Old family photos are some of the most treasured records in a family history, capturing fleeting moments in an ancestor’s life. I’m fortunate to have some that date back to the early 1900s. Sometimes, our ancestors didn’t think to label them, leaving us to wonder who the faces belong to. I’ve been taking steps to preserve and date these photos while uncovering the stories of those pictured.
This particular photograph has been in my family for generations, passed down through my great-grandfather, Alfred Knowles. My mother has long suspected it to be a photo of Alfred’s sister, my great-great-aunt Sarah Anne (Knowles) Mowbray, but there was always some doubt. I grew more skeptical as I learned more about Sarah’s life and examined the photo more closely.
The Photo
To better understand where and when the photo was taken, I didn’t need to look that hard. Taken at Boyd’s Studio, 34 Battersea Park Road, S.W., this real-photo postcard had the name of the studio and the address printed on the back. Battersea is a district of southwest London. Boyd’s Studio was founded by Harry Bartram Boyd, who began his own business in Hastings around 1899.1 London Post Office directories show that the studio was located in Battersea from 1917 through 1918.2 This narrows down the date on which the photo could have been taken.3
Since it wasn’t addressed, I assume it was mailed along with a letter to my great-grandfather. Other details about the photo show that my mother labeled it by writing “Hazel’s Aunt Sarah?” on the back of the photo. Hazel is my grandmother, Alfred’s youngest daughter. As I mentioned earlier, there was always some doubt about the woman’s identity. My mother wrote Sarah’s name on the back because she wanted to ensure that the clues she heard about it weren’t lost over time. I wrote the surname “Knowles” for clarification. What’s written in pencil is unclear to me.
About Sarah
In addition to examining the photo, I needed to take a closer look at Sarah’s life. Sarah Anne Knowles was born on 29 May 1874 in Battersea, Surrey, England, to William Knowles and Ellen Johnson.4 In the mid-1870s, the Knowles family moved there from Chelsea, a London neighborhood just across the Thames River.5 Sarah married John Mowbray, a cabinet maker, on 25 March 1894.6 The couple later settled in the village of East Ham, Essex, about 15 miles from Battersea, and had 10 children. She passed away on 2 March 1948. 7
Why do I have doubts?
In 1917, Sarah, 43 years old, was facing both heartache and a growing family. She mourned the loss of her son, William, who was killed in action at the Battle of the Somme in October 1916.8 Just 7 months later, in May of 1917, she gave birth to her tenth child, Leslie.9 Her elderly mother, Ellen, and several of her siblings still lived in Battersea, and I imagine she visited often. While she could have had her picture taken in Battersea, I suspect it wasn’t the first thing on her mind. Also, the woman in the photo looks much younger than 43.
Since I am not sure if I am a good judge of age, I wanted to get other opinions on how old the woman might be. I posted it on various Facebook pages/groups including my blog’s Facebook page, a local Battersea group, and a group that helps identify unknown people in old family photos. The answers I got were very diverse—anywhere from 18 to late 30s—with most people settling on an age range of 20-30.
If this isn’t Sarah, who could it be?
Sarah was one of nine children born to William Knowles and Ellen Johnson. With the exception of her brother Alfred who emigrated to the U.S., and her brother Joseph who moved to Colchester, the rest of her siblings remained in Battersea or the greater-London area. She had two sisters, Ellen who is 4 years older, and Rebecca who is 2 years younger than her, so they are not better candidates than Sarah is.10
I began to wonder if the woman might be Sarah’s eldest daughter, Elizabeth Rebecca Mowbray. Elizabeth was born in December of 1894, and would have been about 22 years old at the time the photo was taken.11 Luckily, Elizabeth’s granddaughter shared a photo of Elizabeth with me for comparison. While she bears a resemblance to the woman in the photo, I don’t think they are the same person. Neither does Elizabeth’s granddaughter.12
Incredibly, the Sarah’s descendants also provided a family photograph that identifies Sarah attending her son Alexander’s wedding in 1923. Sarah is in the middle row, 3rd from the left.
I’d like to hear your thoughts!
Sarah would have been 49 years old in 1923. Could this really be the same woman just six years later? While I see a resemblance, the photo on the left lacks detail. Still, it’s clear to me that she looks her age and appears to be about 20 years older than the woman on the right. For these reasons, I am not convinced that the two women are the same person.
Back to the Drawing Board
For good measure, I checked Sarah and Alfred’s remaining siblings to see if any of their daughters might be the same age or older than Elizabeth. Here is what I found:
Daughters of William Knowles:
– Doris Rose Knowles, born 9 September 1891, approx. age in 1917: 2614
– Ethel Grace Knowles, born, 9 June 1893, approx. age in 1917: 2414
– Beatrice Amy Maud Knowles, born 9 November 1895, approx. age in 1917: 2215
Daughter of Ellen F. (Knowles) Wilkinson:
– Ellen F. Wilkinson, born 6 August 1896, approx. age in 1917: 2116
Daughter of Rebecca (Knowles) Hodges:
– Sarah Ann Rebecca Hodges, born 21 June 1895, approx. age in 1917: Abt. 2217
So who is the woman in the window? My guess is about as good as anyone’s, but I have to think that the name Sarah didn’t come out of nowhere. Perhaps there is a clue in the name of Alfred’s sister Rebecca’s daughter, Sarah. This is all speculation of course, but at least I know where to look next. I’m hopeful that more clues will emerge and have my fingers crossed that someone out there has a photo that can help solve this puzzle. Unfortunately, this mystery will remain unsolved for now, but if any distant relatives have more photos or information, I’d love to hear from you.
I’d like to thank Sarah’s descendants, Rhianna Chadwick and her grandmother, Peggy Gadsdon, for their contributions!