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I'm liking my Emma Cranfield theory so far. She provides the Warwickshire / Reading connection.

She made a successful career as a senior domestic servant, it seems. In 1851 she is in Castle Ashby, Northamptonshire, servant to Lady M Alford, a nurse (child carer).


This is her in 1841 with her family:

Civil parish: Newbold Upon Avon
County/Island: Warwickshire
Registration district: Rugby

John Cranfield 45 - farmer
Ann Cranfield 40
Emma Cranfield 14
Mary Cranfield 12
Harriet Cranfield 11
John Cranfield 8
Eliza Cranfield 5
Jane Cranfield 4
Charles Cranfield 1
Joseph Walton 18
Elizabeth Robins 70


So while I go watch the season finale of Desperate Housewives, maybe somebody else will come along and trace her siblings to see whether one of them might have had a daughter Florence around 1875-80ish.

Or even Emma herself might have!

I had assumed through the lack of info I was finding that some aspects of this side of my family tree was probably shall we say frowned upon at that time. Still, I shall hopefully be able to put the jigsaw together. I appreciate all your help and am finding it interesting.

There is one Morris birth after 1911 with mother Cranfield:

Births Jun 1912
Morris Edgar E Cranfield Mile End 1c 728

With Arthur in a home in 1911 it seems unlikely these would be the same parents, but there's no marriage before or after that to account for that birth.

It might be worth knowing who those parents were.

Ah, unfortunately:

Deaths Sep 1912
MORRIS Edgar E 0 Mile End 1c 390

I have checked the occupants of 4 Auckland road for 1901. This is the place and year on his birth certificate. The occupants are John and Emily Chambers and their two sons. John Chambers was also a biscuit factory worker. I am guessing he may have been a friend/colleague of Arthurs father.

And here's an interesting birth:

Births Mar 1874
Close Florence Cranfield Edmonton 3a 226

A surname as a second given name was very commonly an indication of the father's surname, where the parents weren't married.

It was also not uncommon for people born to unmarried parents who did know their father, or at least their name, to use the father's surname.

Oh rats.

Deaths Dec 1874
CLOSE Florence Cranfield 0 Edmonton 3a 134

Well, it's important to rule out, too, so I'll leave this here for that purpose!

Ah, interesting, I was going to mention that I have Ancestry which doesn't allow for address searching (without a big hassle of tracking down census districts).

Yes, that seems like a good surmise -- so it would indicate that the parents were well acquainted, at least. ;)

Mind, Florence herself may have been a biscuit factory worker and that was her connection with the household.

I have managed to get hold of a copy of the marriage certificate of Arthur Frederick Morris to Amy Salkeld on 4th June 1927.
His father is down as John Frederick Charles Morris , his address looks like 8 cows 2 horse, Greyfriars Lane, Coventry.
Not sure if some one had a sense of humour.

Snork. That would actually be

8 court 2 house

;)

I think when you see certain areas you can guess where they worked. One of the biggest employers in Reading back then were Huntley and Palmers biscuit factory

jax

You know what I'd do next is get the death certificate for the John F C Morris I posted on page 1. The name is unique, I think, and the age matches with the birth in Chelsea.

It may be that a family member was the informant, or there might be some other useful info on it.

Indeed, jax -- I was thinking that Reading must have been the biscuit supplier to all of England! Funny coincidence that my old weird Ernest Hill/Monck, who does seem to have been everywhere and done everything, was a biscuit factory loader there too. ;)

But he was settled in London in 1901 (after the side trip to Australia, before immigrating here to Canada), so Stella can't pull an AuntySherlock and try to claim him!

The way my relatives are looking I dont want to claim any one extra. The biscuit factory is all yours. Biscuit factory seems to hold a lot of secrets and not all good ones.

I have a theory ...


1901

Name: Florence C Shaw
Age: 19
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1882 - no such birth
Relation: Granddaughter
Where born: Birmingham, Warwickshire, England

Civil parish: St Giles
County/Island: Berkshire
83 London St "The Fountain"

Joseph Shaw 64 - born Birmingham, engine fitter (disabled)
Elizabeth Shaw 50 - born Northampton L. Haddington
Florence C Shaw 19
William Harvey 35 - boarder, painter and decorator


Now at first I was eying the Oliver C Maurice MD household at #75 -- phonetics and all that.

But look who's right next door at # 85:

Francis Morris, 43, decorator, born London Pimlico
Frances Morris, 37, born Sussex


The Shaws in 1891 in St Giles at the same address (different neighbours):

Joseph Shaw 53
Elizabeth Shaw 42
Florence C France 9 -- I read it as Turner
Thomas Wilmot 54
Charles Chalk 24
Sarah J Chalk 20
Josef Giacobini 32

So this looks like that Florence, though:

Births Jun 1881
TURNER Florence Clara Birmingham 6d 114


As of 1881 and 1891, neither the Maurice nor the Morris had a son John ...


