Maude Amanda Minns
Also Known As: Maude Amanda Nelson, Maude Amanda Minns Nelson, Maude Amanda Smith, Maude Amanda Hill (nee Minns)
Religion: Anglican
Primary Locations: Norwich, Blakeney
Life Story
Maude Amanda lived through a remarkable period of change.
She experienced two marriages - first to William Smith
(1862-1905), and later to Rowland Hill
(1874-1949). Her life demonstrates the resilience of women navigating Victorian and Edwardian society.
Family Context
Maude was mother to five children: Evelyn Maude Smith (1895-1983), Archibald Alan Cledwyn Nelson Smith (1898-1983), and Lilian Dorothy Smith (1902-1993) from her first marriage, and Rowland Hill (1907-1949) and Douglas Arthur Hill (1912-1972) from her second marriage.
Research Notes
Maude Amanda is an enigma. Although we have a lot of dates that confirm what she was doing in later life, piecing together her early life remains a work in hand. She was clearly educated as a governess and teacher of English and music, but her early background remains mysterious.