Rosa Kate Skinner (watkins)
Skinner family Matriarch
Rosa Kate Skinner (n. Watkins) was our great-grandmother. She was born in 1867 at Pye Corner Farm in Nash, Newport. Rosa was the seventh child born to William and Ann Watkins. After growing up in Llandegveth with his family, and moving to Whitson, 30-year-old William Watkins married Ann Baker in 1854. Ann was the daughter of a farmer from Goldcliff and had lost her parents at a young age.
They settled at Pye Corner Farm in Nash which they owned. Rosa’s father was a prominent figure in Nash, having stood unopposed as a local councillor and also serving as a parish overseer. This involved organising the collection of taxes and ensuring rules and regulations were followed.
Rosa was from a large family; she was the seventh of nine children born to William and Ann. With many children to look after, the older siblings helped their mother look after the younger children. Rosa and her brothers and sisters attended the local Baptist chapel and all went to school in Nash, receiving a good education.
Rosa spent the first 27 years of her life at Pye Corner Farm. In this time two of her brothers, Fred and Herbert, emigrated to Australia, Matilda and William married and left home, and Selina died at the age of 17. This left Rosa at home with Eliza, George, and Myra, and the four remained particularly close throughout their lives.
In 1894 Rosa married James Skinner from Kemeys Inferior and moved to his home at Abernant Farm. The large farm stood on Bulmore Road, four miles from Caerleon. The Skinners were another successful farming family and James was in the process of succeeding his father John, as the tenant of Abernant Farm.
The year after Rosa left Pye Corner Farm her mother Ann died, her father then sold the family farm and moved to Maindee in Newport. Younger sister Myra, who was still living at home when the farm was sold, joined Rosa at Abernant, where she stayed until her death in 1910. Myra and Rosa were not the only Skinners to have moved to the area, brother George took on Draenllwyn Farm on the Old Roman Road and became a neighbour of his two sisters.
James and Rosa had seven children: Wallace 1895, Ralph 1896, Jessie 1898, Donald (our grandfather) 1899, Reg 1901, Ray 1903, and Margaret 1909. Myra was a great help to Rosa and helped to raise the young children.
World War I was a challenging time for most farming families; young men went to war, horses were requisitioned and thee were dramatic price rises. At Abernant Rosa’s two eldest sons, Wallace and Ralph were drafted into the army causing huge worry for the parents, and leaving a real void on the farm. Rosa had much to contend with as James suffered from asthma and bronchitis and could be confined to bed for several months. She dealt with these challenges and her younger sons stepped up to help with the work on the farm, Abernant continued to flourish.
We know that education and strong values were of prime importance in the Skinner household and all seven of Rosa and James’ children achieved a great deal in life and travelled extensively. Wallace, Ralph, Donald, and Reg all followed the family tradition and became successful farmers and raised families in Monmouthshire.
Jessie gained a degree at Oxford University and became a teacher, before later retiring to Jersey with her husband. Raymond was a successful butcher in Newport, whilst the youngest child Margaret became a nurse and emigrated to South Africa where she married and had a son.
James died in 1927 at the age of 64 and left a substantial estate for Rosa and his children, he was buried at his beloved All Saint’s Church where he had been the church warden. His death was followed a year later by Rosa’s eldest sister Eliza, who had spent her final days at Abernant Farm. Rosa stayed at Abernant for a few more years until her youngest child Margaret had left for London to train as a nurse. Then, with her son Donald and his new wife Cathrine ready to take the reins at Abernant, Rosa retired.
Rosa left the farm to live with her son Wallace and daughter in law Edith at Hendrew Farm. She remined active and was school governess at Christchurch School. She also spent lots of time with her various grandchildren and was a regular visitor at nearby Rock Farm, the home of Ralph and Edith. It was at the Rock that Rosa died in 1941 aged 74.
Rosa had been suffering with heart issues and diabetes, her death was reported by son Ralph. She left a sizeable estate including land at Goldcliff and Newchurch West. Rosa was survived by two of her siblings; Herbert who died 3 months later in Australia and George who died in 1954.
Rosa was buried with James at All Saint’s Church, however, in the 1960s, the church was demolished to make way for a new road. Rosa and James were then reburied in Tredunnock at St Andrew’s Church.