Biography for Edith (Sherwood) Swindells

In 1910 Edith was 31 years old and living with her widowed father (WG Sherwood). About the time that he suddenly died, Edith's cousin Gilbert Manttan was visiting England from New Zealand; Gilbert had fallen ill unexpectedly and was convalescing with the Sherwoods. Edith's papers include letters from Gilbert's mother, her Auntie Rachel, asking if Edith and family could look out for Gilbert initially, then thanking the Sherwoods for taking him and of course offering condolences on the occasion of WG's death. At this point Rachel asks Edith if she could accompany Gilbert back to New Zealand, as due to his health problems it is obvious that he won't be able to take up his dream of becoming a missionary, and neither is he well enough to work his passage back to NZ (he apparently worked his passage from NZ to the UK). I will transcribe the key letter from Rachel giving all this info soon (I hope!). In late 1911 (I think!) Edith takes Gilbert back to NZ and then bums around NZ (later Aus too) sight-seeing, writing letters, and meeting relatives. I believe that Auntie Rachel must have been a sister to Edith's mother Anne Thompson (WG did not have a recorded sister named Rachel). I believe that Rachel's husband was John Manttan, and their children include Gilbert, Annie (who wrote several letters to Edith), William and perhaps Frank. Edith returns to the UK in mid or late 1914; she met George Swindells on a bus that year and married him in April 1915; their first child (Bessie) was born Sep 1916. Their 4th son, Norman, is John's grandfather. I am mostly interested in Rachel ?Thompson as a link to finding out more about Anne Thompson's parents; I have some details but they are a dead end (I don't know who their parents were, for instance).

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