The Fearon / Plunkett Family Part 1

11 May 2024
By David

This family group is rather large and so to aid readability it is split across a few parts.

29 September 2024

The Fearon / Plunkett Family Part 2

11 August 2024

G7: William Fearon

Nothing is known about William other than what was cited on his son’s marriage certificate – that he was a rigger.

G6: William Fearon (1845-1884) and Rachel Plunkett (1845-1898)

Birth: William Fearon was born in Liverpool during 1845 and named after his father.

Marriage: to Rachel Plunkett on 16 July 1866 at St Peter’s Church in Liverpool. He was aged 21 and she was 20.

Spouse history: Rachel had been born on 24 November 1845 to Robert Plunkett and Alice Cunningham. Her father was a carter – someone who drove horse-drawn carriages for transporting goods. The family lived on Blundell Street close to Queen’s Dock in the Baltic Triangle. Built to house the poor working classes, the street consisted of cramped court and terraced houses of very poor quality. They lived in several different houses on the street over her childhood.

Children: (1) Robert in 1867, (2) William in 1869, (3) Rachel in 1870, (4) Ellen in 1872, (5) Rebecca in 1874, (6) William in 1876, (7) Thomas in 1878, (8) Henry in 1881. William died in childhood.

Occupations: William was a mariner and in particular a ship’s rigger, whose duties depended on what kind of ship was being worked on at the time – but generally involved erecting and dismantling masts and derricks, splice hemp and wire running, and standing rigging, renewing falls, mooring and gangway ropes etc. He might also have worked on wires and splices for derricks, deck hoppers, chutes, and other gear for loading and unloading a ship.

Residences: the family lived with Rachel’s parents in an arrangement that would continue for at least 12 years, perhaps because Rachel needed help with the children when William was away at sea. The family moved south into Toxteth during 1879 to live on Grey Street, one of the many roads of small terraced houses that characterised the area. The census taken two years later showed that they shared with a single boarder.

By 1889 the now widowed Rachel had moved around the corner to another terraced house on Windsor Street, within sight of Liverpool Cathedral. The 1891 census showed that she lived with seven of her children and two lodgers, who were both hairdressers. She last lived in a terraced house on Lime Grove next to Toxteth Park Cemetery.

William: Blundell Street (1866); 47 Blundell Street (1867-1878); 186 Upper Frederick Street (1878); 13 Grey Street (1879-1884) – all in Liverpool.
Rachel: Fletcher Court, Blundell Street (1845); Blundell Street (1848); 2/8 Court, Blundell Street (1851-1855); 47 Blundell Street (1861-1878); 186 Upper Frederick Street (1878); 13 Grey Street (1881-1887); 27 Windsor Street (1887-1891); 4 Lime Grove (1898) – all in Liverpool.

Deaths: William died on 10 July 1884 at Mill Road Hospital in Liverpool when aged just 39 and was buried at St James’s Cemetery. He left a total of £224 7s 5d (around £10k today) to his wife, who was also the beneficiary of her father’s will 18-months later.

Notes: it’s possible that he was born on 25 March 1846 and christened in April. There is a matching 1851 census record for the family living in Toxteth. Due to the commonality of his name and several namesakes born around the same time however, further investigation is required. Rachel died in Toxteth on 3 November 1898 when aged 53 and was buried alongside her husband.

G5: Robert Fearon (1867-1932)

Birth: Robert Fearon was born in Liverpool on 23 May 1867. He was the first child of newlyweds William and Rachel.

Christening: on 4 June 1867 at St Peter’s Church on Church Street.

Marriage: to Caroline Adelaide Clare on 5 September 1892 at St Saviour’s Church on Huskisson Street. They were both aged 25.

Spouse history: Caroline had been born in Liverpool during 1867, one of the five children of Stephen William Clare and Sarah Brown, and was christened at St Mark’s Church on Upper Duke Street. In 1871 the family lived on nearby Cornwallis Street, very close to where her future husband lived. Her father was an officer in HM Customs and was originally from Weymouth, while her mother was from Brandeston in Norfolk. There was little change in the family’s circumstances until moving to Toxteth by 1891, where they lived in a semi-detached house on Vandyke Street.

Children: (1) Harold in 1893, (2) Norah in 1894, (3) Robert in 1896, (4) William in 1898, (5) Herbert in 1899, (6) Margery in 1900. Harold was born nine months after his parents’ marriage but died before the year was out.

Occupations: in 1891 when he was aged 23, Robert worked as a correspondence clerk, composing letters in reply to requests for merchandise, damage claims, credit and other information, incorrect billings, or unsatisfactory services. His duties may have included gathering data to formulate reply and preparing correspondence. He gradually progressed in his career, becoming a commercial clerk by 1901 and then a cost clerk for a wholesale druggist by 1911 – which in the 1921 census was Evans, Sons, Lescher and Webb of 56 Hanover Street, which made medicine for humans and animals. Caroline was a music teacher.

Residences: at the time of their marriage, Robert lived in a terraced house on Almond Street while Caroline was a mile east on Richardson Street opposite Toxteth Park Cemetery. The newlyweds settled first on Bird Street before moving around the corner in 1896 to a larger terraced house on Garrick Street. In 1912 they moved a couple of streets to a large semi-detached house on Salisbury Road.

Robert: 47 Blundell Street (1867-1878); 186 Upper Frederick Street (1878); 13 Grey Street (1879-1887); 27 Windsor Street (1889-1891); 43 Almond Street (1892); 4 Bird Street (1893-1895); 66 Garrick Street (1896-1911); 116 Salisbury Road (1912-1932) – all in Liverpool.
Caroline: 21 Cornwallis Street (1871-1881); 36 Vandyke Street (1891); 2 Richardson Street (1892); 4 Bird Street (1893-1895); 66 Garrick Street (1896-1911); 116 Salisbury Road (1912-1933) – all in Liverpool.

Deaths: Robert died at home on 19 October 1932 when aged 64 and was buried in Toxteth Park Cemetery. He left an estate of £570 7s 2d (around £21k today) to his wife. However, Caroline died just eight months later on 27 June 1933 when aged 65 and was buried alongside her husband. The probate record shows that her effects of £301 14s 4d (around £11k today) were left to sons Robert and William.

