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| 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.
William and Violet had three children:
- Joyce Mary Howes b. 1920 J Qtr in NORWICH Vol 04B Page 380
- Pauline Margaret Howes b. 1924 M Qtr in NORWICH Vol 04B Page 239
- Son b. 1932 M Qtr in NORWICH Vol 04B Page 234 (potentially living)
The mother's maiden name on all three birth registrations is CHEER.
On the marriage certificate, Violet gave her father's name as Edmund Cheer, deceased. The only birth registration of a Violet Cheer (simply as Violet, with no other given names) was in 1895 S Quarter in NORWICH Volume 04B Page 122. Her mother's maiden name was left blank. Violet Cheer doesn't appear anywhere on the 1901 or 1911 census. The only record of a Violet Rose Matilda anything, anywhere, ever, was the baptism of Violet Rose Matilda Fox, at St Martin At Oak, Norwich, on 8 Oct 1896, as daughter of Robert and Mary Fox. There was no GRO birth registration under this name. The answer, therefore, had to be that the 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 were the same person.
Robert Fox (49) widower, son of James Fox and Frances Blake, 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 died in 1894.)
Mary Chant had previously married [Edmund Thomas] Edward Cheer, on 14 Dec 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 (Holborn Restaurant, 218 High Holborn), with four children from his previous marriage to Eliza Cass (m. 1853 Kensington), who had died in 1878.
Edmund and Mary Cheer added two children: Henry Richard Cheer b. 1880 D Quarter in SHOREDITCH Volume 01C Page 66, but who died 1881 M Quarter in HOLBORN Volume 01B Page 523; and Alice Louisa Cheer b. 1884 D Quarter in MILE END OLD TOWN Volume 01C Page 506.
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). Clearly, her husband had died in the interim and the death of Edmund Cheer (58) in 1890 M Quarter in STEPNEY Volume 01C Page 373, I believe relates.
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 (Kate Lucretia Fox b. 1900 D Quarter in NORWICH Volume 04B Page 165) and Alice L Cheer (16) Step-Daughter, born in Whitechapel.
This still leaves the question as to whether Edward / Edmund Cheer was Violet's father, as she claimed on her marriage, which is highly unlikely in 1895, when it is certain he was dead before 1891, or was it Robert Fox, who claimed her as his daughter in 1896. It appears possible it was 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.) On the 1911 Census Mary Fox (formerly Cheer, née Chant) says that she had 4 children in total, with 3 living and 1 who had died. The information asked for was supposed to relate to the then current marriage, but clearly - wrongly, but usefully - she had also included those from her previous relationships.
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 and two others 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.
William Harman Howes died in the 2nd quarter of 1977, aged 81.
Violet Rose Matilda Howes, died in 1978, aged 82.