Annie lived in the Worthing area most of her life. She was born in 1886 and was baptised at Heene on 4 April. Her maiden name was Thornton and her father, Richard, was a coachman and her mother was Elizabeth. In 1891 they lived at The Stables, New Street, Broadwater and in 1901 Annie was a shop assistant at 3, Gratwicke Road, Worthing, which was a confectioners.
17, Rowland Road, Worthing
In January 1911, she married Ernest James Scarce, a dairyman, and they had 3 children. Their home was at 17, Rowland Road, Worthing and Ernest's business was at 26, Rowlands Road. He was also in partnership with Fuente at 33, Rowlands Road from 1914.. Ernest was accused of fraudulent dealings and, fearful of going to court, he committed suicide by drowning in 1928. Although he took his own life, he was buried at Heene cemetery.
N.B. Burial of suicides was permitted in consecrated ground , without ritual, after 1823 and, with ritual, after the 1880 Burial Act.
When Annie died on 30 November 1937 at 7, Knaresborough Place, Cromwell Road, London, SW5 her home address was The Priory, Tarring which she had run as a hotel not very successfully, as she was declared a bankrupt in Vol IV of The London Gazette of 1939.
The Priory, at the junction of South Street, Tarring and Rectory Road
The Priory, at the junction of South Street, Tarring and Rectory Road, originally called Parkfields, was built as a private house in 1880 on the site of a barn and never had any religious connections. By 1903 it had become The Priory and was firstly, the hotel and then an old peoples' home. Now demolished but the drive remains.