Cecilia Elizabeth Cantrell

 Cecilia Elizabeth Cantrell

Cecilia Elizabeth was the daughter of Joseph Thomas Cantrell, Judge of the Derbyshire County Courts and his wife Cecilia (see Joseph & Cecilia Cantrell) She was born in Tavistock Square, London where her father was a barrister. Sadly her mother died on the day of her birth and Cecilia Elizabeth was brought up by her father at Kings Newton House, the home of the Cantrells for 500 years.

Her father died in 1862 and in 1869 she married Rev. Edward Wright Whitaker M.A., the Rector of Stanton by Bridge, at Melbourne Church. 

The church was packed full and the Cross Tree at Kings Newton was garlanded with evergreens and flowers. The route to Derby station was decorated with triumphal arches, garlands, flags, streamers and banners. A great arch at Swarkstone Causeway was erected saying “May you pass every bridge thus happily”.  They had one son, Hugh Edward, in 1870 but Rev. Whitaker died in 1881 aged 41.

Cecilia was married again in 1899 to Charles Mansfield Forbes, a land agent from York. She died at Baveno, Italy in 1909. Charles later left a bequest to the Derby Royal Infirmary in memory of Cecilia Elizabeth which enabled them to make 33 more beds available to the public.