CFHS code : ED34
Parish : St Edward
Inscription : TTDME THOMAS FITZWILLIAM WATTS d 11.11.1892 at Bournemouth aged 52 also of HELEN HARVARD WATTS fourth daughter of the above d 14.6.1895 aged 20 also of ROLFE infant son of SAMUEL H and NINA HARVARD WATTS b 29.7.1899 d 29.7.1899
Monument : Headstone
Above information from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Lat Lon : 52.203068, 0.13737628 – click here for location
Monument
This polished red granite headstone with pointed top, on a double plinth, in the parish area of St Edward, is located six rows west of the central path 20 yards north of the centre circle.
Inscription
To the dear memory of Thomas Fitzwilliam Watts
who entered into rest Nov. 11th 1892 at Bournemouth aged 52 years
“Mark the perfect man and behold the upright:
for the end of that man is peace.” Psalm 37. 37
Also of Helen Harvard Watts
fourth daughter of the above
who entered into her rest June 14th 1895 aged 20 years
Also of Rolfe, infant son of Samuel H. & Nina Harvard-Watts
born July 29th 1899, died July 29th 1899
[plinth:] “’Tis not to die, to live in hearts of those we love.”
[Thomas Campbell, ‛Hallowed Ground’ (1825), adapted]
Relationship: Father, daughter, grandson
Thomas Fitzwilliam Watts (1840 ‒ 11 November 1892)
Thomas was the son of Joseph and Maria (née Barber) Watts. He grew up on Regent Street, and his father was a coal and timber merchant. He married Ellen Irene Harvard (1846-1936) on 19 September 1865 at Stoke Holy Cross in Norfolk. The couple lived at Bracondale Lodge on the Avenue (now known as Brooklands Avenue) and had eight children: Ethel Harvard (1867-1953), Rev. Samuel Harvard (1868-1944), Mabel Harvard (1869-1916), Irene Harvard (1872-1942), Helen Harvard (1875-1895), Theodora Harvard (1877-1922), Josephine Harvard (1877-1964) and Gertrude Harvard (1878-1971). Thomas worked as a timber merchant but died in Bournemouth where he had gone to recover from a bout of flu. His body was brought back to Cambridge and he was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 15 November.
He was buried in row XXVIII of the St Edward parish area, in grave 1, at a depth of 10 feet.
Ellen Watts lived at Bracondale until at least 1901, and then moved to Twickenham with daughters Mabel and Irene (1911). She died at Hove, Sussex in 1936.
Helen Harvard Watts (c.1875‒ 14 June 1895)
Helen was the fourth of the seven Watts’ girls and died at Bracondale, Brooklands Avenue as a result of meningitis. She was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 17 June, in row XXVIII of the St Edward parish area, in grave 1, at a depth of 8 feet.
Rolfe Harvard-Watts (29 July 1899 ‒ 29 July 1899)
Rolfe was the infant son of Rev. Samuel Harvard Watts, and grandson of Thomas and Ellen. Samuel went to Felsted school and then to Clare College. Records show he was admitted in June 1886, gained his B.A. in 1897 and his M.A. in 1903. He appears to have double-barrelled the family name to Harvard-Watts from c.1897. Samuel was ordained as a priest in 1902 He married Harriet Louisa Nina Harrington (known as Nina) (1871-1949) in August 1897 and Rolfe was their first child. Rolfe was born at Bracondale but only lived for 7 hours. He was buried on 31 July in Mill Road Cemetery, in row XXVIII of the St Edward parish area, in grave 1, at a depth of 6 feet.
Samuel and Nina had three more children: Adrian (1901-), Aileen Mary (1904-1999) and John (1907-1979). He was Rector of Norton-sub-Hamdon, Somerset (1910-1913), Rector of Walesby with Risby, Lincolnshire (1913-1922) and Rector of Blickling, Norfolk (1922-1944). Samuel died in Blickling aged 75 years old.
Sources:
St Edward’s Church, Cambridge, burial register and grave book
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
A Cambridge Alumni Database
by Ian Bent and Claire Martinsen
[If you have any information about this family, please contact us at Friendsofmillroadcemetery@gmail.com]