G4: Harold Fearon (1894)

Birth: Robert Fearon was born in Liverpool on 22 June 1893. He was the first child of Robert and Caroline.

Christening: on 6 August 1893 at St Clement’s Church on Beaumont Street in Toxteth.

Residences: 4 Bird Street, Liverpool (1893)

Deaths: sadly, Harold died on 27 November aged just five months and was buried in the church cemetery a few days later.

G4: Norah Adelaide Fearon (1894-1920)

Birth: Norah Adelaide Fearon was born in Liverpool on 17 October 1894. She was the second child of Robert and Caroline but the first to survive infancy.

Christening: on 9 December 1894 at St Bede’s Church on Hartington Road in Toxteth.

School: Norah attended the Sefton Park County Primary School until 1909.

Residences: 4 Bird Street (1894-1895); 66 Garrick Street (1896-1911); 116 Salisbury Road (1912-1920) – all in Liverpool.

Deaths: Norah died when aged just 25 and was buried at Toxteth Park Cemetery on 27 February 1920 in the same plot as her elder brother. She never married and still lived at home with her parents.

G4: Robert Stanley Fearon (1896-1972)

Birth: Robert Stanley Fearon was born in Liverpool on 22 February 1896. He was the third child of Robert and Caroline.

Christening: on 14 May 1896 at St Bede’s Church on Hartington Road in Toxteth.

Marriage: to Doris May Martindale on 30 September 1933 at St Clement’s Church on Beaumont Street in Toxteth. He was aged 37 and she was 22.

Spouse history: Doris was 15 years younger than him and had been born in Liverpool on 14 September 1911 to Richard Alison Martindale and Mary Astley. She was christened at St Clement’s. Her father was a joiner and they lived in a terraced house on Priest Street. By 1921 he was dead, and her widowed mother now lived with her six young children in a small terraced house around the corner on Grierson Street.

Children: a girl in 1934 and three boys in 1937, 1939 and 1952.

Occupations: Robert followed in his father’s footsteps and became a clerk, and in 1921 worked for K.P. Houston & Co. on Dale Street, which had something to do with shipping. In the 1930s he worked as a clerk for a coal merchant.

Residences: before his marriage, Robert lived with his parents well into adulthood, sharing their home until their deaths in 1932 and 1933. The newlyweds then lived with Doris’s mother until 1938 when they moved into a house of their own on Whittier Street, which would be their home for the rest of their lives.

Robert: 66 Garrick Street (1896-1911); 116 Salisbury Road (1912-1932); 7 Grierson Street (1933); 38 Whittier Street (1938-1970) – all in Liverpool.
Doris: 20 Priest Street (1911); 7 Grierson Street (1921-1933); 38 Whittier Street (1938-2002) – all in Liverpool.

Deaths: Robert died during 1972 in Liverpool, aged 76. Doris survived him for some 30 years and died in Knowsley on 20 March 2002 when aged 90.

G4: William Howard Fearon (1898-1977)

Birth: William Howard Fearon was born in Liverpool on 8 May 1898. He was the fourth child of Robert and Caroline.

Christening: on 31 July 1898 at St Bede’s Church on Hartington Road in Toxteth.

Marriage: to Catherine Roberts on 18 July 1925 at St Barnabas’s Church on Penny Lane in Wavertree. They were both aged 26.

Spouse history: Catherine had been born on 2 October 1898 to Jonah Roberts and is sometimes cited as ‘Katherine’.

Children: (1) Norman in 1926, (2) Kathleen in 1933.

Occupations: in 1921 William was a motor mechanic for Wallasey Motor Touring Co. Ltd. on Union Road in Liscard. By the mid-1920s however he was a plasterer. By the outbreak of war he was a motor spares storekeeper, perhaps working in partnership with his brother Herbert.

Residences: William lived at home until his marriage, whereas Catherine lived in a large end terrace on Queensdale Road. William moved in with her and the family lived in the house for at least 40 years, sharing with a Mary Jane Harrison until the war.

William: 66 Garrick Street (1898-1911); 116 Salisbury Road (1912-1926); 15 Queensdale Road (1927-1970) – all in Liverpool.
Catherine: 15 Queensdale Road (1925-1970); 28 Redwing Lane (1989) – all in Liverpool.

Deaths: William died in Liverpool during 1977 when aged 79. Katherine survived him for 12 years and died of degenerative myocarditis (basically an old and worn-out heart) during March 1989 when aged 90. She was cremated at Liverpool Crematorium.

G3: Norman Howard Fearon (1926-1991)

Birth: Norman Howard Fearon was born in Liverpool on 17 May 1926. He was the first child of newlyweds William and Catherine.

Residences: Norman lived at home with his parents until 1967 when he was aged 41. He then moved to a large semi-detached house on Redwing Lane, a steep road in Woolton.

15 Queensdale Road (1948-1967); 28 Redwing Lane (1968-1991) – all in Liverpool.

Deaths: Norman died of cancer on 17 March 1991. He was cremated at Liverpool Crematorium five days later.

Notes: it’s possible that he married a woman called Adelaide, who lived with him from 1948 until death, though this could also be a sister. This could possibly be Adelaide Tinning Goodall who was born in 1920 – however other than a death record there is not a single other record for her. She was perhaps Scottish.

G3: Kathleen Audrey Fearon (1933-1997)

Birth: Kathleen Audrey Fearon was born in Liverpool on 30 June 1933. She was the second child of William and Catherine.

Marriage: to Edward Roberts during 1957 in Liverpool. She was aged 23.

Spouse history: Catherine had been born on 2 October 1898 to Jonah Roberts and is sometimes cited as ‘Katherine’.

Children: (1) Norman in 1926, (2) Kathleen in 1933.

Residences: when the 1939 Register was taken, Kathleen lived in a large cottage called Royal Well House just to the north of the hamlet of Upper Wyche in Worcestershire. She had likely been evacuated. After marriage she lived with her husband on Greenhill Road, which would be their home until death.

Kathleen: 15 Queensdale Road, Liverpool (1933-1957); Royal Well House, West Malvern Road, Wyche (1939); 96 Greenhill Road, Liverpool (1959-1970)
Edward: 96 Greenhill Road, Liverpool (1959-1970)

Deaths: Kathleen died during September 1997 when aged 64.

