Phyllis Kate Watson

Phyllis Kate Watson (1891-1957)

Andrew Watson’s youngest child was Phyllis Kate Watson, born on 11th January 1891. Phyllis spent her whole life living with her parents. In the 1902 census, she is living with her mother and brother in Wavertree, Liverpool, but her father is absent.

Later, the 1911 census describes Phyllis as a ‘violiniste’, ‘teacher’ and ‘concert artiste’, although no records of any performances have been found to support this. It may merely be a coincidence that her aunt was a music teacher too. Where Phyllis received her musical education is unknown.

Eliza’s probate document leaves £487 6s 8d to her son Henry Tyler, a ‘civil engineer’, but Phyllis is not mentioned. After the death of her father, Phyllis and her mother leave Forest Road in Kew and move to Wilton Court, an apartment block nearer Richmond town centre. Phyllis is listed at this address with her mother in the 1939 Register and continued to live here after her mother died. She spent the last ten years of her life at Wilton Court. Little else is known of her life but there is a reasonable certainty that she did not marry or have children.

Note: The Scottish artist, Andrew Watson Turnbull, lived on the same floor as Kate and Phyllis.