Governor General Sir Rodney Williams has lead birthday greeting to centenarian Ms Sarah Ann Townsend who celebrates her 101st birthday today.
Below is a letter from the GG to mark the occassion.
Sarah Ann Elizabeth Sweeney Townsend was born in the Emerald Isle of Montserrat on the 17th July, 1919 to parents Martha Lee an John Sweeney. Like all other children born in Montserrat, she was named after a dead relative and that name became her nickname. Sarah’s nickname was Nellie which was later shortened to Nell.
Nell was the third of 4 children; she attended St. Mary’s School in Plymouth. In those days you would go to school sometimes because you would have to go “ ground’ or ‘mountain’ to do the farming or to work with someone doing domestic.
At an early age she traveled to Antigua to visit her brother, who was sick at the time. She cared for him and after he recovered she found she found employment as a maid for one of the Portuguese that lived in Antigua at time. The De Silva’s and the Pereira’s. The De Silva’s were cake makers and she was helper in the home. After a few years she went to work with the Periera’s on Market and Redcliffe Street as a cook. She worked with them until 1973, when social security was established. Her employment could not afford to pay the tax so he let her go.
Afterwards she then did many things to earn a living, such as, she planted lettuce she she sold to Mill Reef Club, and she made Ice Cream on the weekends and when times were hard she went to reap cotton. When she worked, she would buy food supplies to send back Montserrat such as potatoes, yam and breadfruit to name a few.
Nell had no children of her own; she took care of her siblings children and invited them to live with her in Antigua. Herb first nephew lived with her for a while then went to England. After he left she invited her other nieces and nephew who then became her children, Eleanor, Catherine and Franklyn.
Sarah met the love of her life’; Kenneth Townsend in the late fifties and got married 5th December, 1959. They were inseparable since then. They worked together in the fields, picking cotton and long after as vendors at the Antigua Girls High School for 35 years
Aunt Nell never forgot where she came from; her home became a shelter for persons visiting from Montserrat. She also traveled to many different places like St Maarten, St Thomas, St. Kitts, Dominica and her favorite, London England, Aunt Nell’s adopted children grew up and had children of their own that became her grandchildren who she cared for very much, as well as great grandchildren, nieces, great nieces, nephews and great nephews. Nell’s Loved her family deeply.
On this her 101st birthday we are extremely happy to celebrate her long and amazing life and we all thank God for her.
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