Third daughter of Edward VIZARD 1810 - 1888 and Ann FOLEY 1815 - 1902

Born 9th December 1848, New House Farm, Ardingly, Sussex

Died 27th August 1930, Ealing

Maria Louisa (Aunt Wese) came exactly in the middle of the family as regards age, being eleven years younger than Aunt Elizabeth and eleven years older than Mother. She acted as Mother's governess till the latter went to school at about 13 and taught her from the same books from which she had been taught in her childhood. Mother also taught me from these same books, which were in the form of question and answer, the answers having to be learned by heart.

These books are now collectors’ specimens and are in the Worthing Museum among the archives.

Aunt Wese was everyone’s friend, ready at a moment’s notice to step into the breach in the case of any crisis in any branch of her widespread family. She always came to stay with us at Little Dean for several weeks every summer for many years and was the most perfect companion that a small child could desire. She could tell all the old English fairy stories; Cinderella, Goldilocks and the Three Bears etc. etc. and also had the delightful gift of spinning exciting stories straight out of her head. She also knew all the old Victorian talking games, “How, When and Where etc. and was a mine of early Victorian quotations and tags. Mother also had this delightful gift of spinning stories straight out of her head, and I have inherited the same gift, to my great joy. Aunt Wese's stories were always exciting and inspiring to the childish imagination, very different from the prosaic and pedestrian stories which I have heard told to small children on “Listen with Mother". Aunt Wese never forgot any birthday among her many nephews and nieces, and always sent Christmas presents to everyone. She was a second Mother to all her younger relatives, and we adored her. She never married.