William Blazey and Mary Anne Clarke

St Saviour's Church, Knightsbridge. Photograph by John Salmon.

William Blazey (b. 7 Nov 1853 in Heigham, Norfolk), youngest son of Francis Stephen Blazey and Hannah Minns, married Mary Anne Clarke (b. 1852 in Furneux Pelham, Hertfordshire), daughter of Joseph Clarke and Elizabeth Randle, at the Church of St Saviour, Upper Chelsea, on 16 Sep 1877. William was then a Servant, of 151 Pavillion Road, Knightsbridge. Mary Anne listed her father as Joseph Clark, Farm Steward. Witnesses were William Clarke, probably Mary Ann's older brother, and Elizabeth Lasthman.

William and Mary Ann Blazey had 10 children:

1. Francis William Blazey b. 29 Dec 1878 (1879 M Quarter in CHELSEA Volume 01A Page 350), bap. 2 Mar 1879 at St Barnabas, Pimlico
2. Maud Elizabeth Blazey b. 1881 J Quarter in ST. GEORGE HANOVER SQUARE Volume 01A Page 432
3. Frederick John Blazey b. 18 Aug 1882 (1882 S Quarter in ST. GEORGE HANOVER SQUARE Volume 01A Page 457), bap. 8 Oct 1882 at Holy Trinity, Vauxhall Bridge Road
4. Annie Ellen Blazey b. 25 Feb 1884 (1884 M Quarter in ST GEORGE HANOVER SQUARE Volume 01A Page 494), bap. 23 Mar 1884 at Holy Trinity, Vauxhall Bridge Road
5. Florence Emily Blazey b. 26 Feb 1886 M Qtr in FULHAM Vol 01A 333
6. Sydney George Blazey b. 1 Jul 1888 S Qtr in FULHAM Vol 01A 272
7. Alice Mary Blazey b. 26 Jan 1892 M Qtr in FULHAM Vol 01A 299
8. William George Blazey b. 26 Jan 1892 (1892 M Quarter in FULHAM Volume 01A Page 299). (Died 15 May 1892 (1892 J Quarter in FULHAM Volume 01A Page 220) and was buried on 20 May 1892
9. Lily Ada Blazey b. 1893 S Quarter in FULHAM Volume 01A Page 268 (Died aged 20 in 1913 S Quarter in FULHAM Volume 01A Page 300)
10. Charles William Blazey b. 30 May 1895 (1895 J Quarter in FULHAM Volume 01A Page 344), bap. 29 Jul 1895 at St Peter's Fulham

All of the birth registrations have the mother's maiden name CLARKE. 

Obviously, Alice Mary and William George, born in the same quarter of 1892, were dizygotic (fraternal) twins, of whom only Alice survived (to 100).

In 1881, William Blazey (27) Cab proprietor from Norwich, Norfolk and Mary A Blazey (29) from Hertforshire, were living at 16, Trinity Mews, St George Hanover Square, Westminster. While I cannot account for the absense of Francis William (2), neither can I find him listed elsewhere.

In 1891, William Blazey (37) Omnibus driver; Mary A Blazey (38), Francis Blazey (12), Maud Blazey (10), Frederick Blazey (8), Annie Blazey (7), Florence Blazey (5) and Sydney Blazey (2) were living in Fulham.

In 1901, at 37, Bishops Road, Fulham, London were William Blazey (46) Omnibus driver; Mary Anne Blazey (48), Francis W Blazey (22) Builder's clerk; Maud E Blazey (20) Barmaid (retired); Frederick J Blazey (18) Stock broker's clerk; Annie E Blazey (17) Dressmaker; Florence E Blazey (15), Sydney G Blazey (12), Alice M Blazey (9), Lily A Blazey (7), Charles W Blazey (5) and Charles E Hall (35) Lodger, Married, Omnibus driver.

Then the first Mrs Mary Anne Blazey died, aged 54, in 1905 J Quarter in FULHAM Volume 01A Page 215.

