Rebecca Fanny Pittar – links with Ivy Place and Self/Vicary
families
For years my sister claimed that one of our relatives had
been a model for Arthur Wasse. Following
some recent research it turns out she was not only his model but also his wife
and an unofficial adopted daughter of our grandfather.
1858 Rebecca Fanny Pittar born on 9th
November at 9 Farm Road Hove – this was the residence of William Self (1814).
Rebecca's mother, Emily Pittar gave 9 Farm Road as her address on birth
certificate.
1861/1871 censuses. Rebecca was with the Self family,
in 1861 as a “visitor” and 1871 as “adopted daughter”. (1871 living at 1 Ivy
Place)
Rebecca’s parents were Isaac John
Pittar born 1816 and Emily Taylor born 1822. They married in Brighton 1857. Isaac
John lived with his parents at 46 Park Crescent in Brighton, a prestigious new
development built between 1849 and the 1860s
Isaac John Pittar came from a
family of Jewellers and art dealers. From his 20s his profession was given as
“artist”. He exhibited in Brighton in the 1860s.
Emily’s father was a carpenter.
Quite hard to trace her history (very popular names) but quite possibly worked
as a servant for Isaac John Pittar's sister (Caroline Davidson) in 1851 and
perhaps this is how they met.
For some reason Rebecca Fanny does
not appear to have lived with Isaac and Emily in her infancy. However, it seems
she remained their legal daughter.
1884 Isaac John Pittar died
in Paris. His wife Emily was probably living with him at the time. His Will
acknowledged his daughter and asked that his widow should provide for her.
1881/1891 No sign of Rebecca
Fanny in these censuses. There is some very dubious evidence that she may have
been in Bavaria (and travelled to the USA) in 1889.
1900 Rebecca Fanny
married Arthur Cramer James Wasse in Harwich. Arthur was a successful artist of
German heritage, born in Manchester and trained at the Manchester School of
Art. Married in 1880, his first wife died in 1883 having given birth to two
sons. He moved permanently to Bavaria in 1895. After their marriage, Fanny
lived there with him.
1900 A Marriage Settlement
was created for Rebecca. One of the Trustees of the settlement was George
Ernest Edward Vicary, which suggests Rebecca was still in contact the family.
This settlement took receipt of Rebecca’s
share of the Pittar Trust Fund which had been created by her grandfather for
his descendants. It emerged during this process that she had not been receiving
the full amount she was due from the Pittar Fund,
but it was by then legally too late to rectify fully.
1905 Rebecca wrote to her
aunt Caroline Davidson saying she was in financial difficulties, partly because
Arthur Wasse’s paintings were no longer selling. She asked if her aunt could
pay her the money she (Rebecca) should have received
from the Pittar Fund that had gone to Caroline instead due to the error
mentioned above. Eventually this money was paid by Caroline’s son.
1907 Rebecca’s mother Emily
died in the North london home for aged Christian blind men and women in
Islington.
1931 Arthur Wasse died.
Rebecca came to London to prove his Will and may have stayed in the country for
a while. In 1932 she was included in the Electoral Register for 1 Ivy Place,
along with Sarah Self and Evelyn and Ada Vicary.
1954 Rebecca Fanny Wasse
died aged 95. One of her executors was Cecil Herbert Clements (known by us as
uncle Clem) – this appears to be the same person to whom the Agent wrote about
auction of Ivy Place properties in 1951. In her Will she left legacies to the
following people (among others): Kitty Vicary (“widow of my former Trustee
Ernest Vicary”); Lily Vicary (widow of Herbert Vicary); Percy Harry Vicary; Miss
Ada Gertrude Vicary. Miss Evelyn Maria Vicary; Miss Ruby Self; and Miss Sarah
Alexander Self.
To me this suggests quite a
detailed knowledge of, and earlier contact with, the family. The Will was made
in 1948. By 1954, Sarah Alexander Self had of course died and maybe so had some
other intended recipients, so perhaps Rebecca had lost touch with the family a
little in those final years, or for other reasons did not update the Will.
Postscript – The two Vicary
sisters along with cousin Sarah Alexander Self, ran a school in Ivy Place,
Brighton for many years. I recall
visiting there in approx. 1949. Sarah
Alexander Self died aged 102 in 1950.