Maker: Anne Cawte

Panel number: 225

Petition sheet number: 275

Person honouring: Annie Arscott

Relationship to maker:  None

Annie Arscott was born in Buckfastleigh, Devon, England in 1872. Her life wasn’t the easiest. Aged three, Annie boarded the White Rose with her parents, to sail from Plymouth in February 1875. They arrived in Lyttelton in July and settled in Timaru, where Annie signed the petition in 1893.

In January 1897, Annie married William John Turner Watson at her parents’ home in Timaru. William was a hotel keeper in Makikihi, South Canterbury, but he was in a lot of debt after the hotel burned down. The couple moved to Wellington where Annie had her only child, Ralph Thomas Watson, born in 1898.

Annie and Ralph left Wellington for Christchurch but William never joined them. She returned to her parents in Timaru and divorced William in 1910, on the grounds of desertion. 

Annie took up dressmaking to support herself and Ralph. In September 1913 Annie married Albert Everett who was part of the Everett Bros draper business in Nelson. Annie and Albert were farming and fruit growing in this area. Albert died in 1943 and Annie in 1957.

They were both buried at the Wakapuaka cemetery.

Annie’s son Ralph had lied about his age when he joined the army – he was only 17 years and was killed at the Somme just a year later.

Panel materials: Materials I had – cotton, wool, and photographic fabric.