Aunt's Children

This is an excerpt from Bernice (Sue). She probably lived with Aunt the longest and has the best knowledge of all of Aunt’s ‘children’. I have left it almost verbatim as it not only describe the children but gives a good perspective of how Aunt was viewed in the district.
….now, with regards to your request. As you have said it is a tall order. However, I’ll make a try at it and as comprehensive as possible.
Growing up with Aunt was quite SOME experience. But that is another story which was not all negative. You may not know this, but my surname is really McDermott. My parents were Mr. & Mrs. Zachariah McDermott living in the same district of Retirement. Aunt was a Nanny/Nurse so she delivered many babies including those of my mother. I was told that she liked me very much at birth and got to adopt me. That is how I got the name Taylor. I was taken to her home when I was weaned at about nine months old. Your mother and Cliffie’s mother-Evelyn Burrell who is Aunt’s niece by a brother were at home when I joined the family. Then there was Siddie (Hector Bonito) who is Jackie’s uncle. After that another girl in her early teens –Delphis White spent a few years. She came from Ocho Rios (church connection) her father (Mr. White) took her back home.
While Cliffie, Bill and Winston and I were all there together, you came for a little time. When I was in my late teens Jackie’s mother, Elaine Russell came and spent a year. After that a young girl (about 9 years old) from the district also spent about 2 years, her name was Cinderella McDonald. Her parents were Mr. & Mrs. George McDonald. She eventually went back home. The last person I remember was Eartha Allen, a little girl about 4 years old. She was one of Aunts church brother’s child. Her parents were Mr. & Mrs. Allen from the area. She also spent a very short time and went back home.
…It should interest you to know that Aunt was regarded as a very significant person in the district. She played the role of Advisor/counselor, attended the sick, embalmed dead bodies (a process which lasted 3 days until the burial) as you know in those days there were no funeral homes. As I have said previously she delivered many babies. As far as I know majority if not all services without charge, she was fairly well read and had a good knowledge in house-keeping, dressmaking etiquette and of course nursing skills. She sometimes spoke about some study course in which she was involved. I recall seeing at least two of her books at home. In addition she was a landowner and farmer in her own rights, and a very strict disciplinarian workaholic.

I added a schematic above showing Aunt's ‘children’, their sequence and approximate time line of when they were with her in Lucky Hill.