G4: Herbert Cecil Fearon (1899-1965)

Birth: Herbert Cecil Fearon was born in Liverpool on 15 August 1899. He was the fifth child of Robert and Caroline.

Christening: on 15 October 1899 at St Bede’s Church on Hartington Road in Toxteth.

Marriage: to Annie Doris Bullen during 1933 in Liverpool. He was aged 33 and she was 24.

Spouse history: Annie was nine years younger than him and had been born in Liverpool on 19 December 1908 to Robert Bullen and Ann Clarkson Noble. She was the twin sister of Gladys and the girls were christened at St Bridget’s Church in Wavertree during February 1909. The family initially lived in a large terraced house on nearby Gainsborough Road, but they moved around the neighbourhood over the next few years before the twins were enrolled into the Lawrence Road Council School in 1914. Their father was a letter press printer.

Children: a boy in 1935 and two girls in 1940 and 1941.

Occupation: Herbert followed in his father’s footsteps and in 1921 worked as a clerk for H.W. Hooper & Co. Ltd. on Dixteth Street, which had something to do with cotton. By the mid-1930s he was a car washer, but quickly moved into being a motor storekeeper, perhaps in partnership with his brother William.

Residences: William lived at home until his marriage, whereas Annie lived with an Ernest and Ethel Kirkbridge at nearby Webster Road from at least 1930. Her sister Gladys also lived there too. The newlyweds initially lived in a small terraced house on Cretan Road but the following year they moved away from the neighbourhood of their youth to live in the south of Toxteth. Their home on Rosslyn Street bordered the mud flats of the Mersey estuary. Two years later they moved north to yet another terraced house on Cameron Street just to the north of Wavertree Botanic Gardens.

By the time that the war ended in 1945 the family had moved to the rapidly growing suburb of Woolton, where they lived in a new house on Hunts Cross Avenue which would be their final home together.

Herbert: 66 Garrick Street (1899-1911); 116 Salisbury Road (1912-1933); 9 Cretan Road (1934-1935); 107 Rosslyn Street (1936-1938); 34 Cameron Street (1939); 155 Hunts Cross Avenue (1945-1966) – all in Liverpool.
Annie: 56 Gainsborough Road (1909-1910); 43 Egerton Road (1911-1913); 58 Salisbury Road (1914); 95 Webster Road (1930-1934); 9 Cretan Road (1934-1935); 107 Rosslyn Street (1936-1938); 34 Cameron Street (1939); 155 Hunts Cross Avenue (1945-1967) – all in Liverpool.

Deaths: Herbert died aged 66 and was buried in the churchyard of nearby St Peter’s on 23 December 1966. Annie died only 14 months later when aged 58 and was also buried at St Peter’s on 13 February.

G4: Margery Eileen Fearon (1900-1951)

Birth: Margery Eileen Fearon was born in Liverpool on 12 October 1900. She was the sixth child of Robert and Caroline.

Christening: on 27 January 1901at St Bede’s Church on Hartington Road in Toxteth.

Marriage: to John Thomas Evans on 30 August 1930 at St Bridget’s Church on Bagot Street in Wavertree. She was aged 29 and she was 34.

Spouse history: John, who was commonly known as Tom, had been born in Llangollen, Wales on 5 May 1896 to Evan Evans and Margaret Langford, who sadly died of epilepsy two years later when aged just 27. His father was a general labourer, and it’s possible that he served with the British Army in South Africa during the Boer War. He remarried in 1906 to the widow Sarah Rowlands, who had four children of her own, but also sadly died early in their marriage. The 1911 census captured the newly widowed John living with his now five children in a remote cottage called Cyll-y-maen on Tyn Dwr Road just outside of Llangollen. By 1921, Tom had moved to Liverpool with his half-brothers Robert and David and they lodged on Upper Parliament Street with John Jones and family, who were also originally from Llangollen.

Children: (1) Ronald in 1932, (2) Malcolm in 1935.

Residences: Margery and Tom lived together with her parents for six years before they were married. The family moved to Prescot before the birth of their second child. By 1939 they had a brand-new town house on Liverpool Road, part of the new suburbia being built in Huyton. They lived here for the rest of their lives.

Margery: 66 Garrick Street, Liverpool (1900-1911); 116 Salisbury Road, Liverpool (1912-1933); 437 Liverpool Road, Huyton (1939-1951)
John: Cyll-y-maen, Tyn Dwr Road, Llangollen (1911); 257 Upper Parliament Street, Liverpool (1921); 116 Salisbury Road, Liverpool (1924-1933); 437 Liverpool Road, Huyton (1939-1962)

Occupations: Tom followed in his father’s footsteps and became a plasterer – a career he would have for life. In 1921 he worked for an Edward Ellis.

Deaths: Margery died in 1951 in Ormskirk when aged 50. Tom died in Whiston Hospital in Prescot on 17 May 1962, aged 64. He left his estate of £296 2s 8d (£4.5k today) to his son Malcolm.

G3: Ronald Gareth Evans (1932-1998)

Birth: Ronald Gareth Evans was born in Liverpool on 10 May 1932. He was the first child of John and Margery.

Marriage: to Brenda Dolores Plaistow during 1957 in Liverpool. He was aged 24 and she was 18.

Spouse history: Brenda had been born in Liverpool on 18 July 1938, the second child of Harold and Edna Plaistow. Her father was a driver for the North West Gas Company. By 1939 they lived in a small terraced house on Stevenson Street just to the north of Wavertree park.

Children: three girls and a boy between 1959 and 1967 including a set of twins.

Residences: the newlyweds lived near Princess Park in Toxteth for a while. Ronald relocated to Carfield in Skelmersdale after the divorce, where he lived on his own for the rest of his life.

Ronald: 437 Liverpool Road, Huyton (1939)
Brenda: 21 Stevenson Street, Liverpool (1939)

Occupations: during the 1960s Ronald worked as an accountant/clerk in the building next to the Liver Building in Liverpool city centre. In his spare time, he enjoyed riding his motorbike and loved motocross and motorbike scrambling.

Deaths: Ronald died on 27 September 1998 when aged 66.

Notes: Ronald had mental health issues, being regularly admitted to Ormskirk hospital, and which unfortunately led to the couple divorcing in 1970. Brenda went on to marry John Tant and had three further children before her death in Warrington on 21 September 2015.

