Later neighbours of Dicky and Mary Drew-Smythe (at Burcher Cottage) were Betty Kirk-Owen, her partner Richard Vernon and Betty's daughter, Alice, who first attended Dr. Williams' School, Dolgellau - as did Mary's daughter - and then Cheltenham Ladies College - being almost a contemporary there of Dicky's daughter.

After the death in 1996 of her partner, Richard Vernon, Betty Kirk-Owen married the celebrated Welsh poet, R.S. Thomas whom she and Richard had first met during the early 1960s. The Kirk-Owen family has an interesting history which may be found on the web site of Antony Maitland.

Alice (pictured here in 1986) married Antony Maitland in 1976. His forebears include the Poole family which is connected to the Hanburys - a relative family treated on this site. A line of the Hanbury family married into the Tracy family and the resulting Hanbury-Tracy line forms part of the maternal ancestry of the children of the marriage of Dicky Drew-Smythe and Jean Dionis Anstruther. It is believed that the Maitlands also connect through marriage to the Anstruthers, Maxtones and Grahams in Scotland.

Alice (Kirk-Owen) Maitland, died tragically young after a long and courageous battle with failing health. Both of Dicky Drew-Smythe's children and Mary's daughter too, would remember her as having a determined, exuberant and gregarious personality - someone who brought into their lives a sense of fun, much laughter and a sparkle that was quite unique.

During her time in London, (1976) when she was taking a secretarial course, she attended a performance of "All Walks of Leg" - an adaptation of John Lennon's work, at the Young Vic Theatre and is fondly remembered as singing a duet with actor, Michael Graham Cox, (he being at the piano) of the song "As Time Goes By" - at the cast party afterwards.

Antony has written up her triumphant story on his web site which may be accessed from here. Alice left two children and a lot of good memories for many, many people.