Granddaughter of Richard Welford (1817-1858) who founded and ran Warwick Farm Dairies.
Annie Frances Welford was born on 18 March 1871 the fifth of the six children of John Welford (1844-1924) and Jemima Welford née Neale (1835-1881). Her birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1871 in the Kensington Registration District, Middlesex (now Greater London).
Her five siblings were: John Richard Welford (1863-1869); Frederick Welford (1865-1869); Alice Welford (1866-1867); Florence Frances Welford (1868-1873) and Louise Jane Welford (1874-1879).
In the 1871 census she was shown as Annie F. Welford, aged under one month and living at 4 Warwick Place, Paddington, Middlesex (now Greater London), with her parents and her elder sister, Florence Frances Welford. Her father was described as a dairyman.
On 4 August 1874 both she and her youngest sister Louise Jane Welford were baptised at St Saviour's Church, Warwick Avenue, Paddington, where in the baptismal register their family was shown to be living at 4 Warwick Place, Paddington and that their father was a cow-keeper.
She is shown as Annie F. Welford, aged 10 years and a scholar in the 1881 census living with her widowed step-grandmother, Jane Welford née Neale (1820-1896), at 87 Tavistock Crescent, Kensington.
When the 1891 census was undertaken she was shown as Annie F. Welford, aged 20 years and living on her own means with her step-grandmother, Jane Welford, at 12 Bank Place, Paddington, London. Her step-grandmother was also shown as living on her own means.
On 18 November 1896 she married William Bateman Leaver (1869-1912) at Christ Church, Willesden Lane, Brondesbury, Middlesex (now Greater London), where in the marriage register she is shown as aged 25 years and a spinster living at 'Clumber', Shoot up Hill, Brondesbury, Willesden, the daughter of John Welford, a gentleman, whilst her husband was described as aged 27 years, a bachelor and a tutor of 75 Donatts Road, Brockley, London, the son of James Arthur Leaver, a gentleman.
They were to have five children: John Welford Leaver (1899-1974); Marjorie Bateman Leaver (1901-1990); Arthur Frederick Leaver (1907-1957); Kenneth William Leaver (1910-1969) and Constance Mary Leaver (1912-1998).
The 1901 census shows her as Annie F. Leaver, aged 30 years and living at 47 Dyne Road, Kilburn, Middlesex (now Greater London), with her husband, who was described as a baker's manager and their son, John Welford Leaver.
She was again shown as Annie F. Leaver on the 1911 census return form completed by her husband. She was aged 40 years and living in a ten roomed property at 23 Dartmouth Road, Brondesbury, with her husband, who described himself as a baker and confectioner employer, three of their children: Marjorie Bateman Leaver; Arthur Frederick Leaver and Kenneth William Leaver, together with two female domestic servants.
Her husband died on 8 March 1912, just one month before their fifth child, Constance Mary Leaver was born on 6 April 1912.
Electoral registers until 1939 continued to show her listed at 23 Dartmouth Road, Brondesbury, but in the 1939 England and Wales Register, that confirms her date of birth, she is shown as living on private means with her daughter, Constance Mary Leaver at 'Bevendean', Holtwood Road, Oxshott, Esher, Surrey, the home of Harold J. Cunningham.
Her death, aged 73 years, was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1944 in the Aldershot Registration District, Hampshire. Probate records show that her address had been 'Dartbury', Oxshott Road, Oxshott, but that she had died on 11 July 1944 at 'Hillcrest', Upper St. Michaels Road, Aldershot. Probate was granted on 17 February 1945 jointly to her cousins, Edward Welford (1886-1953) and Sydney Welford (1880-1953) who were company directors and to Martin Beckett Limes who was a saddler. Her effects totalled £85,786-8s-6d.
She is shown as 'Annie F. Welford' on the Warwick Farm Dairies plaque at 97 Elgin Avenue, London, W9.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk and Andrew Behan.
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