Mary Louisa Man was born on 20 June 1852 at 17 Spencer Place, Kennington, Lambeth, Surrey, the daughter of Edward Desborough and Louisa Mary (Harris) Man and was baptized on 15 October at St. Mark's, Kennington.  She married the Reverend Vere Awdry on 27 October 1891 at St. John the Evangelist Church, St. Leonards-on-Sea, Sussex.  Mary Louisa died (of cancer) on 22 April 1908 at St Mark's Vicarage, Ampfield, near Romsey, Hampshire and was buried 25 April at St Mark's churchyard, Ampfield.

Vere Awdry was born 14 October 1854 in Notton, Wiltshire, and died 12 July 1928  at Journeysend, Box, Wiltshire. 

Mary Louisa and Vere Awdry belong to Generation Six; their children belong to Generation Seven and are:

1. BRIDGET HILDRED VERE
2. CAROL EDWARD VERE
   

Below the two children, Bridget and Carol, in the vicarage garden at Ampfield.  Vere Audrey had originally married Mary Louisa Man's first cousin Margaret Emily Man.

Who was Queenie Man?   A reasonable guess as to who Queenie was is as follows: Louisa Ayton (Desborough) Harris died in Brighton in 1863.  Though Louisa Ayton had four children, she only had one granddaughter, Mary Louisa Man, born in 1852 and who would have been 11 when her grandmother died.  It can be deduced that this granddaughter would have a special place in Louisa Ayton's heart and could very well have been referred to as "Queenie".

September 2003