Auntie Annie
A well known Upper Broughton character – Auntie Annie
‘Auntie Annie’ was born Annie Elizabeth Birch in Pickwell, Leicestershire in 1871. She married Charles Ecob, 30 years her senior, from Upper Broughton in Nottingham in autumn 1895. He had been married to Ann Fairbrother in 1863 and they had 3 daughters, Mary Ann, Emma and Ellen. Ann died in 1891. They lived in Well Lane.
Annie had no children but became a stepmother to Charles’ 3 grown-up girls and ‘Auntie’ to all the village children.
After Charles died, ‘Auntie Annie’ lived in a very small cottage, The Nook next to the Village Hall where she had ‘an open house’ to anyone. She died aged 83 in 1955 and is buried in Upper Broughton churchyard. “She was a little old-fashioned lady.” “Everything that went off Auntie Annie Ecob was in it.” *Jean Ecob8*
“The youth of several generations have good cause to remember the active and generous way in which Auntie Annie enjoyed her time with them.” Audrey Jones
“She had a small rough-haired terrier called Pip –he guarded her closely and went almost everywhere with her – but it was more than one dared to extend a hand towards him!” Audrey Jones
“Auntie Annie was a well known character.” “We regularly played rounders in the evening in a field adjacent to Chapel Lane and Auntie Annie was always the referee.” Barbara Durrance