On 15 Oct 1905, at Saint Peter's Church, Islington, William Blazey (52) Widower, Driver, son of Francis Blazey (deceased) married again, incredibly, to another Mary Ann Clark (41) (no final E's) Spinster of 71 Prebend Street, Islington, daughter of William Clark, Carman. William Clark was also from Norfolk. She brought with her an illegitimate son, John William McCallam Clark b. 1903 S Quarter in ST MARYLEBONE Volume 01A Page 540.

In 1911, William Blazey (57) Bus Driver from Norfolk; Mary Ann Blazey (47) from Islington; Lily Blazey (17), Charles Blazey (15), William McCallam Clark (7), David Howe (46) Lodger, Motor bus Driver and Lily Holmes (22) General Domestic Servant, Visitor were at 37 Racton Road, Fulham. Alice Blazey (20) was Under Housemaid in the household of Cecil Fane (54) at 27 Beaufort Gardens, Kensington (a stone's throw from Harrods Department Store.)

In 1921, William Blazey (67) Taxi driver, Out of Work, was living alone at 5, Adeney Road, Hammersmith and described himself as Widowed. However, just over a mile away at 25, Gratton Road, West Kensington, were Mary Ann Blazey (56) Daily woman, listed as married, with her son, John William Clark (17) Clothes Shop Assistant. Had William not used 'Widowed', this could have had a simple explanation, but as it is, it looks as if they'd separated.

Mary Anne Blazey (59) died in 1924 M Quarter in KENSINGTON Vol 01A Page 291. There was the extraneous E on her middle name this time.

William Blazey (80) died in 1934 J Qtr in CAMBERWELL Vol 01D Page 640.

Alfred Blazey and Margaret Jane Webb

St Peter's Church, St.Peter's Square, Hammersmith
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © Peter Trimming - geograph.org.uk/p/1790156

Alfred Blazey (b. 8 Oct 1869 in Drayton, Norfolk), second son of Samuel Blazey and Elizabeth Wiggins, married Margaret Jane Webb (b. 2 Feb 1877 in Battersea, London), daughter of Frederick Potter Webb and Alice Mary Allen, on 24 Feb 1901, at St Peter's Church, Black Lion Lane, Hammersmith. Witnesses were Frederick Potter Webb, bride's father and Eleanor Wood.

At the time of the 1901 census, Alfred Blazey (32) Unemployed, and wife Margaret (24) were living at 15, Standish Road, Hammersmith.

Then, on 1 Nov 1906, Alfred and Margaret Blazey embarked, in Liverpool, on the RMS Empress of Britain, bound for Quebec, Canada.

Alfred and Margaret Blazey next surface, on the 1911 Census of Canada, in Red Deer, Alberta, described as settlers. 

The couple didn't have any children of their own, but took in a child, who was thereafter known as Frank Blazey. From FamilySearch, "Frank was born in 1911 in Red Deer Alberta. He was the son of Arthur Sheraton Reed and Jane Thomas. Jane passed shortly after his birth, and Frank was given to childless neighbors to look after while his father and brothers re-arranged their life. Frank was taken by Alfred Blazey and Margaret Webb to Ontario without his family's knowledge and was "lost" until making contact with them again in about 1965. He was overjoyed to be re-united with his 4 brothers, and many other family members after being raised as a seemingly "only child".

Margaret Blazey (52) Housewife, sails, again (appears to have been travelling alone) from Liverpool to Quebec, this time on the SS Letitia, on 19 Oct 1929, giving 10 Piggot Street, Limehouse, London as her last address in the UK.

Alfred Blazey, Painter and Decorator, of 99 Barton Avenue, Toronto, died, aged 63, on 24 Aug 1933 and was buried, on 26 Aug 1933 at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto. Cause of death was given as Carcinoma of Stomach (Stomach cancer) with Endocarditis as a contributing factor. 

