and GAM recorded much congratulatory correspondence in her “Letters”. 

When Katie returned to Faversham to make arrangements for her wedding she found out that Gussie had decreed that she and Ada must be married on the same day as they could not afford two weddings. Ada’s marriage was, however, delayed for legal reasons. Walter had been born in France where his father had married his deceased wife’s sister, a situation not permitted under English law at the time[20]. Eventually both marriages took place on 10 April 1888[21].

She became pregnant fairly quickly. However, at about 3 months she was thrown from a horse and although all appeared to be alright on 18 February 1889 she gave birth to conjoined baby girls who did not survive. She took a long time to recover[22] but fell pregnant again later that year.

GAM reports[23] that her diary for 1889 has regular entries of night school, choir practice, GFS[24] candidates, sewing class and various musical events. Her entry for 21 May reads “Sent for Mr Taylor who came at 5pm and at 8.10 our baby boy (Jack) was born – very long baby, 19 inches, an abundance of black hair”[25].

Katie employed a nurse to help her look after Jack. In GAM’s “Letters” there are many references to the three of them (sometimes four, including Henry) visiting family or entertaining, as well as concerts and church events, including Katie playing the organ[26]. In the 1891 census the three were recorded as being in Torquay, presumably on holiday.[27]

At the end of 1890 the family had removed to Lullington and it was there that her second son, Geoffrey, was born[28]. A further move in 1893 took them to Reading and her daughter Catherine Mary was born there in 1895[29]. Katie noted in her memoirs “We went one night with the Palmers, the head of the Huntley and Palmers biscuit manufactory, who lived in the parish and after dinner we were asked to go into the hall to listen to the first telephone which came from the factory to his private home. We thought it a wonderful invention”[30].

The family was back in Welborne by early 1896 and Katie’s tasks included choir practice, playing and teaching the organ, night school, Sunday school, Girls’ Friendly Society, Mothers’ Union, parish visiting and teaching Jack[31].  This did not prevent much socialising (Katie acquired a bicycle), family visits, music making and concert going[32].

In the summer of 1900 she cracked here coccyx in a fall and was confined to the sofa to recover.  To occupy herself she began to edit the letters of Lady Hesketh concerning William Cowper and eventually had a book published in 1901[33]. This was not a financial success but did enable Katie to meet many admirers of Cowper subsequently[34]. However, the exercise spurred her to start assembling material for a life of her grandfather William Bodham Donne, a project which culminated in another book publication in 1905[35]. Once again, the book was not a commercial success but it put Katie in touch with many people in the literary world.

In 1908 the family moved to Ashill which from GAM’s description sounds idyllic[36]. They stayed until 1917, being recorded there in the 1911 census[37], then moving to 32 The Close, Norwich where Henry died. Katie remained there until 1940 when Norwich was being bombed[38]. The 1939 National register records her there with two servants[39].   She removed to Brundall until the war was over and then back into Norwich at 28 Christchurch Road[40] where she died at the age of 105 on 27 May 1967[41].

She had become blind but taught herself braille at the age of 90 and maintained a keen interest in the activities of family members until the last, dictating letters and verses[42]. I remember she was also somewhat deaf and used a large and intimidating ear trumpet. My recollection is of her being bed-ridden which Martin Sharman has suggested was the result a broken hip sustained in another fall[43].

 

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[1] I deduce this from references in Catharine Mary Johnson’s “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3.

[2] Birth registration GRO reference 1862 Jun Marylebone 1A 409.

[3] A significant amount of genealogical information is given in Howard JJ and Crisp FA “Visitation of England and Wales”, vol 3, 1895, p17 available at https://archive.org/details/visitationofengl03howa accessed 28 March 2018, and in vol 5, 1897, p110 available at https://archive.org/details/visitationengla01armsgoog accessed 28 March 2018.

[4] Who’s who in Faversham’s history http://www.faversham.org/history/people/whos_who_c-e.aspx accessed 19 December 2017.

[5] 1871 England and Wales census RG10/978/86/13.

[6] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p581.

[7] Death registration GRO reference 1876 Jun Faversham 2A 444.

[8] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p609-10.

[9] Marriage registration GRO reference 1877 Sep Marylebone 1A 1129.

[10] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p613.

[11] 1881 England and Wales census RG11/968/92/11.

[12] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p616.

[13] Ibid p617.

[14] Ibid p620, 623, 624.

[15] Ibid p625.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Ibid.

[18] Ibid p626.

[19] Ibid.

[20] Ibid p631.

[21] Marriage registration GRO reference 1888 Jun Faversham 2A 1267.

[22] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p633-34.

[23] Ibid p635.

[24] Possibly the Girls’ Friendly Society?

[25] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p635.

[26] Ibid p637ff.

[27] 1891 England and wales census RG12/1705/39/33.

[28] Birth registration GRO reference 1893 Sep Frome 5C 453 (given names not recorded).

[29] Birth registration GRO reference 1895 Sep Reading 2C 381 (given names not recorded).

[30] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p656.

[31] Ibid p658.

[32] Ibid p659ff.

[33] The book, entitled “Letters of Lady Hesketh to the Rev John Johnson concerning their William Cowper the poet” was publish by Jarrold and Sons.

[34] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p675.

[35] In this case “William Bodham Donne and his Friends” published by Methuen & Co. I have been able to purchase several copies of this work and have distributed them to members of the family.

[36] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p688.

[37] 1911 England and Wales census RG14/12816/273/3/6/193.

[38] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p722.

[39] 1939 National Register RG101/6512H/012/24.

[40] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p722.

[41] Death Registration GRO reference 1967 Jun Norwich 4B 734.

[42] Catharine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p722.

[43] Martin Sharman Facebook post 27 February 2017 (and copied to my electronic filing system).