THE LIFE STORY OF ANNIE SARGENT

Chapter 1 – James Augustus Thompson and Margaret Harris

When Annie tells stories of her life, they are framed as stories of the people she loves and the lives they have led. Annie is a gentle woman, loved and respected by those who have come to know her. Sometimes the most extraordinary people are those who have lived ordinary lives; doing their best for their loved ones while seeking no acknowledgment for themselves. At 105 years old Annie is a stark contrast to the current generation. Our stories are framed by our Instagram feed, usually with ourselves as the starring role. The lessons we can learn from Annie are not loud and obvious; they require us to step outside of our busy lives and slow down, consider and reflect on a life of simple joys, hardships and courage. James Augustus Thompson was Annie’s father, born in 1880 in Hertford north of London. His parents parted early in his life, James had no memory of his parents sitting together at the dinner table. His mother was the daughter of a minister of the church. Jim as he became known, was raised by his grandparents who owned a small hotel in the village. Jim had to rise early to help with the chores, lighting the fires and scrubbing the bar room floors before going to school. His grandfather was also a police inspector and was such a large man that when he died, he had to be removed through the front window and slid down a plank. Jim left school at the age on ten years old and with the help of a local butcher, went to London to gain employment as a stable hand. His role as stable hand was to care for the horses and he did this job for some time. He then progressed to a coach boy in a Gentleman’s employ. As coach boy, Jim would care for the horses, feed and groom them, clean out the stables, and polish the carriage and harness. He wore a tailor made uniform and new uniforms and shoes were supplied to him twice a year, ensuring he looked the part. Another part of the job was to ride up front with the Coachman and upon stopping, get down and open the carriage door, fold out the step, take the rug off the Lady’s knee and help passengers down from the carriage as required. The Second Boer War broke out in South Africa in 1899, ending in 1902. At some time during this war, Jim joined the Mounted Troops, being assigned to Robert Baden-Powell as batman (servant) for a time. He was in Africa for several years, and Jim became ill with malaria on several occasions; and this