Birth:
19 December 1836, Sydney, New South Wales, Australia

Marriage:
17 September 1870, Brompton, London, England

Death:
1 January 1899, Lambeth, London, England

Religious Influence:
Anglican

Occupation:
Wife

Married:
George Alfred Field

Elizabeth Ann Cowper was the first child of William and his third wife Harriette Cowper, née Swaine, born on 19 December 1836 at Sydney, New South Wales, where her father was the Resident Colonial Chaplain.  Elizabeth may have been named after her maternal grandmother, Elizabeth Ann Swaine, née Arden.

Elizabeth was affectionately known as ‘Lizzie’ – with both Thomas and Sedgwick referring to her as Lizzie in various family letters.

Harriette Cowper returned to England with her daughter Elizabeth Ann at some stage in the late 1860’s and joined her son Sedgwick who was Secretary to the New South Wales Commission of the International Exhibition, being held in Birmingham.

Elizabeth settled in England and never returned to Australia. From letters between ‘Sedgy’ and ‘Lizzie’ it can be seen she was in Paris for some time in 1869, which is after Harriette’s death in Derby January 1869. Interestingly Lady Harriett Cowper, wife of the Hon. Spencer Cowper died in Paris in December 1869, perhaps Elizabeth after her mothers death with no other family in England went to Paris to look after an aunt the Lady Cowper. This is conjecture of course but certainly plausible.

Descendant Family:
Field Family

Elizabeth’s mother Harriett had all the family memorabilia, the bulk of which forms the ‘Keith Cowper’ collection, the content of the collection is such that it confirms the move back to England was permanent.

Elizabeth married George Alfred Field on 17 September 1870, at Holy Trinity Church, Brompton London. George was a Clerk within the India Office at Westminster at the time and remained with the India Office until his retirement. They lived at St Petersburg Pl Paddington, London.

Source: The Times 21 September 1870

Elizabeth Ann and George Alfred Field only had the one child, Alfred Cowper Field, born 19 July 1871, at 274 Kennington Park Road Lambeth, London, who later married Eugenie Maud Matras and had the following two children.

• Elizabeth Eugenie (Cowper) Field – (1908 – 1992) – Never Married
• Alfred Ernest Cowper Field – (1911 – 1940) – Never Married

Both children where born at "Wivenhoe", Downs-Park, Herne Bay, Kent, England, which is shown in the picture below, the naming of the family home as ‘Wivenhoe’ was clearly a reference to the family property in Australia.

Wivenhoe, Kent, England

Elizabeth Eugenie Field received all the family memorabilia from her mother and bequeathed the entire collection to Keith Cowper, the contents of which form the invaluable ‘Keith Cowper’ Collection.

Elizabeth Ann Field, née Cowper died at the family home 81 Wiltshire Road Brixton, London on New Years day 1899 and her husband Alfred also at home on the 14 July 1904.

Source: The Times Wednesday, Jan 04, 1899

Elizabeth had a lot of contact with her niece Mary Sophia Cowper in New Zealand, with many family photographs and memories of shared times.

Elizabeth’s husband George Alfred Field also died at home, at 81 Wiltshire Road Brixton, London.

Source: The Times, Monday, Jul 18, 1904

Sadly when Elizabeth Eugenie Field, who was the great-granddaughter of William Cowper, died in 1992 she was the last living descendant of William Cowper via his daughter Elizabeth Ann Cowper.

The ‘Keith Cowper’ Collection is however an enduring legacy and living tribute to Elizabeth Ann Cowper and her descendants for preserving this collection for future generations, giving an insight into the lives of our ancestors and the richness of their lives.

The Elizabeth Ann Cowper Locket – held in the ‘Keith Cowper’ Collection.

The Elizabeth Ann Cowper Locket – held in the ‘Keith Cowper’ Collection.