Kate Jane Challis
(1871 - 1948)
Kate Jane Challis was born 1 June 1871 and baptised 18 June 1871 at Ousden, a daughter of George Challis (of Little Ousden, labourer) and Sarah formerly Crack.
In the 1881 census she (aged 9) was staying with her sister, Elizabeth and her family at 13 Meeting Street, Ramsgate.
In the 1891 census of Depden, Great Green, Grocers Shop, (next to the Rectory), she was with her parents, aged 19, a dress maker, born at Ousden.
In the 1901 census she was living with her parents by the Green, Depden, aged 29, a dressmaker, working on her own account, born at Ousden.
In 1911 she was with her mother.
Kate remained single and was a court dressmaker. She lived at 19 Heath Terrace, Cheveley Road, near Ernest Albert and Annie Pettit (Kia-Ora, Centre Drive) at Newmarket. Her great-niece, remembers that she was a very small person and that she had one or two stuffed birds under glass domes.
In 1939 (register) at 19 Heath Terrace, Cheveley Road, Newmarket, Kate J Challis had a date of birth of 1 June 1871. She supported herself from ‘domestic work’ though work has been altered to servant.
Kate died as a result of an accident. She died at the White Lodge Hospital, Exning, near Newmarket, Sunday 25 July 1948 from thoracic injuries received during the accident in Market Street, Newmarket, on 24 July 1948. The inquest was held 26th July 1948, when a verdict of death by misadventure was returned.
A very detailed account of the accident and inquest appeared in the Newmarket Gazette for Saturday 31 July 1948 (No. 3282). Kate had been queuing for sausages early on the Saturday morning (the police were notified at 8.45 am). These sausages were sold at the premises of Mr F Holloway once a week presumably because meat was still rationed as a result of the war. Also in the queue, but not with Kate, was her niece, Dorothy Mary (sic) Courtney, of Centre Drive, Newmarket. She gave evidence of identification to the inquest but did not see the accident. The road, which was just off the High Street, was very narrow, being only 7 feet wide, with a pavement of only 23 inches where the accident occurred. The lorry was 22 feet long and 7 feet 4 inches wide. It belonged to the Cement Marketing Company of Cambridge and was driven by Frederick Gilbey of Cambridge. The lorry was travelling along Market Street, towards the High Street, and was driven very slowly because of the conditions and the queue of women. He sounded his horn and the women dispersed from the street onto the pavement. The next thing he knew was that the women at the back of the queue were holding up their hands and called for him to stop. Kate and another woman had been knocked down by the lorry and a third woman fell at the same time. A witness said that she saw the front of the lorry hit Kate in the chest. She appeared to go under the lorry. Dr James Drummond gave medical evidence that Kate had broken both collarbones, and had injuries to her chest and to her right eye. Her injuries were consistent with her being hit rather than run over. The three women were treated in the shop of Mr Cooper and then taken to White Lodge Hospital. Kate died there on the Sunday afternoon.
Her will is dated 22nd July 1940. She was a spinster of 19 Heath Terrace, Cheveley Road, Newmarket. Her executrix was Anna Pettit. She left her estate to her surviving brothers and sisters and if Frederick Challis were to die during her lifetime then his share was to go to his widow, Julia Challis, if she was still living. Probate was granted to Anna Pettit, widow, of Kia-Ora, Centre Drive, Newmarket, at London, 26 August 1948. Her effects were valued at £845.4s.8d, gross, £814.7s.2d, net.
She is buried in Newmarket cemetery adjacent to the grave of her sister, Annie Pettit, and brother-in-law, Ernest Albert Pettit. The inscription reads “In loving memory of Kate Jane Challis died 25 July 1948 aged 77 years Thy will be done”.
Posted December 2016