Bessie Lyddon was the third  daughter of William and Mary Lyddon (nee Preece) in a family of five  girls and one boy. Violet born in 1899, Clara (1901), Bessie May (1902), Jean (1906), William Ross (1912), and Elsie (1923).

The family lived at Cambrai (formerly named Rhine Villa).  Bessie died on 29 January 1904 aged 18 months at Springton, presumably staying with her grandmother Betsy Lyddon.  She was buried in an unmarked grave next to her great-grandmother Harriet Lyddon. 

The Lyddon family was significant in the South Rhine Church, through Bessie’s grandfather, William Lyddon Snr. The story of the Lyddon family is here.

Research note:  

This grave does not have a headstone. Possibly there would initially have been a wooden cross that has not survived the elements. In the 1990s markers were added to unmarked graves recording such information as was available from curator’s records. These would have been transferred across the decades mostly in handwritten form.  The burial register for the cemetery has not survived.

There are known to be some errors in the names on these markers, mostly spelling errors, but there is reason to believe that the nameplate
identifying this grave as that of Vera Lyddon is incorrect. 

It was initially thought that this was the grave of Vera Beatrice Lyddon, who was born on 18 May 1900 to Thomas and Mary-Ann Lyddon (nee Crane) at Eden Valley.  Although no death registration for her exists, it was assumed she had died in infancy. However subsequently her marriage at age 25 to George Johnson at Angaston and move to Adelaide was discovered. Vera Beatrice Johnson died  on 27 April 1988 aged 87 years and is buried with her husband at Centennial Park Cemetery.

In proposing that this grave is  that of Bessie May Lyddon (1902 – 1904)  the following points were noted:

1. There are no other birth registrations for a Vera Lyddon anywhere in South Australia 
2. The place of death of Bessie May Lyddon is recorded as Springton
3. Death occurred on 21 January a time of the year when internments would occur promptly
4. No other record of her burial has been located in cemeteries near where she lived with her family at Cambrai.
5. The grave is located adjacent to her great – grandmother Harriet Lyddon 

Inevitably when attempting to reconcile inconsistencies such as this, there will always be an element of doubt. Should further information come to light  that leads to a different conclusion, it is hoped that the details presented here prove useful.