RootsChat.Com

England (Counties as in 1851-1901) => England => Somerset => Topic started by: BGB on Friday 13 August 10 12:55 BST (UK)

Title: Agnes FROME
Post by: BGB on Friday 13 August 10 12:55 BST (UK)
This lady who was born c.1895 was a children's author. But her name is a pen name not her real name. It is believed she was born in or around Frome but from examination of births and the 1901 census no conclusive evidence has been found. Does anyone know anything about this lady, please?
BGB
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: Jo Harding on Sunday 15 August 10 11:17 BST (UK)
Hello BGB,

I think your best hope would be to ask about records in the Frome Museum. They have an extansive database too and may have something about her.

http://www.fromemuseum.org/

Jo

Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: BGB on Sunday 15 August 10 13:08 BST (UK)
Hello Jo,
Thank you for the idea. I'll contact the musem as you suggest.
Regards
BGB
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: trish1120 on Sunday 15 August 10 15:57 BST (UK)
Someone else is interested in Agnes;
http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,472447.msg3322379.html


Trish :)
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: trish1120 on Sunday 15 August 10 16:12 BST (UK)
1891 Census
100 Broadway,
Frome, Somerset
RG12/1906/78/17

James WHEELER, 23, Head, Mar, General Labourer, born Frome, Somerset
Martha Wheeler, 19, Wife, Mar, born Upton Lovell, Wiltshire
AGNES Wheeler, 6mths, Daug, born Frome, Somerset

1901 Census we have;
Martha WHEELER, 29, Head, Mar, born Upton, Wilts
AGNES R Wheeler, 10, Daug
William R Wheeler, 4, Son
Edith D Wheeler, 3mths, Daug
Children born Frome, Somerset
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: hassle on Sunday 15 August 10 19:51 BST (UK)
Hello,
We are wondering if this Agnes was the children's author we are looking for.Do you have any more news on this family and who is the lady in the picture?
Did Agnes have a son called Paul born in London when she was about 26yrs?. 
Did she move to London about 1916-17?
Did she return to her home in Frome?
Did she possibly emigrate to Australia?
Be grateful for any help
Anne Collard Kember
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: BGB on Sunday 15 August 10 22:59 BST (UK)
Thank you for your reponses. Yes, Anne Kember and I are working together. What I did was  first, by reference to births of Agnes between 1890 and 1899 and second from the 1901 census was to list the various Agneses with their surname. There were around 6 who were born in Frome. Then I looked for births in range of 1916 to 1925 where the boy was called Paul + first surname. This surname was also given for the mother. (A splendid feature of Ancestry Co. is the system permits searches by first name.)
I repeated it 6 times for the Frome births and the only common name for both was Wheeler. So I thought we were home and dry. But then, after a further check, Agnes Wheeler married in Frome c. 1909! Another thing we know is that Agnes Frome had a sister with whom she lived in the 1920s. Don't know where though, maybe London.
So the search continues. There were many Agnes born in Somerset in that period. A Miss Mead is now under suspicion but has yet to be fully checked.
Regards
BGB
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: BGB on Thursday 26 August 10 20:31 BST (UK)
THis is to say thank you to all who replied with constructive suggestions to my appeal for information about Agnes Frome, children’s writer.

She has now been definitely identified!

There was a suggestion to check the Bodleian Library booklist (OLIM). This led to  an A. D . Frome (with no first names.)

Then, a site was identified which claimed to list all old writers! It is called www.kingkong.demon.co.uk
The particular section used was www.authorandbookinfo.com/ngcoba/fr.htm

This identified A.D. Frome as Agnes Dora Rimmer, Frome being a nom-de-plume.
Home and dry thank you.
BGB
.
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: michaelstgeorge on Saturday 05 August 17 20:17 BST (UK)
Hoping to contact BGB or Anne Collard Kember (hassle) who have posted on this thread with questions about details of their research and possibly something to add. I can't post it publicly.

I don't see a way to send private messages through this site. Can anyone help?

I'm happy to post an email address where I can be reached if it is not an infraction to do so.

Thanks,
Michael

Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: BGB on Sunday 06 August 17 00:15 BST (UK)
Hello Michael,
I'll be glad to hear from you. But I resolved Agnes Frome some years ago. Do you know that her son, Paul, died in July aged 97?
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: BGB on Sunday 06 August 17 00:16 BST (UK)
brian@bucknall1.co.uk can find me.
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: michaelstgeorge on Sunday 06 August 17 04:39 BST (UK)
Hi Brian. Thank you. I tried emailing you but your email address bounced back invalid because the domain could not be found.
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: BGB on Sunday 06 August 17 10:34 BST (UK)
Sorry, my mistake. Should have been brian@bucknall1.eclipse.co.uk

Since you sent this at 04.00 UK time I have concluded you are either a long way away or suffer from insomnia!
Title: Re: Agnes FROME
Post by: michaelstgeorge on Sunday 06 August 17 14:25 BST (UK)
 :) Thanks again Brian. I'll email you shortly. No insomnia lately. I'm in the United States.