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Ernest RAWLINS-INNS (1869–1938)
His wife Martha Emily RAWLINS-INNS, née Walton (1867–1954)
Their son Jack Douglas RAWLINS-INNS (1915–1928)
With an inscription to their son Bertie Cecil RAWLINS-INNS, who died in the First World War
St Michael’s section: Row 34, Grave L47½

Ernest Rawlins-Inns was born in Jericho Street, Oxford early in 1869 and baptised at St Paul's Church in Walton Street on 16 March that year. (The family's surname is variously recorded as Inns, Rawlins,Rawlins-Inns, and Rawlins Inns.) He was the son of the Buckinghamshire-born bricklayer William Rawlins-Inns and his Gloucestershire-born wife Esther Thornton, who were married at St Michael's Church in Oxford on 5 May 1866 when they were living respectively at 15 New Inn Hall Street (now renumbered 24 St Michael's Street) and 11 New Inn Hall Street. At the time of the 1871 census Ernest (2) was living at 5 Cranham Street with his parents. By 1881 the family was living at 21 Cranham Street and Ernest had three younger siblings (Lilly, William Esther, and Albert), and his father was now a builder employing six men.

Martha Emily Walton, known as Emily, was born at Appleford (then in Berkshire, but now in Oxfordshire) on 5 November 1867 (not 1868 as recorded in the 1939 Register). She was the daughter of the labourer Christopher Walton and Amelia Buckingham, who were married at St Mary Magdalen Church in Oxford on 4 September 1864: both signed their names with a cross. At the time of the 1881 census Emily (13) was living at 31 Cranham Street with her parents and her siblings Henry, Frederick, Ernest, Ada, and Louisa, plus their lodger.

On 12 July 1888 in haste in Oxford, Ernest Rawlins-Inns married Martha Emily Walton, and they had eight children:

• Ernest William Rawlins-Inns (born at 21 Cardigan Street, Oxford on 22 November 1888 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 1 March 1889)
• Albert Frederick Rawlins-Inns (born at 31 Cranham Street, Oxford on 22 January 1891 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 26 March)
• Archie Lovell Rawlins-Inns (born at 31 Cranham Street, Oxford on 22 June 1894 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 17 August)
• Bertie Cecil Rawlins-Inns (born at 31 Cranham Street, Oxford on 4 April 1896 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 29 May)
• Doris Vera Rawlins-Inns (born at 31 Cranham Street, Oxford on 10 November 1898 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 1 January 1899)
• Phyllis Evelyn Enid Rawlins-Inns, known as Evelyn (born at 21 Cranham Street, Oxford on 10 July 1902 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 24 September)
• Emily Mary Rawlins-Inns (born at 21 Cranham Street on 22 October 1907 and baptised at St Barnabas Church on 20 October)
• Jack Douglas Rawlins-Inns (born on 31 July 1915 and baptised at St Barnabas Church on 26 September).

At the time of the 1891 census Ernest (22) was a bricklayer and living at 31 Cranham Street, Jericho (the former home of his parents-in-law) with his wife Martha Emily  (23) and their first two children Ernest (2) and Albert (two months).

In the 1901 census Ernest (31) was still living at 31 Cranham Street with his wife Martha Emily and their first four children Ernest (12), Albert (10), Archie (7), Bertie (5), and Doris (2), plus a general servant.

By the time of the 1911 census Bertie's parents had moved nine doors down to 21 Cranham Street (the house where Martha had grown up) with four of their children: Archie (16), Doris (12), and Evelyn (8), who were all still at school, and Emily (3).

Three of their sons (all of whom used the simple surname Rawlins) emigrated in 1912–13. In April 1912 their two eldest sons travelled together to the USA: Ernest William Rawlins (23), who was a decorator, moved on to Canada and settled in Edmonton, but Albert (21), who transposed his names and called himself Frederick Albert Rawlins and was a bricklayer, remained in the USA. Their third son Archie Lovell Rawlins (20) arrived in Minnesota, USA on 24 June 1913 (but was not naturalized until 17 March 1942).

By 1914 Ernest and Martha and their daughters were living at 36 Juxon Street, Jericho, and their youngest child Jack was born the following year.

