Nina Wickham, 50, was a British national from New Zealand. She had at least three sons, one known as J.N.D. in England, Neville in India, and Digby in New Zealand. Nina’s reasons for traveling from New York are not known, but presumably to see her son in England. Nina was traveling by herself and died in the sinking of the Lusitania. Nina was listed in the New York Times’ list of missing and probable dead, published on Sunday, 9 May 1915.
A family friend, a Danish businessman living in London, wrote a letter of condolence to Neville Wickham. Neville wrote back to the businessman from Cawnpore, India. In that letter, Neville says that he and his brother Digby, in New Zealand, regretted having let their mother travel during the war, but that they could never stop their “mater” doing anything. Neville then proceeds to say that he wants to avenge her “cruel murder” by the Germans.
This Danish family friend helped the Wickhams during a time of some difficulty. He had also received a set of Charles Dickens’ work from Nina that is still in the family’s possession.
Nina’s body was identified as #54. According to family history, Nina was identified by the diamond rings she was wearing. She was buried in the Old Church Cemetery in Queenstown (now Cobh), Ireland, on 10 May 1915. She is in Common Grave C, 8th row lower tier.
Letters of administration were taken by her son J.N.D. Wickham and produced by Messrs. Powell, Rogers, & Merrick, Solicitors, at 17 Essex St, Strand, London, England. Property with her trunk was forwarded to WC on 23 Dec 1915.
Contributors:
Catherine Ferreira (granddaughter of a family friend of Nina Wickham)
Judith Tavares
David Wickham (great-grandson of Nina Wickham)
My name is Ann Dennison (nee Wickham) and David Wickham (contributor) is my first cousin. Therefore, I found this article very surprising:
1. She had FOUR sons: John Neville Deacon (Neville), who died in France in the 1st World War, Digby Frederick Deacon, and finally twin boys Harry Francis Deacon (David’s and my grandfather) and Wilfred Edmund Deacon (Billy).
Neville was fighting in France, and the three younger sons had all been turned down for the army on medical grounds, and came out to New Zealand as farming cadets, all going on to become farmers in their own right.
2. Nina’s reasons for travelling back to England were well known. She had come out to New Zealand to see the land the “boys” had bought and were turning into a farm. They, in anticipation of her visit, had built the homestead that later was home to Harry, his wife Con and their three sons. She stayed, loved what she found, and was en route home to England, to sell up her belongings in order to join her sons and live in New Zealand. I have a copy of a letter written by Nina to her New Zealand sons, telling them of the German threats on the day of sailing from New York, and how she hoped and believed that nothing would happen ……
She is indeed buried in Common Grave C in Cobh Cemetery (not the easiest place to find).
I am on the point of travelling to England (tomorrow) and would like to make contact with Catherine and Judith. Could you please forward my email address to them, and hopefully theirs to me?