Meet Anne Cecil

When I was in graduate school at the now defunct University of the Arts, our class was asked to trace our journey to determine how we had arrived in the program. It was an interesting exercise for me. I come from a family history filled with talented, innovative, entrepreneurial, trail blazers on both sides. 

My mother was English and the one who taught me to knit. She was born and raised in the Midlands, but our family had strong ties to Yorkshire. In grandfather's family the men were inventors and business owners. The women were talented in the home arts and produced loads of exceptional embroidered linens. 

On my father's side, we trace back to William Cecil aka Lord Burghley, the advisor to Queen Elizabeth I. His second son was given land in the tidewater area and so our story began. The highlights are that his father started a school for women to learn how to become secretaries, The Cecil Business School, in South Carolina.

Both my grand mothers were trained to be teachers. Both had to give it up when they married. My English grandmother helped my grandfather with his business and later inherited the ladies clothing shop that her father ran in the town. 

I am one of about 20 cousins on my father's side. We are all artists, educators or art educators except 3, one farmer, one preacher and one computer expert.

It was enlightening and fascinating. It still is. I did further digging into my mom's side where I found I come from a very long line of  strong, independent, resourceful women. As they say, "the apple does not fall far from the tree".

There are lots of stories. Maybe I'll share them sometime in a blog.