Beardsworth Auld, Such a memorable name, my mother used to say hard to imagine a child of that name. I vaguley knew Beardsworth came from around Deal, so it was quite natural when we, some remains of my fathers family, arrived in Appledown, Tory, Charlie and myself, mentioned his name in passing. The detective work began with Simon, who had noticed in his fathers, Gerald Kellett’s, comprehensive address book, the multiple entries for Beardsworth Auld.
- Lees Cottage, Liverpool Road, Walmer
- Greenways, Hawksdown, Upper Walmer
- Robins Roost, St James Road, Kingsdown
I relayed what I recalled of Beardsworth Auld, mainly hearsay from my mother.
Margaret Kellett, the only daughter among 4 sons (Gerald, Edward, Richard and Ross) of Louisa and Leornard Kellett, married a man called Cecil Rainier. That is fact. What is hearsay is that Cecil was a homosexual, that the marriage was deeply unhappy, and at some stage, Margaret found a friendship / an admirer / a lover in Beardsworth Auld.
I met Beardsworth Auld twice in my life. The first was at the funeral of Gerald, in which on the way to the funeral and travelling at funeral slow pace, Beardsworth Auld famously, distracted by a wreath falling off the hearse, crashed into Peter Brewers car, which went into Simon’s car, which went into the front hearse carrying the body of Gerald. I vaguely recall being left at the Petrol Station for the funeral service as presumably all had to fit into the limited working cars, and I was considered superfluous.
The second time as at my boarding school (New Hall, Boreham Chelmsford Essex), when out of the blue, Beardsworth rocked up, and did the unthinkable, got permission from the head, SMFrancis, for me to leave with him that day (usually 2 weeks notice and forms for leave to fill in) to my Norfolk home. No safeguarding checks and balances then! He drove me up in his Humber motor car – I recall his head only just above the steering wheel – stopping at Thetford Forest for a picnic which he laid out on a fold up table with a table cloth and set a place for me, with boiled eggs on the menu. He did not eat himself. He then drove me to 35 Quebec Road, Dereham, a good 2 and a half hours, where he knocked on the yellow front door to find my mother, shocked to see us both. “As this is unexpected” Beardsworth explained, “I have bought you a chicken and some paxo stuffing, so you will have enough food anyhow”. And with that he left. How old was I? About 10 perhaps, and Beardsworth would have been late 60’s or 70., my age now.
Everyone is long dead now, Simon, Tori and I are the last generation, we are the children of Gerald, Edward and Ross. With three of us unusually gathered, and now with Beardsworth’s last address, back at our base Appledown, (Kingsdown), a Google search revealed his full name Edgar Beardsworth Fox Auld, and some basic listings.
- IMW. Born 10th October 1893. Source: Officers who served in the Royal Air Force (RAF) between 1912-1920. This record set contains records of around 100,000 RAF officers. So he served in the first world war.
- My Heritage Violet Mary Auld, had 2 siblings one of which was Edgar Beardsworth Fox Auld
- London Gazette His death announcement, which intriguingly lists the solicitors, and the person to contact J Little. John Little my godfather. How did he know Beardsworth? But can I recall a connection with Tinks?
Additional information from some work done by Douglas Aylward on Richard Kelletts life, gives these bare bones: Interestingly I see Beardsworth received financial benefit from Louisa, the mother of Margaret and Ross.
| 2 Apr 1953 | Louisa Isabel Constance Kellett (nee Somers), aged 81, died at St Anthony’s Hospital, Cheam, Surrey. | Death Record Vol 5g page 204 – Surrey | Probate: London dated 8 Jun 1953. To Edgar Beardsworth Fox Auld (retired company official) and Ross Kellett (solicitor). Effects £5091. 19s.8d |
| 1956/2 | Ross Kellett, son of Leonard and Louisa Kellett, married Barbara J Wright in Norfolk. | One daughter Rachel C Kellett | |
| 12 Mar 1956 | Margaret Wilhelmina Rainier (nee Kellett) died in Norfolk. Buried in East Dereham Cemetery | Find a Grave Index Register. | Probate: Norwich dated 3 May 1956 |
| 1957 | Rachel C Kellett, daughter of Ross and Barbara Kellett, born in Norwich | Birth Record Vol 4b page 1022 – Norwich | |
| 1961 | Ross Kellett died (heart attack) |
…..