G3: Malcolm Kennedy Evans (1935-1997)

Birth: Malcolm Kennedy Evans was born in Prescot on 17 September 1935. He was the second child of John and Margery.

Marriage: to Jennifer A. Jones during 1961 in Liverpool. He was aged 25.

Residences: 437 Liverpool Road, Huyton

Deaths: Malcolm died on 22 July 1997 when aged 61.

G5: William Fearon (1869)

Birth: William Fearon was born in Liverpool on 22 January 1869. He was the second child of William and Rachel.

Christening: on 14 February 1869 at St Peter’s Church on Church Street.

Residences: 47 Blundell Street, Liverpool (1869)

Death: died aged three months and was buried in Walton Park on 3 April 1869.

G5: Rachel Fearon (1870-1949)

Birth: Rachel Fearon was born in Liverpool on 22 January 1869. She was the third child of William and Rachel and commonly known as Rae.

Christening: on 12 September 1870 at St Peter’s Church on Church Street.

Emigration: Rae emigrated to the United States, arriving in New York on 11 August 1907 onboard the SS Friedrich der Grosse having sailed from Southampton. She told the immigration officials that her destination was Galveston, Texas.

Marriage (1): to Otto August von Spangenberg on 18 April 1909 in Trinity Church, Galveston. She was aged 38 and he was 33.

Spouse history (2): Otto had been born in Nordhausen, Germany on 19 August 1875 and was a house and sign painter. He had emigrated to the US in 1904 from Grimsby in the UK, where he left behind a wife and several children.

Children: (1) Reviva in 1912. She sadly died five months later.

Marriage (2): to Frederick Hardung on 8 August 1921 in San Antonio, Texas. She was aged 50 and he was 53.

Spouse history (2): Fred had been born on 19 February 1868 in Baden, Germany. He had emigrated to the US in 1889, but little is known of his prior life. The San Antonio city directory lists him living at 1110 Garden from 1912 until 1919. He appeared to work for the L. Frank Saddlery Co. where he was a ‘cutter’. In 1920 he moved in with his sister and her family on West Summit.

Residences: before her emigration, 1901 Rae lived with her younger sister Ellen and family on Tarbock Road in still rural Huyton in 1901. Once in the United States, the newlyweds lived on 27^th Street. They moved to San Antonio, Texas by 1918. There is no further record of Otto, but Rae lived in the city with second husband Fred until her death.

Rachel: 47 Blundell Street, Liverpool (1870-1878); 186 Upper Frederick Street, Liverpool (1878); 13 Grey Street, Liverpool (1879-1887); 27 Windsor Street, Liverpool (1889-1891); Tarbruk Road, Huyton (1901); 1813 27th St, Galveston, TX (1910-1913); 104 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX (1923-1932)
Otto: 14 Hope Street, Grimsby (1901); 1813 27th St, Galveston, TX (1910-1913)
Fred: 104 S Alamo St, San Antonio, TX (1923-1932)

Occupations: in 1891 when aged 20 Rae worked as a shop assistant, an occupation she still had a decade later when she worked as a draper’s assistant. Decades later when living in San Antonio, she appeared to run a delicatessen with husband Fred, possibly called the Stag Buffett.

Deaths: Fred killed himself on 16 July 1932. As reported in the San Antonio Express:

The body of Frederick Hardung, 67, delicatessen operator was found in the San Antonio River below the Arsenal Street bridge with a bullet wound in his left breast Saturday morning.

Police said he had been dead several hours. A .38 caliber pistol was found on the bottom of the river a few feet from where the body was lodged on a rock.

Funeral services will be held Tuesday by the Fraternal Order of Eagles, of which he was a member.

He is survived by his widow, Mrs Rachel Hardung, 922 South Alamo Street, and a sister, Mrs Emma Muckenfuss of Houston. He was a native of Baden, Germany, and came to this country 45 years ago. He had lived in San Antonio the past 35 years. He was also a member of the Antou Wenzel Lodge, Hermenn Sons, and Redmen.

The coroner’s report confirmed that he died around 6.30am in the morning, with the bullet penetrating the heart through his left chest. He was buried in Mission Burial Park South in San Antonio. Rae died on 12 November 1949 and was buried at Woodlawn Cemetery in Deshler, Ohio.

Notes: a note in the social section of the San Antonio Express on 27 June 1923 reported that Rae, accompanied by her nephew George Davis (sic), would be spending the new few weeks as a guest in the Galvez Hotel in Galveston. Quite why this was newsworthy information is not known!

G4: Reviva von Spangenberg (1912)

Birth: Reviva von Spangenberg was born in Galveston, Texas during March 1912. She was the first child of Otto and Rae.

Deaths: died on 2 August when just 5 months old.

G5: Ellen Fearon (1872-1959)

Birth: Ellen Fearon was born in Liverpool on 12 November 1872. She was the fourth child of William and Rachel and commonly known as Rae.

Christening: on 24 November 1872 at St Peter’s Church on Church Street.

Marriage: to George Johnstone during 1895 in Liverpool. She was aged 22 and he was 21.

Spouse history: George had been born in Liverpool on 21 January 1873 to Robert Johnstone and Phillipa Kingston Palmer. They had both been married before and George had a half-sibling from each. His father was a bookkeeper for a general produce broker, and the family lived in a terraced house on Blackburne Street in the city centre. Like his future wife, George also suffered the early death of his father in 1885.

Children: (1) Nellie in 1895, (2) Dorothy in 1898, (3) Marjorie in 1901, (4) Philippa in 1902.

Occupations: by the age of 18 George had begun work as a clerk. He continued in this career and in 1911 was the bookkeeper for a chemical manufacturer, earning a sufficient income to employ a servant. He continued to progress and by 1921 was the sales manager for the United Alkali Co. Ltd. based in the Cunard Building in Liverpool. By 1939 he was the director of a grain producer.

Residences: the newlyweds initially moved south to Wavertree, but then moved fairly frequently in the areas surrounding St Helens and still rural Huyton over the next dozen years. As George’s career progressed they cycled through every bigger houses, until 1921 they lived in the affluent St Helen’s suburb of West Park.

