John’s Uncle, John Anton

John Anton was born in 1863 at Redhill Farm, Rothiemay, Banffshire, Scotland. Uncle to John Cyril Anton, who is the son of William James Anton. Very little is known of John Anton other than the fact that he was Assistant Manager of Assam Oil Company at Digboi in the early 1900s.

He was wealthy and did not get married till later in life. He had no children, so he took an interest in his younger brother William’s daughters, Gertrude (Pixie) and Isabel. He left them a legacy which slowly eroded through the depression, but was gratefully received after World War Two when Pixie’s husband returned from Prisoner of War Camp in Japan, in straightened circumstances.

He also left shares in tea and rubber estates to his two unmarried sisters – Anne, born 1859, and Isabella, born 1867. He built a home for them in Rothiemay called Margherita, named after the coalmining town on the other side of the River Diking, not far from Digboi.

When he left Digboi he received a testament from all the workers (shown here) and a heavy silver tray which was later sold by the family. It was engraved with his name.

The nephew of J C Anton first visited the Scots Aunties, as they were called, in 1935 and again in 1940, 1941. Staying in Margherita in 1953 when it was owned by George Anton, the son of their brother Alexander Anton, born 1856.

This photo is believed to be of John Anton in India. He finally returned to Britain in 1916.