On my early morning walk down to Kingsdown village from Appledown, across the newly cut grass fields, I thought: here I was at the very place of Beardsworths death in 1980, surely someone here may know him? Coming down to the pebble beach, I passed a happy gathering of swimmers coming in and out of the sea with their dry robes at the ready. It was, however, the 2nd group of morning swimmers who I stopped, and had the good fortune of finding 3-4 women with open minds, curious and willing to help. No use asking at the pubs, they said, but you could try Ian Williams, he is the local historian who lives in the house on the beach. Enter the property by the front door, not from the beach side, they advised. Indeed he lived in an idyllic (on a day such as today) home, his front garden the beaches pebbles with Keep out Private property defined. He came to the door in his dressinggown, and once he understood my need, suggested I search various census documents on line.
However, as I was walking away from the 2nd swimmers, one (Sue) called out to me, she had returned deliberately and keen to tell me: Try Sylvia Main, I don’t know her address but she is on the corner of the x and y. She will be more welcoming.
And she was. As soon as I entered the back gate knew I was in a place of beauty. Huge beech and pine trees (not pollarded as is the fashion down here), a rambling garden semi wild, a wheel barrow at the ready for the days action . ‘I’ve just got to find to the donkey’ she explained to me, after I had relayed my reason as a stranger knocking on her door on a Sunday morning. Jacob the donkey was indeed eager to see her, and receive the food she had prepared earlier together with some leaves cut. Aged 27, he looked most content here, despite the laminitis. With Sylvias permission, I took a photograph of her with her donkey.
On the way to the Church to consult the grave records, she collected her tortoise which had been inside for the chilly night and would now have the warmth of the days sun in his/her run. The church was still in service, so we moved on and knocked at the door of the known elder, a woman perhaps in her 80’s or 90’s whose son was preparing his Talbot vintage car for an outing. She remembered the name, but nothing further. The church grave records contained no mention of Beardsworth Auld.
Outside the church we met her son, to find the classic 5 degrees of separation. He had a boat in Woodbridge and knew the Bartlets, another Kellett connection. Their father and mine partners in hood cores and all wood solicitors.
What I was left with is a possible recollection from Sylvia herself. She came to Kingsdown in 1955, but left after 5 years and returned in 1965. She definitely remembered the name. Mr Auld. Her recollection was of “the gloved gardener”. But this could also be a mix of memory and connected to another. Do I recall Beardsworth being a gardener from some distant memory?
I bid farewell to Sylvia on her way to the village hall. She was one of the villages centers, and I admired her brightness and energy, and felt that by chance I had met an extraordinary person.
Who should I meet on the way back, in one of those random ways, but Sue Lamoon, the swimmer who told me of Sylvia, now fully dressed and on her bicycle, who was on her way back from her own detective work and finding Appledown to leave me a note there, as my email had not arrived. This brief encounter was a delight.
Photographs of Margaret and Cecil Rainier in India
While at Kates (daughter of Simon, son of Gerald, I saw a photograph of Margaret for the first time. Kate bought down a chest Simon had had in storage, a remarkable and beautiful object with a secret compartment, which she opened and revealed the letters. Many were from Margaret to her mother. There was one in particular in which she wrote so candidly of her great sadness on hearing the news that Gerard and Olive were expecting their first child, the first grandchild for Louisa, Margaret’s mother. Happy for them indeed but sad for her that she could not have this joy of birthing a child, the first for her mother. The sadness acute between the lines with phrases, ‘you know about this feeling’. Her love for her mother at the end of the letter was touching. I have asked Kate if she can photograph the letter.
Local people remembered Margaret in Dereham where I grew up, and some used to say I resembled her. She had large feet for her diminutive size, which I have!
As I walked back from Kingsdown across the fields, thinking about the kind attempts to solve by Sylvia and Sue: The whole experience was a bit like that of the book The Snow Leopard, in which two scientists climbed into dolpo, the annapurna mountain range in Nepal, to seek out the snow leopard. Non was found but the story magnificent and book was best seller.
As I left Kingsdown today I considered the journey Beardsworth made 60 years ago. When Beardsworth came to collect me from New Hall I was probably 9 or 10. And he my age now. He would have driven from Robins Roost, St James Road, Kingsdown, (where we knew he was from 1966 from Gerald’s address book) across the recently opened Dartford Tunnel (opened 1963) up the A12 to New Hall – may be 3 hours. From there he drove me up to Dereham, another 3 hours, and from where he turned and returned to Kent. It would have been a long day for Beardsworth Auld. As it happened a long 6 hour drive for me too this day with a tragic accident on the Orwell bridge.
April 2026 Kingsdown/East Lodge, Suffolk
Kalikellett 