In 1932 they moved back to Liverpool and bought a brand new large semi-detached house on Lynnbank Road in the rapidly expanding suburb of Childwall, which would be their home for the next 27 years. In 1959 the elderly couple moved across the Mersey to affluent Higher Bebington to live with their widowed daughter Philippa in her large house on Gayton Avenue.

Ellen: 47 Blundell Street, Liverpool (1872-1878); 186 Upper Frederick Street, Liverpool (1878); 13 Grey Street, Liverpool (1879-1887); 27 Windsor Street, Liverpool (1889-1891); 8 Kellitt Road, Liverpool (1896); Tarbruk Road, Huyton (1901); Fern Lea, Moss Bank Road, St Helens (1911); St. George’s Road, St Helens (1921); 5 Lynnbank Road, Liverpool (1932-1959); Wood Edge, Gayton Avenue, Bebington (1959)
George: 9 Blackburne Street, Liverpool (1881-1885); 20 Mona Street, Liverpool (1891); 8 Kellitt Road, Liverpool (1896); Tarbruk Road, Huyton (1901); Fern Lea, Moss Bank Road, St Helens (1911); St. George’s Road, St Helens (1921); 5 Lynnbank Road, Liverpool (1932-1959); Wood Edge, Gayton Avenue, Bebington (1959-1961)

Deaths: Ellen died on 11 October when a patient in Clatterbridge General Hospital in Bebington, aged 86. She left an estate of £5,958 3s 8d (around £125k today) to her solicitors. George died in the same place on 13 May 1961 when aged 88. He left an estate of £6,749 16s 10d (£141k today) to the solicitors.

Notes: when the National Register was taken in 1939, Ellen was visiting her daughter Philippa at Combe Cottage in Shropshire. George was at home. Note that the spelling of George’s surname varies between Johnstone, Johnson, and Johnston. We use Johnstone as that is what is recorded on the birth register.

G4: Nellie Gladys Johnstone (1895-1900)

Birth: Nellie Gladys Johnstone was born in Liverpool on Christmas Eve 1895. She was the first child of George and Ellen.

Christening: on 23 February 1896 at St Bridget’s Church on Bagot Street in Wavertree.

Occupation: Glad became a teacher in an infant school and in 1921 taught alongside her younger sister Dorothy at Rivington Road Boys School in St Helens.

Residences: Glad lived with her parents until moving to Boston in Lincolnshire, where in 1939 she lived with a colleague in School House near Rush Lane.

8 Kellitt Road, Liverpool (1896); Fern Lea, Moss Bank Road, St Helens (1911); St. George’s Road, St Helens (1921); School House, North Street, Swineshead (1939); The Minstrels, Sleaford Road, Boston (1990)

Deaths: died in Boston on 4 December 1990 when aged 94. At the time she lived at The Minstrels care home on Sleaford Road. She never married.

G4: Dorothy Palmer Johnstone (1897-1983)

Birth: Dorothy Palmer Johnstone was born in St Helens on 5 December 1897. She was the second child of George and Ellen.

Marriage: to Harry Raymond Mills during 1928 in Liverpool. She was aged 30 and he was 23.

Spouse history: known by his middle name, Ray was seven years younger than Dorothy and had been born on 5 July 1904 to Reverend Lewis Henry Mills and his wife Mary Elizabeth Angrave. He lived in the market town of Colne near Burnley. Over the next few years, they moved to Port Sunlight on the Wirral where they lived on Bolton Road. By 1921 the family had moved to Liverpool where they had a very large house in Wavertree. 16-year-old Ray worked as a clerk for Lloyds Bank on Upper Stanhope Street. His father was the minister at nearby Wavertree Congregational Church, although he left under something of a cloud in 1926 after a fire swept through the church on the harvest festival morning due to an electrical fault.

Children: (1) Lewis in 1931, (2) a girl in 1934.

Occupations: Dorothy became a teacher in an infant school and in 1921 taught alongside her older sister Nellie at Rivington Road Boys School in St Helens. By 1939 Dorothy was a teacher in a private school.

Residences: in 1931 the young family lived in a terraced house on Olivedale Road in Wavertree (just a couple of blocks from Penny Lane of The Beatles fame). Thanks to their professional occupations, in 1935 they were able to move to a new semi-detached house in the rapidly expanding suburb of Childwall. Although this was to be their home for the next decade, when the National Register was taken in 1939 the family was captured at the home of the Owen family on the island of Anglesey off the North Wales coast.

In 1949 they traded in their home for a much larger version on the nearby Menlove Avenue. By 1960 they had moved across the Mersey to the Bromborough suburb of Birkenhead where they had a large bungalow. This would be their home for the rest of their lives.

Dorothy: Fern Lea, Moss Bank Road, St Helens (1911); 17 Olivedale Road, Liverpool (1929-1934); 22 Selworthy Green, Liverpool (1935-1947); 155 Menlove Avenue, Liverpool (1949-1957); 6 Marten Avenue, Bromborough (1960-1983)
Harry: 17 Bolton Road, Bebington (1911); Syndhurst, South Drive, Liverpool (1921); 17 Olivedale Road, Liverpool (1929-1934); 22 Selworthy Green, Liverpool (1935-1947); 155 Menlove Avenue, Liverpool (1949-1957); 6 Marten Avenue, Bromborough (1960-1994)

Deaths: Dorothy died at home on 20 September 1983 when aged 85. Ray survived her for 12 years and died on 5 December 1994 when aged 90.

Notes: in April 1960, Dorothy took a trip to Boston in the United States, sailing on the SS Newfoundland.

G3: Lewis Johnstone Mills (1931-1976)

Birth: Lewis Johnstone Mills was born in Liverpool on 1 March 1931. He was the first child of Ray and Dorothy.

Residences: 22 Selworthy Green, Liverpool (1935-1947); 155 Menlove Avenue, Liverpool (1949-1955); 6 Marten Avenue, Bromborough (1960-1976)

Death: died in Eastbourne on 12 October 1976 when aged 45.

Notes: it’s possible that Lewis moved to Liverpool in 1955, but further confirmation is required. His probate gives his address as that of his parents, but it isn’t known whether he lived with them.

G4: Marjorie Kingston Johnstone (1901-1977)

Birth: Marjorie Kingston Johnstone was born in rural Huyton on 3 March 1901. She was the third child of George and Ellen.

