[Agnes Cowper had eight siblings, seven of whom were brothers. The eldest, Willie (1871-1895), a sailor, returned home after a voyage early in his career with ‘an Indian monkey from Chittagong, about the size of a cat’, named Toby (p. 59)]

Mother was anxious to keep her boys at home during the winter evenings and to this end gave them the use of the basement. Here, two of the younger brothers, with several other boys, held a weekly band practice, for they were all members of the 14^thCompany Liverpool Boys’ Brigade under the command of Captain Robert Kerr. One of these brothers played the euphonium which, despite the etymology of its name, vied with other instruments in sending forth a series of nerve-racking noises. Toby sat in their midst and appeared thoroughly to enjoy the noise and chatter.