That Florence's mother in 1881, probably -- you'll like the address:

Street Address: Edgbaston St 4 CT 8 Ho
Civil parish: Birmingham
Joseph Shaw 42
Elizabeth Shaw 39
John Shaw 17
David Shaw 15
> Clara A. Turner 19 - daughter, married, tailoress
Joseph W. Turner 22
John Feran 64


But my theory is going nowhere. No Cranfield connection to be found.


So I'm back to: get the JFC Morris death certificate!

Oh, and get his birth certificate while you're there, and then we may have a chance of tracing him with parents in censuses.

I now have birth certificate for a John Frederick Charles Morris, details as follows,born 21st july 1875 at 32 Christchurch street South Chelsea Middlesex, father William Morris ( occupation joiner) , mother Caroline Morris formely Thomas, informant was the father.
Also have death certificate for a John Frederick Charles Morris who died at Putney Hospital on 3rd march 1956 age 80, resided at 32 Havelock terrace Battersea, occupation retired hotel handyman, where it says informant it says W Elson. Causing the body to be buried,
91 Hazlebourne road S W 12
Even if these two certificates are the same person how is this going to tell me if this is THE John Frederick Charles that is connected to my family?
Hopefully it is as at this moment in time I have nothing else to go on.

Well, at least we can have little doubt that the birth and death are the same person -- there just aren't any other events to match that name.


So that one's mother was Caroline. This rules out the one I was looking at in 1901 in Battersea on page 1:

Henry W. Mockett 33 - born Chelsea
Mary J. Mockett 32
Frederick A. Morris 7 - stepson


The only marriage for the names:

Marriages Mar 1867
Morris William Swansea 11a 605
Thomas Caroline Swansea 11a 605

Yes, he did need to go by a middle name.


1881

Name: Frederick Morris
Age: 5
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1876
Relation: Son
Father's name: William Morriss
Mother's name: Caroline Morriss
Where born: Chelsea, Middlesex, England

Civil parish: St George Hannover Square
County/Island: London
Street Address: 2 Commercial Place

William Morriss 35 - joiner, born Swansea
Caroline Morriss 35 - born Drimsaren? Wales
Francis Morriss 12
William Morriss 8
Frederick Morris 5
Voila Morris 3
Albert E. Morris

Births Dec 1877
MORRIS Viola Louise St Geo H Sq 1a 400

Per 1881 census, born Pimlico. Marries 1902 St Geo H Sq., George Francis Preston.

Can't find these people in 1891 or 1901.


Well, got Viola in 1901, no help there:

Name: Louisa Morris
Age: 22
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1879
Relation: Visitor
Gender: Female
Where born: Pimlico

Civil parish: St George Hanover Square

Eliza Henderson 58
Edwin Henderson 28
Maud Henderson 20
Ethel Henderson 18
> Louisa Morris 22
> Hugh Morris 1 Month
Emily Hutson 55
Margaret Fried 31
Jane Fried 25

1891

MORRISS, Caroline Head Widow F 44 1847
?
Wales
MORRISS, Frank Son Single M 22 1869 Conductor Rd Car
Cardiff
MORRISS, William M 18 1873 Grocers Porter
Reading
Berkshire
MORRISS, Charles M 15 1876 Errand Boy
Pimlico
London
MORRISS, Varla Daughter F 13 1878 Apprentice
Chelsea
London
MORRISS, Albert Son M 11 1880 Scholar
Westminster
London

RG number:
RG12 Piece:
49 Folio:
21 Page:
46

Registration District:
Fulham Sub District:
Fulham Enumeration District:
Ecclesiastical Parish:
St Peters

Civil Parish:
Fulham Municipal Borough:
Address:
10, Orbain Road, Fulham County:
London

Chris :)

Aargh.

I think the birthplace in Wales is Trimsaran, maybe, or at least so Google suggests.

... I'm still not finding the bleeders at Ancestry ...


AARGH

Ancestry has them as

Caroline Moscrip 44
Frank Moscrip 22
William Moscrip 18
Charles Moscrip 15
Varla Moscrip 13
Albert Moscrip 11


I didn't have a chance. ;)


Problem is ... no John/Frederick/Charles there ...


Argh ... I'm an idiot -- he is Charles.

Wonder what he might turn up as in 1901.

I'd say:

Name: Charles Morris
Age: 26
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1875
Relation: Boarder
Gender: Male
Where born: Chelsea, London, England

Civil parish: Fulham

cabdriver (groom)


But we do note the Berkshire connection in the 1891 census Chris posted!