Marriage: to John Stewart McLean during 1929 in Liverpool. She was aged 27 and he was 30.

Spouse history: John, commonly known as Jack, had been born on 22 February 1898, the only child of John McLean and Agnes Wood. The family lived in a terraced house in the Dentons Green area of St Helens. His father owned a cycle shop in the town, but sadly died in 1908 when aged just 37. Given the picture below, Jack presumably served in the army at some point.

Children: a boy and a girl in 1930 and 1934.

Occupations: Madge followed her two elder sisters by becoming a teacher. The 1921 census captured her as a student at the Training College Bingley. In 1939 Jack worked as an inspector for Co-Op Insurance and served as a Sub-Sector ARP Warden.

Residences: the newlyweds settled in Liverpool and had one of the houses on Allerton Road, which was slowly being developed into middle-class suburbia. By 1939, they had moved into a semi-detached house the outskirts of Warrington. Post-war they moved back to Liverpool where they settled in the new suburb of Allerton. In the early 1960s they retired to Storth in rural Cumbria, where they had a house on one of the single-track roads that wound away from village.

Marjorie: Tarbruk Road, Huyton (1901); Fern Lea, Moss Bank Road, St Helens (1911); Fern Lea, Moss Bank Road, St Helens (1911); Aldford, Allerton Road, Liverpool (1929-1930); 44 Shadewood Crescent, Liverpool (1939); 94 Melbreck Road, Liverpool (1949-1963); Wylan, Keasdale Road, Storth (1964)
John: 200 Greenfield Road, St Helens (1901); 3 Dentons Green Lane, St Helens (1911); Aldford, Allerton Road, Liverpool (1929-1930); 44 Shadewood Crescent, Liverpool (1939); 94 Melbreck Road, Liverpool (1949-1963); Wylan, Keasdale Road, Storth (1964)

Deaths: Jack died of coronary thrombosis (a heart attack) on 14 November 1964 at 37 Thorn Road. He was 66 years old and was cremated at Liverpool Crematorium. Madge survived him for 13 years and died on 16 August 1977 when aged 76.

G4: Philippa Prehn Johnstone (1902-1983)

Birth: Philippa Prehn Johnstone was born in rural Huyton on 16 November 1902. She was the fourth child of George and Ellen.

Marriage: to Dr John William Cowen during 1929 in Liverpool. They were both aged 26.

Spouse history: John had been born in St Helens on 1 February 1902 to Thomas Cowen and Ann Elizabeth Farrow. His father was a groom and coachman for Royal Mail and a soldier in the Army Service Corps Reserve who had recently returned from fighting the Boers in South Africa. The family lived in a terraced house on the outskirts of St Helens. His father re-enlisted on the outbreak of war in 1914 and spent the next three years serving in France.

Children: (1) Kenneth in 1930, (2) John in 1932, (3) a boy in 1936, (4) a girl in 1939.

Occupations: by 1921 John had enrolled into Liverpool University Medical School. After graduation in 1924 he held resident appointments at the David Lewis Northern Hospital in Liverpool and at the Port Sunlight Hospital. For about two years he worked as an assistant before going into practice at Bebington, where he set about building up a very large practice. This was not surprising, for he was exceptionally capable, and treated every patient as a person who really mattered.

In 1939 John also worked at Port Sunlight Hospital in Bebington. This was a cottage hospital, akin to small country house, and had been built by Lord Leverhulme at the turn of the century to cater to his workers. He was a founder member of the College of General Practitioners and also chairman of the Committee for Undergraduate Education of the Merseyside Faculty.

Residences: the newlyweds briefly lived in Bebington before moving into a large semi-detached house on The Wiend in the southern suburbs of Birkenhead. Just before the outbreak of war they moved to Health Road in Bebington. After John’s death Phillipa moved to a large semi-detached house on Gayton Avenue in the leafy suburb of Higher Bebington, where she was joined by her elderly parents in 1959.

Philippa: Fern Lea, Moss Bank Road, St Helens (1911); St. George’s Road, St Helens (1921); 17 The Village, Bebington (1930); Churchlands, The Wiend, Bebington (1931-1938); 36 Heath Road, Bebington (1939-1954); Wood Edge, Gayton Avenue, Birkenhead (1956)
John: 24 Harris Street, St Helens (1911-1917); 27 Spray Street, St Helens (1921-1929); 17 The Village, Bebington (1930); Churchlands, The Wiend, Bebington (1931-1938); 36 Heath Road, Bebington (1939-1954)

Deaths: John died on 16 November 1954 in The Northern Hospital, Liverpool when aged just 52. Philippa died in Lehmann House Care Home in Woodbridge, Suffolk, on 5 November 1983 when aged 80.

Notes: when the National Register was taken in 1939, Philippa and children were staying with her mother at Coombe Cottage somewhere in Shropshire. John’s chief recreation was sailing, and he once won the Isle of Man race from Liverpool. In 1956 Philippa took a trip to Canada with her 17-year-old daughter.

G3: Kenneth Johnstone Cowen (1930-2000)

Birth: Kenneth Johnstone Cowen was born in Birkenhead on 19 October 1930. He was the first child of John and Philippa.

Marriage: to Jean Margaret Hurst during 1959 on the Wirral. He was aged 28 and she was 26.

Spouse history: Jean had been born on 28 January 1932 in Birkenhead. When the National Register was taken in 1939, 7-year-old Jean lived with the Williams family near Deudraeth in rural Wales, and like many children of her age had perhaps been evacuated.

Children: a boy and a girl.

Occupations: Kenneth followed in his father’s footsteps and became a doctor. Jean qualified as a nurse in April 1953 and worked in Clatterbridge General Hospital in Bebington, where she likely met her husband.

Residences:

Kenneth: Churchlands, The Wiend, Bebington (1931-1938)
Jean: Hooten Hey, Great Sutton (1990)

Deaths: Jean died suddenly at home on 17 November 1990 when aged just 58. Kenneth survived her for a decade and died on 14 January 2000 in Taporley, Cheshire when aged 69. They were both cremated at Landican Cemetery.

G3: John Farrow Cowen (1932-2016)

Birth: John Farrow Cowen was born in Birkenhead on 5 June 1932. He was the second child of John and Philippa.

