more vibrant picture of Emily emerges than we could ever have otherwise
imagined, a lady with a wide circle of friends and a sound humanitarian
foundation to her life. Emily also loved her jewelry. Specific legacies included,
diamond brooches, gold rings with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, and a
gold watch chain, all given to a wide range of friends living locally and further
afield. One particularly touching gift, and the first mentioned, refers to her
‘Air Force Brooch’, presumably passed to a particularly close friend. Other
legacies included linen and a treasured oak leaf pattern silver tea set. Pecuniary
legacies too were made, especially to those who had been in her employ such
as her resident maid, the daily help and the gardener. Emily probably
regarded Robert’s nephew, Clement Sorel, as a ‘son’ and he was to receive St
Helier and all its contents other than those mentioned in specific legacies.
Finally, Emily gave the residue of her estate equally to five UK charities
demonstrating a wide appreciation of the needs of others viz, ‘Oxfam’,
‘Shelter’ (the National Campaign for the Homeless), The National Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Help the Aged and finally The
Missions to Seamen. As a measure of her benefaction, Emily left a net estate
valued at £183,265.
38
18.10 The Visit of Dr. Ralph Chirnside,
29 March 1976
After Emily’s death Robert maintained their household staff, including a
gardener, a full-time cook and housekeeper. When visiting Robert, Richard
especially remembers him ringing for service from the dining table with a
small silver bell—undoubtedly ‘Upstairs Downstairs’—but Robert was of
course ‘a man of his time’ and such attention was quite normal for him.
Shortly after Emily’s passing, Robert had to face another loss, that of his elder
brother ‘Bertie’ on the 19 January 1976 (Plate 18.7). Bertie’s first wife Mai
had died in December 1955 and a year later he married again, one Gladys
Vaux, at St Johns Church Putney, Robert acting as witness to the union.
Robert and Bertie, it seems were quite close, but with Bertie’s passing Robert
became the last of his line. Even so, when Ralph Chirnside arrived at St Helier
shortly after Bertie’s death, he still found Robert as optimistic and as ‘full of
life’ as ever.
Chirnside told him that one of the aspects of Robert’s disposition that
never failed to impress him over all the years they had worked together was
his forward-looking approach to life. Many other men his senior, he added,
486
D. Sheppard
imagined, a lady with a wide circle of friends and a sound humanitarian
foundation to her life. Emily also loved her jewelry. Specific legacies included,
diamond brooches, gold rings with diamonds, emeralds, and sapphires, and a
gold watch chain, all given to a wide range of friends living locally and further
afield. One particularly touching gift, and the first mentioned, refers to her
‘Air Force Brooch’, presumably passed to a particularly close friend. Other
legacies included linen and a treasured oak leaf pattern silver tea set. Pecuniary
legacies too were made, especially to those who had been in her employ such
as her resident maid, the daily help and the gardener. Emily probably
regarded Robert’s nephew, Clement Sorel, as a ‘son’ and he was to receive St
Helier and all its contents other than those mentioned in specific legacies.
Finally, Emily gave the residue of her estate equally to five UK charities
demonstrating a wide appreciation of the needs of others viz, ‘Oxfam’,
‘Shelter’ (the National Campaign for the Homeless), The National Society for
the Prevention of Cruelty to Children, Help the Aged and finally The
Missions to Seamen. As a measure of her benefaction, Emily left a net estate
valued at £183,265.
38
18.10 The Visit of Dr. Ralph Chirnside,
29 March 1976
After Emily’s death Robert maintained their household staff, including a
gardener, a full-time cook and housekeeper. When visiting Robert, Richard
especially remembers him ringing for service from the dining table with a
small silver bell—undoubtedly ‘Upstairs Downstairs’—but Robert was of
course ‘a man of his time’ and such attention was quite normal for him.
Shortly after Emily’s passing, Robert had to face another loss, that of his elder
brother ‘Bertie’ on the 19 January 1976 (Plate 18.7). Bertie’s first wife Mai
had died in December 1955 and a year later he married again, one Gladys
Vaux, at St Johns Church Putney, Robert acting as witness to the union.
Robert and Bertie, it seems were quite close, but with Bertie’s passing Robert
became the last of his line. Even so, when Ralph Chirnside arrived at St Helier
shortly after Bertie’s death, he still found Robert as optimistic and as ‘full of
life’ as ever.
Chirnside told him that one of the aspects of Robert’s disposition that
never failed to impress him over all the years they had worked together was
his forward-looking approach to life. Many other men his senior, he added,
486
D. Sheppard