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The Encyclopaedia of Plymouth History |
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DAME 'AGGIE' WESTON
Agnes Elizabeth Weston was born in London on March 26th 1840, the daughter of Mr Charles Henry Weston and his wife, Sarah Agnes, the daughter of Mr Robert Bayly. Charles Weston was a barrister in London and when he retired in 1845 he moved his family to Bath. Young Agnes received a private education and she was greatly influenced by the evangelical Christian teachings of the Reverend James Flemming, who was the Curate of Saint Stephen's Church at Lansdown, Bath. For twelve years after finishing her education she studied the organ and engaged herself in various Christian activities near her home. She was very active in the temperance movement and she started a coffee bar in Bath for the men of the 2nd Somerset Militia. When the Militia were away from Bath, she kept in touch with many of the men and it was this correspondence that brought about her later work. One of her soldier friends was on his way to India when he showed Miss Weston's parting letter to his steward on the troopship, HMS Crocodile. He was much impressed and said that he wished he had someone to write to him in such a manner. This wish was reported back to Agnes, who quickly wrote to him and many others whose names had been passed on to her. Her first letter to a sailor was written in 1868. Early in 1873 many of her naval correspondents were paid off at Devonport and Agnes journeyed down to Devonport to see them. She stayed with the family of a Miss Sophia Gertrude Wintz and they became lifelong friends and partners. Agnes evidently stayed in the port because later that year she started to do work there for the Royal Naval Temperance Society. She visited the ships and spoke directly to the sailors. She was so successful that in the following year, 1874, a deputation from HMS Dryad asked her to open a temperance house close to the Dockyard gate. She was hesitant but with Miss Wintz's help organised meetings throughout the County to raise funds and in May 1876 they opened the first Sailors' Rest in Fore Street, Devonport. It was both a restaurant and a hostel, where the rooms were called "cabins". It was a roaring success and soon Miss Weston and Miss Wintz had opened similar establishments at Portsmouth, Portland and Sheerness. The two last-named were comparatively short-lived due to the pressure of the work on their founders. The cost of providing the buildings was met from public subscriptions but the Rests themselves were otherwise self-financing. After demolishing three public houses in the process, which pleased Agnes and her partner, a new building was erected in Devonport in 1888 and an extension, which took the frontage in Fore Street to 1,905 feet, was formally opened on Sunday May 7th 1916.
Public recognition for her work came in 1892 when Queen Victoria endowed a cabin at Devonport and gave permission for the change of title to the Royal Sailors' Rests. In 1901 Miss Weston received an honorary LL.D from Glasgow University and in 1918 she was created a Dame of the British Empire. She was described as being of strong physique, good humour and robust courage and she was as widely known among the families of seamen, many of whom she helped with funds in times of dire need. Sadly, "Aggie" Weston died at Devonport on October 23rd 1918. Three days later she was buried at Weston Mill Cemetery with full Naval honours. Sources:
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