Letter, Annie Pithers to John Angel

(Copy of letter dated 11 November 1944
transcribed by John Angel 2003)

... Jack, Lilian worked out the "family tree" on a wide drawing sheet once with Uncle Fred's help. It is possible that you can glean more from that than I can tell you.

The Bearnes in Newton were mainly Peters and Hughs. It was no uncommon thing to find 2 or 3 Peters and similar number Hughs among brothers, that was the more ignorant of them. in the main they were of royal Blood and came from France as refugees called DeBerne. 3 brothers came over the offspring of them were all antagonistic to each other 2 men were peaceful Righteous albeit proud. The 3rd had married a D'Arcy and so proud were the haughty descendants of that couple that when the name was changed to Bearne they stuck to the mother's maiden name of D'ARCY.

Granddad (John Bearne, 1820-1891?) knew of them. Dressy old gent--with ruffles, button shoes, diamond studs etc. It pleased Granddad, to say Good-morning Mr. Bearne to him. His face would get as red as a geranium, and he would shoot back D'Arcy to you. Granddad would hold his own though. There was a sister in rustling silks, who heard this and she said that John Bearne roars like a bull, all in Exeter Road must have heard him. Granddad heard her and often chuckled about it.

They had a family crest. I do not know the words in Latin, although Granddad very proudly told me often, but the meaning of it ran The DE Berne that sweats red, will never want for Bread. and Granddaddy would sweat scarlet, it was amazing his flesh would be as clear water on it, but his Linen no washing or boiling would eradicate the stain it would go pink when dry, but was simply scarlet as vivid Red Flannel on the Linen before it went to the wash-tub. At the time when I was a child Red Flannel was used a lot for petticoats and little girls knickers, showing a little frill at the knees, scalloped and Buttonhole stitched. I mention this because women who saw the shirts would not believe he had not worn a belt (?) of Bath Coating. (that was the name of the red Flannel, but I can testify that he never wore anything but pure white flannel and pure white shirts. It was only when he was very agitated, he was a wonderful man, beautiful complexion lovely feet and (?) beautiful hands and with a Roar like a Bull.

He had a brother in Newton with a big family whether he was Andrew or Henry I forget, but the other came down from the north of England when I was about 9 years old. If you can picture a child answering a door (particularly a child who saw visions) and encounters on the front steps a beautiful white-whiskered gent with eyes of sapphire blue, pink cheeks and white skin, dresses as a clergyman with stock and and frock coat and Duck-net hat, who said, I want John Bearne my child. I flew into Grandfathers arms and said, Oh there is a beautiful man out there I believe he is God. Granddad said whatever is the dear little maid saying no Sadie my dear, she replied who is a very naughty girl, so I retorted if he is not God he is come from God and going back to God.

Grandma was horrified. However the man had heard his roar, and in he came put his little Gladstone down, Off with his hat and there those 2 rocked forward and back in each others' arms, kissing on both cheeks, and calling on God to witness their happiness. He was your figure exactly, just as alert, just as slender, but he looked very old to me. Granddad was John the firstborn so whether this was Andrew or Henry he must have been younger than him. Granddad was 56 years older than me, so he would have been nearly 65, well he stayed some days. The urge was to see John before he died. He went back and died 5 days later. So Granddad said Sadie my dear, the little maid was right he has gone back to God. I was very frightened about it all, but Granddad was a man of vision and understood.

Well his father was a John Bearne, his mother a Sarah Bearne. They were relatives they had 24 children. I only remember Mary White his eldest sister who lived on Tudor Hill, and a chimney-sweep called Redwood an Atheist cared not for any lived in Wolborough Street. All the rest were cousins of a sort, she told me, that 10 years before I was born There were 7 Peter Bearnes in Newton all singers all Ringers, and all caught Sally with the left Hand, that is a bell rope. I remember Pete the Lamplighter he drank terribly.

