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Edward Knight's Family Charles Augustus Rice. [3] Born December 20th 1828. 'Augustus stands apart in many ways from the other brothers of his family. His physique was weaker, his temperament less buoyant, his spiritual qualities earlier developed. He had a strong individuality and fulfilled St Paul's prayer for the Colossians, 'strengthened with all might – into all patience and long-suffering with joyfulness'. He never had good health and his career in the Royal Engineers must have been a disappointment to him. Living for years after his retirement in the Dane Court village of Tilmanstone, he had great call both for patience and for long suffering in his daily relations with his parents and sisters, so great was their reliance on his wise judgment, and so insistent the sisters' claims on his time and companionship. But he was never known to complain, and he never lost his joyfulness though its character deepened with age and suffering. He and his brother Cecil were the closest of friends throughout their lives. Augustus did not see much service abroad; he was for a time in Corfu; and he was in the Crimea, but he was there on sick leave in his brother Edward's ship, H.M.S. 'Leander'. The greater part of his service was spent in Dover and he retired at an early age owing to ill health. After his retirement he married his first cousin, Adela Mary Margaretta Knight, a daughter of Edward Knight of Chawton – by whom he had three daughters. They settled in a charming little house with plenty of space for cows and poultry, only a stone's throw from his sisters' home at South Court, and from there a stroll up the lane to Dane Court. After his father's death he was an invaluable support and help to his mother and his sisters, who relied on him for all manner of advice. He had a great sense of humour, his wit was of the same nature as that of his mother and of his sister Louisa, and their meetings can never have been dull! He was really the wittiest member of his family, which is saying a great deal, and he was a master of repartee, which enlivened life for his relations. On one occasion a visitor who seemed to think the Rice pride in their fathers status wanted taking down, said rather pompously, 'I believe, Major Rice, your father was a banker in Dover?' 'No', replied Augustus without a moment's hesitation, gravely, in his quiet, slow voice, 'He was the man at the end of the pier at Dover Harbour who rang the bell'. As time went on, his infirmities increased. He suffered from a long and painful illness which eventually confined him entirely to his chair. He died, on August 11th 1905, at Eastry, Kent. Of her beloved father a daughter wrote, 'Papa's wit was kind and very funny. Through all his terrible, trying illness he was so marvellously patient and gentle and amusing. No one could have had such a darling father as ours, and he was devoted to us. Everyone loved him.' previous page [94–97] |