Annie James-Ashburner

This gravestone has taken the longest to research because records have the name as Jane Ashburner.

The headstone is very difficult to read but it is the grave of Annie James-Ashburner (nee Oldham) and her husband Wilson James-Ashburner, who was Archibald Knox’s very good friend.
It is ironic that this appears to be the least successful of Knox’s gravestones as the lettering is very difficult to read.

Annie Oldham was born in 1865 and married Wilson James-Ashburner at Braddan church on 27th December 1886.

No record of her death has been found in local newspapers as yet.

The headstone wording is as follows (as far as is decipherable)

In memory of
Annie James-Ashburner
Born October 07th(?) 1865
Died April 20th 1921(?)
Wife of Wilson James-Ashburner
and of Wilson James-Ashburner
Born March 3rd 1860
Died Nov 17th 1935
of Sunnyside Onchan

The Isle of Man Examiner carried the following article on Friday 22nd November 1935:
Mr Wilson James-Ashburner, of "Sunnyside," Victoria Road, Douglas, died at his home on Saturday at the age of 75 years. An engineer by profession. Mr James-Ashburner came from Altrincham, and had resided in the Island for about fifty years. A member of the Manx Automobile Club, he was a keen motorist, and at the time of his death owned a car which had been running since 1908 and which was one of the first vehicles to be registered in the Island. An enthusiastic angler, he was a former member of the Isle of Man Fisheries' Board, and was also one of the oldest members of the Ellan Vannin Club. Mr James-Ashburner was a widower, and leaves a son, Mr Wilson James-Ashburner jnr. and a daughter. Miss James-Ashburner who resided with her father. The funeral took place on Tuesday afternoon, the interment being in the Borough Cemetery. The service was conducted by the Rev. W. H. Karran. and the principal mourners were Mr Wilson James-Ashburner, jnr. (son). Mrs Wilson James-Ashburner (daughter-in-law), and Mr Murray Button (cousin).

Wilson James-Ashburner was a friend and benfactor of Archibald Knox,