Fanny Ivy L'Enfant was born in Shoreditch, London on May 3rd 1902 and died on June 11th 1986. In 1917 at the age of 15 she went into service.

In 1917, Ivy was in service at Avenue House, The Green, Richmond. At the time the house was owned by Douglas Brooke Wheelton Sladen (1856 - 1947) and Margaret Isobel Sladen. The house was sold in 1921. It is assumed Ivy changed employer at that time.

Douglas Sladen was a travel writer, poet, author and editor of Who's Who between 1897-1899. He collected all the correspondence he had with prominent people of his time into 70 scrapbooks. Many of the letters are from well known literary and political figures. The collection is housed in the Old Town Hall, Richmond.