Margaret Blazey (née Webb) died on 27 Jun 1962, aged 85 and is also buried at Mount Pleasant Cemetery, Toronto (Plot P, Sec. 23, Lot 9).

The death notice in The Toronto Star for their adopted (kidnapped) son Frank Blazey, mentions brothers, Art Reed, Creston, B.C. and Ernie Reed, Red Deer, Alberta, and and a cousin, Ernest Blazey (son of Frederick John Blazey and grandson of William Blazey, Alfred's father, Samuel's youngest brother.)

Memorial for Alfred Blazey and Margaret Jane Webb

PS: It really is a small world

Alfred Blazey's brother, Francis Blazey - both cousins of my paternal grandmother - had ended up in the very next street to where various members of my maternal grandfather's family had lived in London's East End, which was surprising enough given that - so we thought - the two sides of my family came from very different parts of the UK and Ireland. That Alfred's - my paternal grandmother's cousin - final address should be little more than a ten minute drive from where my maternal grandfather's grandfather, Dan Tompson, had lived and died only nine years earlier, is astonishing.

Walter White and Florence Mary Parsonage

St John the Baptist Church, Holland Road, London W14
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © John Salmon - geograph.org.uk/p/1292678

Walter White (b. 1869), Fruiterer, of 155 Holland Road, son of Walter White and Hannah Blazey, married Florence Mary Parsonage (b. 12 Aug 1875 in Hammersmith), of 157 Holland Road - the girl next door - daughter of Edward Parsonage, Builder's Foreman from Wem, Shropshire, and Eleanor Agnes Crosbie, at St John The Baptist, Kensington on 21 Feb 1898. (The same church that Walter's cousin, Alice Maud Stanley Blazey, married in later that same year.) Witnesses were Edgar Audric - who must have been related to Walter's Uncle Francis Robert Blazey's third wife - and Frank Read.

Walter and Florence had five children:

1. Dorothy Eleanor White b. 1899 M Qtr in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 246
2. Elsie Ivy Florence White b. 1902 J Qtr in WEST HAM Vol 04A Page 262
3. Walter Edward White b. 1905 J Qtr in BRENTFORD Vol 03A Page 204
4. Pansy Alice White born 27 Sep 1908 (1908 D Quarter in STEYNING Volume 02B Page 247) in Steyning, West Sussex
5. Lilian Winifred White b. 1914 M Quarter in FULHAM Vol 01A Page 311. Died, aged 1 in 1915 M Quarter in FULHAM Vol 01A Page 420

All of the birth registrations show the mother's maiden name PARSONAGE.

In 1901, Walter White (31) Licenced Victualler's Assistant was living in Sherrard Road, East Ham (Forest Gate) with Florence M White (25), Dorothy E White (2), Mary Ann White (71) Widow, Boarder from Hackney, London (may be just coincidence) and George Ralph (25) Boarder. 

In 1911, Walter White (42) Conductor motor bus, wife Florence Mary (35), Dorothy Eleanor (12), Elsie Ivy (9), Walter Edward (5) and Pansy Alice (2), were living at 30 Percy Road W, Hammersmith. Percy Road is in Shepherd's Bush in the London Borough of Hammersmith and Fulham.

In 1921, Walter White (51) working for the London General Omnibus Co, was at 74, Becklow Road, Hammersmith, London, with Florence Mary White (44), Elsie Ivy White (19) Ledger Clerk and Pansy Alice White (12).

Walter White died, aged 64, in 1934 J Qtr in KENSINGTON Vol 01A 167. 

In 1939, Florence Mary White, widow, was living with her daughter, Pansy Alice Pearson, at 5 Lansbury Avenue, Feltham, Middlesex. 

Florence Mary White, died at 75 on 2 Feb 1951 (1951 M Qtr in MIDDLESEX SOUTH Vol 05F Page 97), leaving £6 19s, to Pansy Alice Pearson.