Inherited Craziness
A place to share all the nuts found on my family tree

Showing posts with label Cheer. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Cheer. Show all posts

Thursday 8 February 2024

William Harman Howes and Violet Rose Matilda Cheer

St Mark's church in Lakenham - the apse
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Evelyn Simak - geograph.org.uk/p/2056898
Built in 1843 "for the poor and very populous" district of Lakenham

William Harman Howes (b. 14 Dec 1895), son of William Harman Howes and Elizabeth Eliza Blazey, married Violet Rose Matilda Cheer, on 8 Feb 1920, at St Mark, Lakenham, a district on the south of Norwich, Norfolk. Both were 24. One of the witnesses was William's sister, Alice May Howes

On the marriage certificate, Violet gives her father's name as Edmund Cheer, deceased. The only registration of a birth of a Violet Cheer was in 1895 S Quarter in NORWICH Volume 04B Page 122. She was registered simply as Violet, with no other given names and her mother's maiden name left blank. Violet Cheer doesn't appear anywhere on the 1901 or 1911 census. 

The only record of a Violet Rose Matilda, anywhere, ever, was for the baptism of Violet Rose Matilda Fox, at St Martin At Oak, Norwich, the following year, on 8 Oct 1896, daughter of Robert and Mary Fox. Although, there was no corresponding GRO birth registration under this name. 

The answer, therefore, had to be that the potentially illegitimate child born Violet Cheer in 1895 was baptised a year later as Violet Rose Matilda Fox and, upon marriage, reverted to her birth surname. They are the same person:

Robert Fox (49) widower, son of James Fox, married Mary Cheer (45) widow, said to be daughter of William Chant, on 1 Feb 1896 at St Martin at Oak, Norwich. (Robert Fox had previously married Mary Ann Rayner in Great Melton, Norwich on 29 Jan 1876. Mary Ann Fox had died in 1894.)

There is a record showing that Mary Chant had previously married Edward Cheer, in the 4th quarter of 1879 at Saint Mark, Old Street, Shoreditch and in 1881, Edmund Cheer (42) Ostler (huntsman) from Shepperton, Middlesex, wife Mary Cheer (27) Charwoman from Wilton, Wiltshire were living at 218 Old Street, Holborn (see 1884 photo of the Holborn Restaurant, 218 High Holborn), along with four of Cheer's children from his previous marriage (1853 in Kensington) to Eliza Cass, who had died in 1878.

By 1891, however, Mary Cheer (36) Widow, was employed as Officers Cook at Bakers Row Infirmary Whitechapel Union (Whitechapel And Spitalfields Union Workhouse), although the record suggests that Mary herself was 'on the parish' (receiving charity from local authorities). We must assume (no record found) Edward or Edmund Cheer had died in the interim decade. 

In 1901, Robert Fox (56) Farm Labourer from Eaton, Norfolk was living at Hudson Buildings, Norwich; with wife Mary Fox (48) from Wilton, Wiltshire; Violet R Fox (5) Daughter; Kate L Fox (0) Daughter and Alice L Cheer (16) Step-Daughter, born in Whitechapel. (Kate Lucretia Fox b. 1900 D Quarter in NORWICH Volume 04B Page 165 mother's maiden name was CHANT. Alice Louisa Cheer b. 1884 D Quarter in MILE END OLD TOWN Volume 01C Page 506 also had the mother's maiden name of CHANT.)

This still leaves the question as to whether Edward / Edmund Cheer was Violet's father, as claimed on her marriage, which is highly unlikely in 1895, when it appears he was dead before 1891, or was it Robert Fox, who claimed her as his daughter in 1896. It could, of course, have been neither.

In 1911, at 52 Coburg Street, Norwich, were Robert Fox (63) Gardner labourer; Mary Fox (57) Charwoman; Violet Rose Fox (15) Chocolate Maker (guessing at Norwich's chocolate factory, A J Caley and Son); Lucretia [Kate Lucretia] (10) and Dora Bush (4), who was also listed as their daughter. (Born Alice Louisa Bush in 1907 D Quarter in NORWICH Volume 04B Page 114, 'Dora' was actually Mary's granddaughter, the daughter of Alice Louisa Cheer, who had married George Bush, in Norwich on 23 Jul 1905.)

In 1921, William Harman Howes (25) Cordial Maker at A J Caley and Son, was living at 3, The Elms, Unthank Road, Norwich, Norfolk with Violet Rose Matilda Howes (25) and Joyce Mary Howes (b. 1920).

In 1939, William Harman Howes (b. 14 Dec 1895), Mineral Maker, Violet Rose Matilda Howes (b. 10 Aug 1895), Joyce Mary Howes, (b. 27 Jun 1920 J Quarter in NORWICH Volume 04B Page 380), another daughter born in 1924 and a son born in 1932 - the latter two could, theoretically, still be alive - were living at 49 Unthank Road, Norwich, Norfolk. 

We can assume that William and Violet had met working for the same employer: Albert Jarman Caley had begun selling a range of mineral waters and soft drinks in Norwich in 1863. He diversified to produce cocoa (1883), chocolate (1886) and Christmas crackers (1898). Caley’s bought The Elms, 49 Unthank Road which became the HQ of the Recreational Association with space for 250 people plus six grass tennis courts and a large bowling green and was also the location of almshouses for retired workers of John Mackintosh's chocolate factory. A J Caley chocolate company in Norwich, had finally been bought by Yorkshire confectioner, Mackintosh's, in 1932.

In 1942, Joyce M Howes married James D Wright, at Holy Trinity, Heigham.

William Harman Howes died in the 2nd quarter of 1977, aged 81.

Violet Rose Matilda Howes, born 10 Aug 1895, died in 1978, aged 82.