(1899-1985)
Widowed in 1929 after just seven years of marriage, Frances, brought up her four children on her own. When they grew up and left home she forged a career as a town councillor and local politician. She travelled widely, visiting her children in various far flung parts of the world. She retired to the Isle of Wight where she had spent her childhood holidays.
Childhood
Frances grew up in London and Sussex. Her mother ran a school of dance when they lived in London. One of her pupils was Elizabeth Bowes-Lyon, the Queen Mother.
As a girl Frances loved writing poetry. In 1919, when she was 16, she wrote a poem about the King of Belgium, praising his bravery during the First World War. She was thrilled to receive a letter from his secretary addressed to Monsieur [sic] Frances Logan saying the King was very touched by the homage paid to him.
Bankers
Frank and Frances Nairne met in London at the Bank of England where they worked. Banking was a family tradition. Frances was born in Johannesburg where her father, Douglas, was working as a bank manager. Her grandfather, Jonathan Nield junior, and great grandfather, Jonathan Nield senior, had both been bankers in Rochdale. Frances was a beneficiary of the new career opportunities that opened up for women during the First World War. Many male employees of the Bank of England had joined the armed forces, so the Bank decided to recruit women to take their places.
After their marriage in June 1920, Frank and Frances settled in Hatfield Heath. Four children were born between 1922 and 1928, but Frank’s health began to deteriorate. In 1929 they travelled to Algeria, hoping that a holiday in a warm climate would be good for him. But his condition worsened. He died four months after their return.
Widowhood
Frances moved her children down to Sussex to be close to her parents. However, her father died not long after and her mother became very ill. Left with sole responsibility for four young children, a dying mother and slender resources, Frances coped with great courage. Then came the outbreak of the Second World War. People living in Sussex feared they would be in the front line if the Germans were to invade. Frances’s daughters, Jean and Anne, were evacuated with their schools to Wales.
Politics
After the war, her children, now grown up, dispersed to Burma, Germany and New Zealand. Frances moved to Lymington in Hampshire. She joined the local Conservative Party and was elected to the Town Council. Always active, outgoing and popular with a wide social circle, she rose to become Chair of the New Forest Conservative Association. After moving to the Isle of Wight in 1962, she continued to be active in the Tory party. She remained in the Isle of Wight for ten years before moving back to Sussex.
For more information on this story see: Angela Coulter, A Stream of Lives, Matador Press 2021, available from Troubador Bookshop