Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun of Antigua
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Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun was the daughter of Langford Selly Cranstoun and Evelina Gibbons Harper. She left Antigua and arrived in Canada on May 29, 1918 for an eight week visit, she stayed and went to business school until October 1920. While she was in Toronto she lived at 674 Dundas St W in Toronto, Ontario. Her brother Arthur Herbert “Artie” Cranstoun came to Canada in 1920 to go to school in Guelph, Ontario to become a veterinarian but their father died suddenly in October 1920 and both left to go back to Antigua. I know they visited with their brother Langford Duer Cranstoun while they were here, Langford Duer also returned to Antigua with them for the funeral. Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun married Arthur Edward Rawlings Mercer born 1893 in St. Kitts, B.W.I. in 1925 he was a Kittitian who had come over in 1920 to be chief clerk for D. Hope Ross. Arthur Edward Mercer was a merchant who owned the Kennsington Hotel and also ran a business known as Mercer & Co. in the building diagonally across the street, now Scotiabank, from the Harper building which the family later purchased in 1950 from Elizabeth Sophia "Bessie" Harper, Alice's cousin. The Kennsington Hotel was a "dry" hotel and soldiers during WWII would show up only to find out there was no bar there. Alice Anne Louise Mercer and her friend, daughter of Dr. Wynter, Sarah Adner Wynter bought the Harper's store and building in 1950 from "Bessie" Harper. When Arthur Edward Rawlings Mercer died in 1948 Alice and his daughter Alice Eileen "Bobbie" Mercer continued to run Mercer & Co. Alice Eileen “Bobby” Mercer married Trevor Cave from Barbados and they had three children. Alice Eileen “Bobby” Mercer's daughter, my cousin Diane, related a story about Alice, her grandmother, who had died in her bed unbeknownst to my cousin who was away in England. When she returned, her mother offered her her grandmother’s room, my cousin had always loved her 4 poster bed and asked if granny died in that bed, her mother replied, “No”. My cousin remembered combing her grandmother’s long grey hair with the special texture 100 times every night. One morning she awoke in the bed and found a long grey hair, with that special texture, tied in a perfect bow around her toe. She screamed at her mother, “You lied to me, granny died in her bed”, and she never slept in it again. The bed was later rented out to a movie company for $200/day.
"I Arthur Edward Mercer of the city of St. John on the Island of Antigua, merchant, hereby revoke all former wills made by me and declare that this is my last Will and Testament. I appoint my wife Alice Anne Louise Mercer and Samuel Lauchland Athill executors of my will. I device all that my lot of land situated at Princes Street in the Town of Bassiterre in the Island of St. Christopher to my mother Alice Mercer for life with remainder to my son Edward Langford Mercer and my daughter Alice Eileen Mercer in equal shares as tenants in common. I give and bequeath to my mother Alice Mercer my six hundred and fifty preferred shares numbered P1701 to P2350 in Mercer and Company Limited, for her sole use and benefit absolutely. I give and device and bequeath to my wife, the said, Alice Anne Louise Mercer all the residue my property subject to the payment by her of the following legacies that is to say: (1) To my mother, the said Alice Mercer, the sum of three hundred and fifty pounds. (2) To my son, the said Edward Langford Mercer, the sum of five hundred pounds. (3) To my daughter, the said Alice Eileen Mercer, the sum of five hundred pounds. (4) To my friend Samuel Lauchland Athill the sum of twenty-five pounds as a token of my appreciation of a friendship which has existed between us for more than twenty-five years. In witness thereof I have hereunto set my hand to this my Will and Testament this thirteenth day of September one thousand nine hundred and forty-six. Witnesses: Cyril Dudley Kelsick, clerk, Ruby Kelsick, clerk." The Kelsicks were family through marriage and were civil servants in the city of St. John’s, Antigua. Arthur Edward Rawlings Mercer died on July 15, 1948 in St. John's, Antigua, British West Indies. In 1938 the Cranstoun family in Antigua fell on hard times and Arthur Edward Rawlings Mercer was asked by the family to try settle the estate of Langford Selly Cranstoun. Letter Of Arthur Edward Mercer - 1938 (husband of Alice Cranstoun, Langford Duer Cranstoun's sister) My opinion has been asked with regard to the possibility of settling the estate of the late L. S. Cranstoun and allowing Mrs. P. B. Kelsick (nee Cranstoun) to realize her interest in it. A copy of Mr. Cranstoun’s will and certain information contained in paragraph 1 hereof have been furnished me, and from them I have ascertained the following facts: 1. L. S. Cranstoun died possesed of certain property which he left to his wife and seven children as equal shares.The value of the several properties at the time of his death