Death: died in Denbigh on 5 September 2016 when aged 84.

Notes: John likely married Berenice A. Bellemey in 1952 but further confirmation is required.

G5: Rebecca Fearon (1874-1956)

Birth: Rebecca Fearon was born in Liverpool on 20 September 1874. She was the fifth child of William and Rachel.

Christening: on 30 September 1874 at St Peter’s Church on Church Street.

Occupations: in 1891 when aged 16 Rebecca worked as a dressmaker. It’s possible that by 1901 she had entered service and worked as a housemaid for the McAfee family on Riverdale Road in Hoylake cum West Kirby.

Emigration: when aged 33, Rebecca followed her sister Rachel to North America, sailing for Quebec in Canada onboard the RMS Corsican on 31 October 1907. As an interesting sidenote this was the maiden voyage of this new steamship, which later served throughout the war as a troopship before being sunk in an accident off Newfoundland in 1922.

Marriage: to Jonathan Idwal Davies on 1 March 1909 at St James’s Church on St Catherine Street West in Montreal. She was aged 34 and he was 27.

Spouse history: Jonathan, commonly known by his middle name, had been born in Brymbo, Wales on 17 December 1881 to Daniel Davies and Miriam Hughes. From at least 1891 they lived in the nearby village of The Lodge, adjacent to a large iron works and nestled between two train tracks – likely an unpleasant place. His father was an engine fitter, while when Idwal came of age he possibly worked as a ‘collerysmith’s and blacks’, although the writing on the 1901 census is a little hard to read.

Children: (1) George in 1909, (2) Harry in 1911, (3) Robert in 1914.

Emigration: in 1912 the couple decided to move south to the United States. When crossing the border in May 1912 they told the immigration officials that their intended destination was Galveston, Texas, likely intending to join Rebecca’s sister Rachel. Despite this they settled in Syracuse, New York, which was only slightly closer to New York City than it was to Montreal.

Occupation: Idwal laboured in a chemical works, and when he registered for the US draft in September 1917 was a repairman for Solway Processes, a chemical manufacturer that specialised in the manufacture of soda ash. He was described as medium height and build with blue eyes and dark brown hair. Idwal became a blacksmith in the 1930s, although he appeared to be unemployed in 1940.

Despite being aged 60 when the US entered the Second World War, Idwal was required to register for the draft in 1942. He described himself as now working for RKO Keith’s Theatre, which at the time was somewhat of a landmark in the city. Idwal was 5 feet 7 inches tall and weighted 142 lbs, and he now had grey hair. By 1950, 68-year-old Idwal worked as a janitor.

Residences: from 1915 and through the 1920s the family lived in at least three different houses on Hamilton Street, a quiet residential road, and a similar small wooden house on nearby Cayuga Street. In 1928 they bought a larger detached house half a mile north on Myrtle Street, which would be their home for the rest of their lives.

Rebecca: 47 Blundell Street, Liverpool (1874-1878); 186 Upper Frederick Street, Liverpool (1878); 13 Grey Street, Liverpool (1879-1887); 27 Windsor Street, Liverpool (1889-1891); 714 Hamilton St, Syracuse (1915); 210 Cayuga St, Syracuse (1918); 709 Hamilton St, Syracuse (1920); 707 Hamilton St, Syracuse (1925); 907 Myrtle St, Syracuse (1928-1950)
Jonathan: The Lodge, Brymbo (1891); 23 Broughton Road, Brymbo (1901); 714 Hamilton St, Syracuse (1915); 210 Cayuga St, Syracuse (1918); 709 Hamilton St, Syracuse (1920); 707 Hamilton St, Syracuse (1925); 907 Myrtle St, Syracuse (1928-1950)

Deaths: Idwal died in Oyster Bay on Long Island, New York, on 17 September 1954 when aged 72 and was buried in Pinelawn Memorial Park and Arboretum in Farmingdale. Rebecca survived him for two years and died on 1 September 1956 when aged 83. She was possibly buried alongside her husband.

Notes: it’s interesting that after his move to the US Idwal’s year of birth is usually given as a year later than it was. The family made a trip home in early 1913 to stay with Idwal’s family in Wales. He returned home early in February while Rebecca and the children stayed until early April.

G4: George Idwal Davies (1909-1990)

Birth: George Idwal Davies was born in Montreal, Canada on 30 December 1909. He was the first child of Jonathan and Rebecca.

Marriage: to Natalka Agnes Lewandowska on 13 June 1931 in the court at Fayetteville, New York. He was aged 21 and she was 23.

Spouse history: Natalka was a Polish immigrant, having been born in Plock on 26 November 1907 as the third child of Bolesław Lewandowska and Lindomda Frejen. Her family emigrated to the United States from Bremen, Germany in June 1912 and settled in the small town of Camillus, New York on the outskirts of Syracuse. They anglicised their surname to Levand, with her father becoming John, her mother Laura, and Natalka to Natalie. Her father worked for a knife manufacturer. Natalie went to Syracuse University where she studied home economics.

Children: unknown.

Residences: the newlyweds moved out West and in 1935 appeared to live in the town of Paso Robles in wine country between Los Angeles and San Francisco. They had moved to Los Angeles by 1937, first living briefly in Burbank before settling in the Alhambra area in the northeast of the city, where they lived in a couple of small houses. They had moved into a large bungalow in nearby Arcadia by 1969.

George: 714 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1915); 210 Cayuga St, Syracuse, NY (1918); 709 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1920); 707 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1925); 907 Myrtle St, Syracuse, NY (1928-1931); 501 N Verdugo Ave, Burbank, CA (1937); 2002 S 6th St, Alhambra, CA (1939-1943); 1319 Date Ave, Alhambra, CA (1952-1964); 508 Santa Maria Rd, Arcadia, CA (1969)
Natalie: 68 North St, Camillus, Ny (1925-1930); 501 N Verdugo Ave, Burbank, CA (1937); 2002 S 6th St, Alhambra, CA (1939-1943); 1319 Date Ave, Alhambra, CA (1952-1964); 508 Santa Maria Rd, Arcadia, CA (1969)

Naturalisation: Natalie filed a Declaration of Intention in November 1939, the first formal step towards becoming a US citizen. George filed his own Declaration in March 1940. George and Natalie both filed a Petition for Naturalization in January 1943, becoming US citizens.

