History of Kilburn and West Hampstead

In 1898, 51-years old Mrs Sands was living at 25 Anson Road Cricklewood. For some time she and her neighbours had been receiving nasty anonymous letters and parcels. This had been going on for several years but came to a head in January when she was sent a parcel containing live black beetles. She reported it to the Post Office who conducted an investigation.  Anson Road (Willesden Local History Society)     25 Anson Road, 2022   She was Elizabeth Frances Colechin, born about 1847 in Kingston Jamacia. At the time of the 1871 census, her father William was a surveyor in the War Department, living in Portsea. In 1876 Fanny had married William Gregory Sands a merchant, and they had two sons who were born in Japan. But he died four years later in Kobe , and Fanny and the boys returned to England where they first lived at 40 Perham Road in West Kensington. About 1894 she became friends with Josephine Chilcott who lived with her mother and stepfather in Fulham. Josephi...