Lousia Munns, Headmistress of Spital Infant School, Clewer, Windsor

 

 

Memorial to Louisa Munns, All Saints Churchyard, Boyne Hill, Maidenhead, Berkshire, England.

 

 

"Louisa Munns

Who fell asleep in Jesus

On Sunday Sept 9th 1883

Aged 22 Years."

 

 

 

Louisa Munns was born in Maidenhead in 1860 to Stephen Munns, a painter, and his wife Phoebe Smith.

 

Louisa first appears on the 1861 Census aged only 6 months, she is living in Braywick Road, Maidenhead, Berkshire, with her parents and elder siblings Henry Stephen, and Phoebe

 

In 1871 Louisa, now aged 10, and her family had moved to 32 King Street, Maidenhead, Berkshire.

 

In 1881 Louisa, now 20 years old, is lodging at Alexandra Terrace, Windsor, Berkshire.  Her occupation is listed as an elementary school teacher.

 

Sadly just two years later on 9th September 1883, Louisa Munns passed away aged just 22 years. On 19th September 1883 the Maidenhead Advertiser reported:

"The remains were interred in All Saints' churchyard on Saturday afternoon last of Miss Louisa Munns, daughter of Stephen and Munns, of this Town. For a considerable time the deceased was a teacher at the Wesleyan Sunday and Day Schools. and subsequently accepted the position of mistress of the Spital Infant School, near Windsor. Illness, however. compelled her a few months ago to return to Maidenhead, and she succumbed to the insidious disease, consumption. on the 9th inst. She was much beloved by a wide circle of friends in Maidenhead and Windsor, and the interment was witnessed by a large number of persons from both towns, and the sorrow shown was genuine. By request. the Rev. Dr. Gee. Vicar of St. John the Baptist Parish Church, Clewer, readily attended to officiate at the burial. Two crosses and several wreaths were placed upon the coffin by friends, and as a token of their respect for the deceased, Captain and Mrs. Denham (Windsor) sent an everlasting wreath. She was 22 years of age."

 

Little than a year later on Friday 30th May 1884, Louisa's father had a serious accident at his home.  The Slough, Eton and Windsor Observer reported on Saturday 31st May 1884:

 

"A Fall - Whilst Constable Cullen was on duty at 9:40 in King's Street, on Friday evening, he heard screams and cries for help proceeding from the house of Mr. Stephen Munns, and on going there he ascertained that Mr. Munns had fallen down a flight of 13 stairs with two buckets of whitewash.  His head was on the floor whilst his legs lay on the bottom stair.  The constable who some time since passed an Ambulance examination for First Aid to the Injured, well sponged the mans face and rendered other necessary aid, and then sent for a surgeon.  Mr. Montgomery promptly attended, and found that Munns has sustained a fracture to the base of his skull, and an injury to one of this shoulders.  His life was at first despaired of, but he rallied, and he is now going on well."

 

 

Stephen lived for a further 16 years after his accident, passing away in 1900 in Maidenhead, Berkshire.