Miss Adeline Ayles

The Ayles family were descendants of the Spicer family, some of whom were mayors of Exeter between 1273 and 1708.

Ayles’s father was a provision merchant in Deptford. Charles and Louise had a large family of seven daughters. The family were well off and employed three servants: a lady’s maid, housemaid and a cook. Adeline was the sixth eldest of the Ayles children and is pictured aged five in the portrait.