In the First World War their eldest son Ernest William Rawlins served in the Canadian Expeditionary Force, while their fourth son Bertie Cecil Rawlins-Inns served in the Royal Army Medical Corps and died in Egypt at the age of 20 on 23 August 1916: see below.

Their youngest son Jack Rawlins-Inns died in 1928. He was buried in the St Michael's area of the cemetery and so the burial is recorded in their parish register. (It appears that by this date that parish – whose population was going down while the other parishes to the north were growing – offered burial space to people who lived outside their area.)

† Jack Douglas Rawlins-Inns died at the Radcliffe Infirmary at the age of 12 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 22 April 1928 (burial recorded in the parish register of St Michael's Church).

Of their five sons, two were now dead and three had emigrated.

Between 1928 and 1932 their three daughters were all married in St Paul's Church, Oxford from their parents' home at 36 Juxon Street::

• On 10 January 1928, Phyllis Evelyn Enid Rawlins-Inns (25) married Raymond Keet (24), a school-teacher also of at 36 Juxon Street and the son of the journalist Peter Gerhardus Keet,
• On 21 December 1929, Emily Mary Rawlins-Inns, a shop assistant, married Colin Bird, a police constable of Beaumont Buildings and the son of the retired estate foreman Henry Bird
• On 22 October 1932, Doris Vera Rawlins-Inns (29), a clerk, married Francis H. Smith, a contractor's foreman of 57 Juxon Street and the son of the market gardener Harry Smith.

Ernest's home was still at 36 Juxon Street when he died at Littlemore in 1938:

† Ernest Rawlins-Inns died at Littlemore at the age of 69 on 6 November 1938 and appears to have been buried with his son at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery (later burial records of St Michael's Church not available).

His effects came to £759 13s. 2d., and his wife Martha was his executor. His grant of probate is held in the records of Marshall & Galpin Solicitors at the Oxfordshire History Centre (SL38/1/64W/25).

Martha Emily Rawlins-Inns moved to 6 Linkside Avenue after her husband's death and can be seen there in the 1939 Register. She died in 1954:

† Mrs Martha Emily Rawlins-Inns, née Walton died at 6 Linkside Avenue at the age of 86 on 24 August 1954 and appears to have been buried with her son and husband at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery (later burial records of St Michael's Church not available).

Her effects came to £3981 4s. 5d., and her solicitors were her executors. Her grant of probate is held in the records of Marshall & Galpin Solicitors at the Oxfordshire History Centre (SL38/1/80W/28).

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Their son Bertie Cecil RAWLINS-INNS (1896–1916)

Bertie, the fourth son of Ernest & Emily Martha Rawlins-Inns, was born at 31 Cranham Street, Oxford on 4 April 1896 and baptised at St Paul's Church on 29 May. The 1911 census shows that at the age of 14 he was already away from home and working as a page in the Principal's Lodgings at Jesus College, where he lived with the Principal John Rhŷs and his family together with three other members of the domestic staff (a cook, parlourmaid, and housemaid).

In the First World War Bertie served as a Private in the Royal Army Medical Corps, 2nd (London) Sanitary Company, attached 85th Sanitary Section.

Bertie Cecil Rawlins-Inns died of sickness in Egypt at the age of 20 on 23 August 1916 (CWGC entry). He is buried in the Alexandria (Hadra) War Memorial Cemetery, D. 45, and his parents paid for an additional inscription on his headstone there reading “SWEET MEMORIES LINGER STILL”. His mother was named as his next-of-kin in 1920.

His photograph appeared in the “Heroes of the War” section of the Oxford Journal Illustrated on 13 September 1916, and he has an entry in the Oxford City Roll of Honour book in St Michael's Church. He is listed on both On the St Paul's Church and the
St Barnabas Church war memorials.

The following inscription was added to the side of the grave in St Sepulchre's Cemetery, presumably when his father died in 1938, remembering Bertie, who had died 22 years earlier:

ALSO OF P^TE BERTIE C. RAWLINS-INNS. DIED AUGUST 23^RD 1916. AGE. 20 YEARS
INTERRED AT ALEXANDRIA, EGYPT.