Walter White and Hannah Blazey

Thorpe St Andrew Parish Church
The church, which was once reported to be the smallest church in Norfolk, was the subject of a Vestry meeting in 1862. It was decided at this meeting that the church needed to be enlarged and then in 1864 it was a agreed that a new one should be built. The new church was consecrated on 31st May 1866 by the Bishop of Norwich [just in time for Walter and Hannah's wedding the following year]. The remains of the medieval church still exist in front of the Parish Church.

Walter White, youngest child of William White and Ann Francis, married Hannah Blazey, daughter of Francis Stephen Blazey and Hannah Minns on 31 Mar 1867 at the Parish church of St Andrew, Thorpe St Andrew, Norwich. Witnesses to the marriage were Samuel Blazey, the bride's brother, Hannah White, the bridegroom's sister and Elizabeth Blazey, the bride's sister.

Walter and Hannah shortly added two children to the family:

1. Walter White, born in the 3rd quarter of 1869
2. Laura Elizabeth White, born 15 Oct 1870

In 1871, Walter White (26), Gardener, Hannah (26), Walter (1) and Laura (5 months) were living in Thunder Lane, Thorpe Green. In the next-door household was a Robert Knivett (53), also a gardener. My guess would be that Walter was Under Gardner to Head Gardner, Knivett. The next household to them was that of William Birkbeck (1832–1897), banker and landowner, whose former property in Thunder Lane, The Cottage is a current day pub and restaurant. Could these gardeners have been employed on Birkbeck's estate?

Walter and Hannah are not seen on any further census returns. In 1881, their children, Walter and Laura, were living with Hannah's widowed mother.

On the record of daughter Laura's marriage in Cobh (Queenstown), Ireland, in 1892, her father's occupation is given as gardener and her address at the time of the marriage given just as 'Fota'. Fota is the island in Cork Harbour, just north of Great Island were Cobh is located. Fota House & Gardens was (is) probably all there was there at that time, so it's possible Walter was employed as a gardener on that estate. If so, what took him there is a mystery. We're certain, from visiting Fota and talking to staff and historians there, that Walter wasn't head gardener at Fota. At the other end of the scale, it doesn't seem likely that anyone would travel all the way from Norfolk to Ireland just to labour. Of course, there is nothing to prove they were there between 1871 and 1892, but no records suggest they were anywhere else either.

Well, unless it was Laura who was employed at Fota, which is not impossible, because my gran did mention them baking cakes for "the big house".

On 7 Feb 1899, Hannah White (56), 'wife of gardener', died at 89 Horgan's Buildings, Cork City. Right name, right age, right occupation of husband ... Margaret Twomey, daughter of deceased, was present at her death. But, I've not found a birth record for Margaret White, nor a marriage to a Mr Twomey. And I've found no further records for anywhere for Hannah or Walter.

Gardners' accommodations in the walled garden at Fota House