The Quilietti Family

Annie [Anne Jane] Quilietti

Annie Quilietti

was the first child  born of the marriage between Joseph Angelo Quilietti and Jane Boyle.   Annie was born on June 8th 1920 at 5.00a.m. in The Hospice, 219 High Street, Edinburgh.

Annie Quilietti

The Quilietti family lived at this time at 66 High Street, Edinburgh and Joseph was described as a Carter, an occupation which was very dear to him and which he loved.

Annie being the eldest of the family had much to do in helping bring up her younger brother Joe when he arrived two years later and they remained very close all their lives.

In the early years of the war in 1941 she married Thomas Smith.   Thomas”s father was  Ernest Smith and he was an engineer by trade.  His mum was  Elizabeth Femours but she was deceased on the year of their wedding.

Granny Quilieti, Annie and Ernie, Betty Quilietti with Luke and Carel

The Quilietti  family had now moved to their new home at 79 Niddrie Mains Terrace and Annie as she was known worked in a local brewery.

The Craigmillar area had many breweries at this time, breweries which brewed local beers with water from  the local springs which flowed from the Pentland Hills.  These breweries employed many locals and indeed were a lifeline for many families before, during  and after the wars.

Her new husband Tom Smith at the time of their wedding was in active service and was an Able Seaman in the Royal Navy.   He was handsome and described sometimes as having film star qualities.   Annie remained with her family until he returned from war.   Joe Quilietti was the best man at their  wedding.  Their wedding broke with Quilietti tradition when they married at Richmond Craigmillar Church which was not Catholic but Church o f Scotland.

They had three children, Jean, Ernie and Stuart.

Stuart at School

The Smith family moved to a new home after the war at 44 Craigour Avenue, Edinburgh.

This was taken on Coronation day in 1953

This property was what we call a ‘prefab’, a prefabricated hut really, which housing were swiftly erected after the war to rehouse the people.   Her brother Joe also moved into a prefab but in the Northfield area of the city of Edinburgh.

Granny Quilietti, Annie, Jean and Ernie

Ernie and Jean catching a ray of ‘sunshine on craigour’

Annie loved her family, her brothers and her sister Jean and  her nieces and nephews, and her grandchildren who came along in time.  She loved a good time and nights out with her family.

She saw her children marry.   Jean married twice.   Ernie married Connie and emigrated to Durban in South Africa where his two sons were born [Gordon and Paul].

Ernie with his dad Tom Smith

Ernie  still lives in Durban today.

Annie died on September 5th 1980 at the City Hospital in Edinburgh.   She was only 60 years old.

Taken in 1999 this great photo of Tom Smith