Occupations: in 1940 George worked 48 hours per week as a service station manager for Standard Stations with a salary of $1,900, while Natalie had recently begun work as a clerk in a machine office. By 1950 he had become a salesman for Brown & Bigelow, one of the largest printers of calendars in the world which at this time sold calendars to an estimated 50 million homes. He then moved to T.R. King Co., which produced dice, gaming equipment, and casino and poker chips.

Military service: George registered for the draft six months later, being described as 5 feet and 6 inches tall, weight 165 lbs and with hazel eyes, brown hair, and a light complexion. He enlisted into the US Army on 1 February 1943 and was given service number 39280646. We know very little of his service history, other than he was admitted to hospital in August 1944 due to myositis – a chronic disease that makes your immune system attack your muscles, making them weak and painful.

Deaths: Natalie died on 20 September 1977 when aged 69, being buried at Live Oak Memorial Park in Monrovia, CA. George survived her for 13 years and died in Los Angeles on 1 March 1990 when aged 80.

G4: Harry Osborne Davies (1911-1981)

Birth: Harry Osborne Davies was born in Montreal, Canada on 23 October 1911. He was the second child of Jonathan and Rebecca. ‘Harry’ is likely a later addition to his name, as he was only cited as ‘Osborne Davies’ up until his marriage.

Marriage: to Meta G. Perry on 15 June 1935 in the court in Syracuse, New York. He was aged 23 and she was 24.

Spouse history: the unusually named Meta had been born on 7 March 1911 and was the first child of Earnest George Perry and his wife Anna Mae Hilterbrand. The family lived in the small town of Camden, New York, about 25 miles northeast of Syracuse. Her father was a wire galvaniser in a factory. By 1915 they had moved southwest to Cortland, New York, another small town encircling Syracuse. They lived in a series of small houses within a few blocks of each other. By 1930 they had moved north into Syracuse where her father worked as an automobile dealer.

Children: two girls in 1941 and 1946.

Occupations: despite only being 18 years old in 1930, Harry was the manager of a chain grocery store. In 1940 he worked at the Crucible Steel Co.

Residences: in 1940 the couple lived in a very small house on Herkimer Street to the west of downtown Syracuse. By 1947 they had moved to Cortland where they first lived in a small semi-detached house before moving in with Meta’s parents in their much larger home. The family then appeared to follow Harry’s brother to Los Angeles, where they settled in the Whittier area.

Harry: 714 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1915); 210 Cayuga St, Syracuse, NY (1918); 709 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1920); 707 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1925); 907 Myrtle St, Syracuse, NY (1928-1931); 502 Herkimer St, Syracuse, NY (1940); 19 Cortland St, Cortland, NY (1947); 10 Halbert St, Cortland, NY (1949-1950); 15120 Goodhue St, Whittier, CA (1960)
Meta: 2 Loope St, Cortland, NY (1915); 68 Hamlin St, Cortland, NY (1920); 35 Alvena Ave, Cortland, NY (1925); 424 S Midler Ave, Syracuse, NY (1930); 137 Marlborough Rd, Syracuse, NY (1931); 502 Herkimer St, Syracuse, NY (1940); 19 Cortland St, Cortland, NY (1947); 10 Halbert St, Cortland, NY (1949-1950); 15120 Goodhue St, Whittier, CA (1960)

Military service: with war raging in Europe, President Roosevelt signed into law the first peacetime military draft in US history and Harry registered on 16 October 1940 in Syracuse. He was 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighed 140 lbs with a light complexion and blue eyes and brown hair. It is not known whether he actually served.

Deaths: Harry died in LA on 12 December 1981 when aged 70. Meta survived him for almost 20 years and died on 27 August 2000.

Notes: there is no sign of Harry in the 1950 census.

G4: Robert Ivor Davies (1914-2003)

Birth: Robert Ivor Davies was born in Syracuse, New York on 3 February 1914. He was the third child of Jonathan and Rebecca.

School: graduated from Vocational High School and attended Syracuse University.

Military service: Robert enlisted into the New York National Guard in March 1937, being assigned to Troop K of the 121st Cavalry Regiment, which at the time was a true horse-mounted cavalry unit. Robert registered for the draft on 16 October 1940. He was described as 5 feet 8 inches tall and weighing 160 lbs with a ruddy complexion, blue eyes, and brown hair. He enlisted into the US Army on 19 November 1942 and was given service number 32587633. Little is known of his service. He was admitted to hospital in January 1944 for a cyst in his jaw resulting from an infected tooth. He received a New York State Medal of Honor.

Marriage: to Catherine Francca Rushinski on 28 August 1948 at St Mark the Evangelist Episcopal Church in Syracuse, New York. They were both aged 34.

Spouse history: Catherine had been born on 6 January 1914, one of the many children of German immigrants Fred and Rosalie Rushinski. In 1920 her father worked in a soda factory.

Children: two boys with one born in 1950.

Occupations: in 1930 when he was aged 16 years old Robert worked as a helper in a dry goods store. A decade later when aged 26, he worked as a clerk for Lamson Co., which made cash carrier systems for shops and banks. In 1942 he was a shipping and receiving clerk. Catherine meanwhile was a bookkeeper for an automobile company. Post-war Robert graduated from Columbia Chiropractic College and was in private practice as a chiropractor in Westvale, New York for 40 years.

Residences: the couple both lived at home until their marriage. By 1950, they lived on Calvert Street in Baltimore before settling in Westvale, New York.

Robert: 714 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1915); 210 Cayuga St, Syracuse, NY (1918); 709 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1920); 707 Hamilton St, Syracuse, NY (1925); 907 Myrtle St, Syracuse, NY (1930-1940); 757 Fay Rd, Westvale, NY (1989)
Catherine: 102 Sidman Ave, Syracuse, NY (1920-1930); 114 Sidman Ave, Syracuse, NY (1940); 757 Fay Rd, Westvale, NY (1989)

Deaths: Catherine died on 27 March 1989 and was buried at St Mary’s Cemetery. Robert survived her by 14 years and died on 23 January 2003 and was buried with his wife.

Notes: Robert was a member of St Mark’s, the Calvary Club, the New York State Chiropractic Association, and the New York Seniors Golf Association.