Sarah Ann Tarr (Swain)

Sarah Ann Tarr, born 1872, Fordington, Dorset. Lived in Eakring, Nottinghamshire. Died 1951, Kingston, Surrey.

Sarah Ann Tarr was the daughter of James Tarr and Jane Trevett. Born in the small village of Fordington, Stinsford, Dorchester, Dorset, she couldn’t not be a country girl at heart. She was raised far from this though, in the town of Eakring, Nottinghamshire, and because of this she spoke with a broad Northern accent. Why her parents moved the long distance from Dorchester to Eakring is unknown, but they worked as agricultural labourers, so this may have been part of the job.

Sarah Ann was one of four children: Frederick, Lily, Clara and herself. She remained close to Clara, who stayed in Eakring, and Lily, who married William Thompsett and moved to Hastings. There she had five children with him. Lily was known as ‘Other Nanna’ to Sarah Ann’s grandchildren Carole and Martyn. Nothing is known about Fred though.

As a girl, she worked on a farm in Fordingham, near where she was born. Later on she could be found working as a servant, with her sister Clara, for the Greenfield family at 38 North Laiths, Rufford, NOTTS. During this time Clara fell pregnant out of wedlock and had a daughter, Lilian, in 1898.

Sarah Ann moved to Surbiton after she met and married George Swain in Sussex. In Tolworth, they rented the top half of 48 Douglas Road and raised a wonderful family. Sarah Ann had a tough life, and could certainly be described as long-suffering! She lost a son in infancy, another when he was 23 whom she was never able to bury, and another to tuberculosis shortly before his 40th birthday. Despite this, and many other troubles, Sarah Ann never ever grumbled. She had very strong principles and insisted her children always told the truth, no matter if it hurt them, and to never speak badly of others.

Whilst living in the Douglas Road house, there was a gar stove. One day, when she went to light it, some gas had become trapped, which resulted in a large fire ball when Sarah Ann lit it. Fortunately it was only her eyebrows she lost!

Phyllis, her daughter, remembers Sarah Ann didn’t like going out much, never wanted to attend family weddings or funerals, and in later life this got worse. The Swains could never be described as a close family.

Phyllis, recalls once when her mother was taken ill with influenza and a nurse visited the house and remarked: “what beautiful feet you’ve got!”

She worked for her landlady, Mrs. Pollard, as a servant, doing domestic duties like laundry, cleaning and ironing.

In 1941 she was awoken one night by the sound of enemy aircraft overhead. She left her bedroom and was on the landing when a bomb hit the side of the house, which she had just left, with her husband in it. She was left standing on the landing looking down at the devastation. George died 11 days later from his injuries and the house was then demolished. Following this, at the age of 61, Sarah Ann went to live with her newly-wed daughter Phyllis and son-in-law Leonard Simmons in Kingston, until 1951 when she died. Here she was fortunate to be able to see her two Grandchildren, Carole (born 1943) and Martyn (born 1947) grow up. She was buried alongside her husband in Surbiton Cemetery.