"Edith Ransome ne\u00E9 Boulton, AR\u2019s mother, was born about 1852, and died in Leeds on 7 December 1944 aged 82. Her father Edward Baker Boulton was a sheepfarmer in New South Wales, Australia, so provided the Australian background of Mary Walker. He retired to Clifton, dying while AR was very young. His main interest was water-colour painting, and Edith was a gifted water-colour painter. On thee day after Edith accepted Cyril Ransomes proposal, he gave her a volume of Bagehot\u2019s essays and a book of Wordsworth\u2019s poems with some marked; and told her that he looked forward to examining her on them a week later! Edith encouraged her son\u2019s writing, particularly with The Picts and the Martyrs where Genia had been particularly discouraging. Helen Boulton, AR\u2019s aunt, was a writer. She initially suggested that AR write in his spare time rather than as a career; this was when Edith wanted him to enter a well-paying profession. She was probably the model for the Amazon's aunt, who might almost be a pirate (SD3). Cyril and Edith Ransome had four children: Arthur (the oldest), Cicely, Geoffrey, and Joyce. Lt. G. C. Ransome died in World War I (15 January 1918)"@en . "Edith Ransome ne\u00E9 Boulton, AR\u2019s mother, was born about 1852, and died in Leeds on 7 December 1944 aged 82. Her father Edward Baker Boulton was a sheepfarmer in New South Wales, Australia, so provided the Australian background of Mary Walker. He retired to Clifton, dying while AR was very young. His main interest was water-colour painting, and Edith was a gifted water-colour painter. Edith encouraged her son\u2019s writing, particularly with The Picts and the Martyrs where Genia had been particularly discouraging. She was probably the model for the Amazon's aunt, who might almost be a pirate (SD3)."@en . . "Edith Boulton"@en .