is estimated to have been as follows: At the time of his death Miss Mary Cranstoun owned the other half of the property in High St. and the other half of the house and land in Nevis and Cross Sts. - 230 pounds His bequests with regards to 10 pounds to Eugine Edwards, his property at the corner of High and Cross Streets and his interest in Cochrane’s and Thomas’s Estates need not be considered here as the first legacy was paid and the property at High and Cross Streets was sold and the proceeds used to pay Miss Mary Cranstoun for her half interest in the property and defray the debts and funeral expenses of the Testor, and Thomas’s and Cochrane’s Estates assigned to George W. Bennett Bryson & Co. Ltd. in settlement of a mortgage which they held on them, the amount which exceeded the value of the Estates at the time they were assigned. 2. Miss Mary Cranstoun was maintained soley by the Estate of L. S. Cranstoun from 1920 to 1933 when she died. It is obvious that her interest in the High Street land and the Nevis and Cross Streets property, valued at 230 pounds, was insufficient to pay for her support for thirteen years and it would appear Miss. Cranstoun died insolevent and therefore the provisions of her will can have no effect. As she was maintained at the expense of the Estate it seems to me that the easiest way to dispose of her will is for all the beneficiaries under it to agree that her interest in the properties should revert to the Estate. 3. If this is agreed, all property is now owned by Mrs. Cranstoun, her six living children and the heirs of Arthur Cranstoun (deceased) in equal parts. Since the death of Mr. L. S. Cranstoun the property has increased in value, due to the repairs done to the houses and appreciation of land in High Street, and their present value is estimated at 750 pounds made up as follows: 4. I suggest that the High Street property be sold, the amount owed to Brown & Co., and legal expenses in connection with the settlement of the Estate paid from the proceeds of the sale, and Mrs. Kelsick paid 1/8 of the remainder plus 65 pounds in full settlement of her interest in the Estate. The difference (if any) between the amount realized for the High Street property on the one hand and the amount paid to Brown & Co., the legal expenses, and the amount paid to Mrs. Kelsick on the other, will be the property of the remaining owners of the property at Nevis and Cross Streets and may be disposed of as they see fit. It will be noticed under this arrangement Mrs. Kelsick receives at 10 pound loss for her interest in the Estate than its estimated value, but it must be borne in mind that she receives her share in cash while the owners must take their chances of the Nevis Street property realizing less than its estimated value. 5. I have been informed that Duer Cranstoun received the sum of 100 pounds from the estate in 1920 and that no other member of the family (other than Mrs. Cranstoun) has received anything. In view of this fact he may be willing to renounce his rights to any further claim on the Estate, either free or for a smaller consideration than 1/8 the value of the Estate. If he is willing to do so his share would revert to the Estate and the amount paid to Mrs. Kelsick would be increased by 1/7 of his share. If however, he is unwilling to waive his claim on moral grounds I should not advise pressing the matter. 6. This does not purport to be more than a fair and “common sense” settlement of the estate. If the owners agree to settle on the basis I have suggested it will be necessary to employ a solicitor to execute a deed of setlement the cost of which is provided for in the fourth paragraph. A. E. Mercer - (Arthur Edward Mercer) Let's remember this is now 1938, 18 years after Langford Selly's death, my grandfather Langford Duer Cranstoun has six children to provide for, his father gave him $150 in 1919 when he returned from the war to re-start his life and he received 100 pounds when he returned for two months for his funeral, he'd signed off in 1925 on Cochranes and Thomas'. I think, from the letters from his father it is safe to say my grandfather loved his family and knew of their plight and let his share go. Children Of Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun and Arthur Edward Mercer had two children, a son, Edward Langford "Ted" Mercer (cousin to my father who I was able to introduce each other to in 2012 and they never knew each other existed) and a daughter Alice Eileen "Bobbie" Mercer born August 29, 1929 in St. John's, Antigua, West Indies and who passed away on March 22, 1992 in St. John's, Antigua, West Indies. The Mercer family has family links back to the island of St. Kitts to the Mallalieu, Semper, Wall, Matheson, and Malone families. Click on picture to enlarge.
Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun Family Tree
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Alice Anne Louise Cranstoun was born September 23, 1898 at Cassada Gardens, Antigua and married Arthur Edward Rawlings Mercer born November 17, 1894 on St. Kitts.
Will Of Arthur Edward Rawlings Mercer
