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Six-year-old Rose Davies died of scarlet fever on June 3. Her eleven-year-old sister, Lily, fell ill soon after and died on June 10. Sources close to the family said Lily did not want to leave her sister during her illness and insisted on staying with her after Rose’s death.
A double funeral was held yesterday at Holy Trinity Church. Mrs. Davies is reportedly grieving and under medical care. Helen checked city records and found nothing new. On June 8, 1895, neighbors summoned a physician, Dr. Samuel Morrison, to the Davies home, reporting troubling symptoms.
Dr. Morrison’s report, filed with the city health department, was directed to the residents of the home at 44 Beacon Street regarding social problems. The survivor, 11-year-old Lily Davies, was found and refused to separate from the body of her deceased sister. The girl stated that she had promised her mother that she would stay with her sister. Both her mother and father were ill, suffering from grief and fever.
The father is recovering from scarlet fever. The mother suffered a nervous breakdown. For five days, the child has been sleeping next to the body of his deceased sister. Despite his health problems, the family refused immediate burial. Emergency intervention was recommended, but none was undertaken. Rose’s body remained at home for another two days.
That same week, someone arranged for a photographer to visit the house. Someone took a photo of the two girls in the garden, dressed them in identical white dresses, holding hands, and asking Lily to look into the camera and try not to cry. Someone took a photo of both Davey daughters together for the last time, as if they were still alive.
Helen’s research led her to the archives of the Boston Photographers’ Guild, where she found records of photographers active in 1895. One name that came up in connection with the Davies family was Thomas Blackwell, a photographer specializing in souvenir portraits. His journal, held in the society’s collection, included an entry dated June 7, 1895.