Amanda Southwell, the youngest child of William and Elizabeth Southwell, was born on 13 February 1843, at 12 St James Place, Hampstead Road, in London. Unlike most of her older siblings she was not baptised as an infant, but opted for baptism herself as a young adult in 1860, as is recorded in the parish register of St Jude Chelsea on 9 June in that year. Her address at this time is given as 12 Queen's Road West, Chelsea and as she was only 17 she was presumably living with her parents there.

Her father's occupation is given as 'gentleman' rather than pianoforte maker, which indicates he had retired from this trade by this date. On 20 August 1866 Amanda married William Elliott Debenham, a Regent Street portrait photographer and great grandfather of the webmaster, Michael Debenham.

Sadly Amanda died on 16 July 1884 at the young age of 41 when pregnant with her eighth child (who did not survive, and two earlier children had died in infancy), leaving William Elliott with a young family of five sons to bring up alone, the youngest being Michael's grandfather, Arthur Henry, aged only 3 at the time.

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