Ashpan Annie (January 25, 1916[1] – July 18, 2010) was the name given to Anne M. Welsh (née Liggins), a "Halifax Explosion" survivor.

Anne Welsh
Born
Anne Liggins

(1916-01-25)January 25, 1916
DiedJuly 18, 2010(2010-07-18) (aged 94)
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
Resting placeMount Olivet Cemetery
Other namesAshpan Annie
Known forSurvivor of the Halifax Explosion

At the time she was 23 months old. Her brother Edwin[2] and mother Anne were killed in the blast, which leveled most of the north Barrington Street structure.[3] She was blown under the kitchen stove, where the still warm ashes in the ashpan kept her alive until she was rescued by a soldier, Sgt Davies, and his dog, along with a neighbour, Mr Henneberry, who was looking for his own family who had lived nearby[4] some 26 hours later.[5]

Her father, Pte Edward, was a soldier who was overseas at the time. She was taken to the Pine Hill Convalescent Hospital, where she was discovered by her grandmother and aunt.[6]

She worked as a laundry worker at a young age, married and raised her own family. Her husband, Angus Welsh, died in the 1990s.[7]

She lived most of her life in the Hydrostone district. She died at The Berkeley, Gladstone Ridge, in Halifax, Nova Scotia.

Legacy

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Several songs have been written about her.

  • "Ash Pan Annie" - Samantha Gracie[8]
  • "Ash Pan Annie" - David Stone and Friends[9]

References

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  1. ^ "Mrs. Anne M. "Ashpan Annie" Welsh". ebituaries.ca. July 21, 2010. Archived from the original on March 2, 2012. Retrieved July 23, 2010.
  2. ^ "Liggins, Edwin". Halifax Explosion Remembrance Book. Nova Scotia Archives and Records Management. November 26, 2009. Retrieved April 15, 2012.
  3. ^ Lipscombe, Kristen. "Thinking of Dec. 6, 1917 : Halifax Explosion survivors commemorate horrific event". Halifax Herald. Archived from the original on December 6, 2004. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  4. ^ Butts, Ed (April 10, 2007). SOS: Stories of Survival; True Tales of Disaster, Tragedy, and Courage. Tundra Books. p. 65. ISBN 978-0-88776-786-9. Retrieved July 20, 2010 – via Google Books.This says she was 18-months old at the time.
  5. ^ "Halifax explosion survivor 'Ashpan' Annie dead at 95". CTV News. July 18, 2010. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  6. ^ Boutlier, Alex (July 19, 2010). "Ashpan Annie dies at 95". Metro International. Archived from the original on July 24, 2010. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  7. ^ "Ashpan Annie mourned". The Daily Gleaner. July 19, 2010. p. A2. Archived from the original on February 27, 2012. Retrieved July 20, 2010.
  8. ^ "Ash Pan Annie". The Halifax Explosion. 2007. Archived from the original on June 11, 2011. Retrieved July 21, 2010.
  9. ^ "David Stone and Friends". CBC. Archived from the original on March 1, 2016. Retrieved July 21, 2010.

Further reading

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