Didette Julia May Ricketts' father, Major Lancelot Hamilton Ricketts, was a career soldier who served for 23 years in the Indian Army before retiring in 1911 and returning to the UK. enlisting on the 1 August 1917 for service in WW1 at Sheffield. However, he was almost 50, had a hernia and was worn down by the English winters. He was discharged as unfit not long after.
Didette's mother, Clara Frances Hawks, was also born and baptised in India, where her father, Major Thomas Spence Hawks, was with the Madras Staff.
Didette was born on 19 October 1900, the first of Lancelot and Clara's three children. Their home was at Fort Stedman, which was founded by the British during the 2nd Burma war on the shore of Lake Inie. It was named after Sir Edward Stedham GCB KCIE a senior British Indian Army officer who who served as Military Secretary to the India Office from 1899- 1907.
Didette died on 15 November 1910 having suffered acute appendicitis for 7 days and acidosis for 48 hours. She had celebrated her 10th birthday one month previously. Why she was buried at Heene was not clear.
Her father had enlisted at Sheffield and he died in 1922 at Chatham in Kent. Her mother, when in England, lived at Beckenham (1881), at Cheltenham (1891) and was a visitor at Sevenoaks (1901). It may have been because she was sent to England to be educated,
Her death certificate revealed that she was living at 'Seabrook', Queen's Road, Worthing, and her aunt, Alice Margaret Hawks (Clara's sister) who lived at 113, Marine Parade, Worthing. was present at the death.