**Originally posted 21st September 2012**
Monument to Donovan Foster Smart 'Shorty' and Mary Ann Foster, All Saints Chutchyard, Bisham, Berkshire.
"Donovan Foster Smart 'Shorty' December 1 1934 Aged 28 years
Mary Ann Foster September 11 1936 Aged 81 years."
Donovan Foster Smart was born in Chingford, Essex in 1906, eldest child of Harry Casimir Smart, an Australian working in the Publicity Branch of the Australian Government Office in the UK, and Daisy Hope Foster.
Living with the Smart family in 1911 was Daisy's mother Mary Ann Foster and sister Grace Foster.
Mary Ann Foster was born Mary Ann Scudamore in Bishopsgate, Middlesex in 1856 to Robert Scudamore, a lithographic printer and his wife Elizabeth. On 21st November 1880 Mary Ann married Henry William Foster in Hackney, London. Along with Henry's five children from his previous marriage, Helen, Symons, Mary Ann, Ethel, Gertrude and Harold, Henry and Mary Ann had three children of their own, Sidney Kirkman, Daisy Hope and Grace.
Sadly Mary Ann was widowed in 1898 after 18 years of marriage when Henry passed away.
One question that keeps popping up, why was Donovan known as Shorty and why was his nickname placed on his grave stone?
Why indeed, he couldhave been very tall or short but nothing wrong with haveing your nickname on your gavestone. I want mine on it.
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