KIRTON, Katherine [Kate] Jane
As Katherine Jane Poole, she was born at Beaumont Square, Mile End Old Town, Stepney, London in 1849 and baptised on 20 December 1849, second daughter of Revd Samuel Gower Poole (1820-17 April 1891) and his wife Emma née Mitchell (1819-1870), who married at Kensington, London in 1843. In 1861, Kate, as she was known, was an 11-year-old, living at 2 Mile End Old Town, Stepney with her parents, 40-year-old Samuel and 41-year-old Emma, with seven siblings, Emma 15, born Oldham, Samuel Gower 13, Montague Gower 9 and Louisa Mira 7, born at Stepney, Percy Gower 5, Laura Annie Mary 2 and newly born Stanley Gower, all born at Mile End, London. Kate married at Bromley St Leonard Church, London on 12 October 1868, Revd Charles Kirton (c1830-28 November 1903), vicar of St Andrew's, Bethnal Green, who was born in France. In 1891, Kate was a 40-year-old, living at 80 Windsor Road, West Ham, Essex with her 61-year-old husband Charles and their five children Charles Stanley 21, Reginald Gower 20, Kathleen 17, Yorke de la Cour 14 and Percival Campbell 8, all born at Bethnal Green, London. By 1901 they had moved to 26 St Edmund's Green, Southwold, Suffolk when Kate was aged 47, living with her 70-year-old husband Charles, who died at 'The Bungalow', Southwold in 1903, aged 73, and their 24-year-old daughter Kathleen. A member of the Ipswich Art Club 1909-1926, exhibiting from Southwold in 1909 'Waiting for the Skipper, Southwold' and 'The River Blyth' and in 1910 'Old Fashioned Flowers'. At Southwold, Kate was branch secretary of the Suffragette movement NUWSS but by 1911 she had moved to 39 Lancaster Park, Richmond, Surrey and in 1912 she again exhibited at Ipswich Art Club from Richmond, four paintings, 'Blackshaw, Walberswick', 'Walberswick' and 'Reeds, Walberswick' and another and signed her works 'Kate Kirton'. As Kate Kirton, she died at 8 Rosemount Road, Richmond, Surrey on 5 March 1930. Her daughter Kathleen was a noted sculptor.