Then we had a Builder, Organ-Builder included. he built Churches and Organs. Peter Turgwis Bearne he had a son named Lewis may be dead now. but he was an Organist at Highweek Church a handsome fellow about 10 years older than me. I knew all his courtships there was a girl about 5 years older than me called Rosie, and a Son and Daughter older still. There was a distant cousin who had a mansion on Bakers Hill at the top of Powderham Road. he had a big grocery wine and spirits and coal Business. High Class, he also had a handsome son, who carried on after him. These Bearnes in Exeter are cousins, the one that was about Granddads age, who came to Exeter and set on in the business was his first Cousin. The same Grandfather. Then we had Hugh Bearne, with a large Bakery business, sons and daughters, 2nd or 3rd cousins. Take them by and large they are Regal and know it, handsome, devil may care except one line of them wholly Godly.

The Vaughans were nice people too. William Vaughan of Ide was an expert bootmaker, hand sewn. Aunt Mary Grandma's sister born on Oct. 8, 1812 a beautiful ladylike girl was trained to be an expert cook. She cooked for Lady Wall, the mother to Uncle James Miller, she had £1000 she was a twin her brother was undersized and resented it. She allowed him money all his life. They were William Vaughans' first children, and called John and Mary. Then when Grandma was born, on Dec. 6th 1820 the mother died, and her father put her out to nurse in the country. There she remained for 8 years, the father then had her home to educate her. The screaming scene of getting her away from the foster-mother I heard described by every aunt in the family, she was mother to her and she became ill until they coaxed her bit by bit, then she went to a swell grammar school until she was 17 for her father had married again.

And there was William who was eventually the father of Ethel you remember Bert Carter whom she married I expect. He had several other children his wife was named Christine Hellier and her Brother John married Charlotte Grandmas's youngest half-sister. And Maria another married John Cooper, the father of Will and Sam.-- Now to revert to William Vaughan. He had an uncle who was a very Godly man. but afraid of evil spirits he had a large house, and when he felt temptation coming on him he thought it was the devil or devils. and he would take a stick and chase them to the attic there he would shut the door, and whipping around the stick in a frenzy shouting begone ye imps Satan etc. until he felt they were cleared off. His sister was Dorothy Vaughan, whose life was dedicated to God and good deeds. She was a very Angel and died at 33, mourned by all Ide where she had laboured. a legend was in the family that no child that had been named Dorothy Vaughan ever made old bones.

When Mother and Aunt Emma had little girls within some weeks of each other the old Aunt Mary Miller desired that they should both be named Dorothy Vaughan and she hoped that they would grow up to be as good as their namesake. Well Aunt Emmas Baby died about a year old, and our precious Dorothy about 30 that was that.

Well, the old William Vaughan had a brother named John who settled near Bath (Dunkerton) and became the owner of all the Bath Quarries, made an immense fortune to his great sorrow he never had a son, only a daughter. She married a man named Lewis (I believe) and they had one son, who was the apple of their eyes. The old gent indulged his every whim and he squandered thousands of Pounds, before he eventually married, but there was no issue of that marriage, and the Grandson died of consumption brought on by profligate living.

His mother and father also died before the old Gent, so he then made a will and died a broken hearted man. left £12,000 to be put into Consuls to bring in the Grandson's widow £300 a year for life. Any overplus had to be paid yearly between the children of his brother William, and at her death for the capital to be divided between them also or their heirs. Now the strange thing was that the widow of the Grandson married another man and had two children. and she tried by every means to secure that money to her children, but the old gent had been too astute for her, he couldn't bear her, said she was an adventuress and only left her the annuity to save the honour of the Vaughans' name. The Lawyers made £8,000 out of the estate. What eventually arrived each to the nieces and nephews were about £4,000 each.

Grandma invested £4,000 in Joll's Dolphin Hotel, Bovey, who paid her £160 a year interest to her for the 12 1/2 years which she lived after.

Aunt Charlotte had no children, but being doubly related to her bother William's children, she brought up Ethel. She bought a beautiful house named Cannes at Ide. and used to drive into Exeter with a high Stepping mare and Trap, with silver mounted harness. There was another sister called Elizabeth she married Charles Pasons and they had one daughter Bessie and one of William Vaughan's sons married her to keep the money in the family.

Uncle married Anut Emma, Aunt Mary who married James Miller, dear old man he was and very fond of me, used to take me for walks when I was tiny they had one daughter with long golden curls, who died at Boarding School at Manaton. I can't write any more dear ...