Edward
James George (1876-19??) featured as my DNA match this week. He’s my great
grandmother’s brother from Yarmouth, Norfolk. He married Lily Belton (1882-1964) in 1919 in
Sunderland, Durham. Can't help thinking
the DNA angels are stirring up things in Sunderland. Their granddaughter Sophie
is my third cousin.
It's
my second unrelated match in that neck of the woods in weeks and my third in
this line in as many months. It's a good news story alone that the “Match” with
Sophie and I could be found so quickly even though she had only done her tree a
week ago.
When
reviewing the records of my great great uncle I looked for a possible military
record. A pension record gave his children's names and dates of birth (more
information than found on the 1911 census). It named his wife- Florence Turner
and marriage date. Then a few pages over I wondered why the children had a guardian.
A page or two on and duplicate records have been altered -the wife Francis
Turner was deleted as wife and another one Lily Belton had taken her place. The
details made me look twice. A wartime widow Lily Belton had married Edward.
Edward's children with Frances Turner: Ruth, Maud, Edith, Edward John and Daniel William listed on his military pension record
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A new wife Lily previously Irwing -widow was his next of kin |
I mentioned his record to my new third cousin and she shared
an archive with me. It was a link to a one hour video she had recorded of her
grandmother Lily George jnr several years ago. How wonderful to hear her detail the
“hers, mine and ours” children of Lily and Edward. Besides the family history
she also described her house and her whole life time! In all Lily and Edward George
were parents to 14 children. I filled in the gaps with Ancestry searches and
FreeBMD searches.
Lily and George's daughter Lily recounted their story.
“ My mother had a lot of bad luck”.
Lily
had taken on George’s 5 children who are in care in Sunderland. Lily had been
married not once but twice before and brought 5 of her own children to the marriage.
Four boys with husband George W Armbruster 1877-1911 and one son with second
husband George Irwing ( - 1916).
Lily Armbruster as Lily Ambrose with sons George, John Henry, Edwin and Edgar in 1911 census
Twice
tragedy has struck her first husband before the beginning of the war. Due to
anti German sentiment they changed their surname to Ambrose due to George
Armbruster’s German background. Then George died in early 1911 after being
crushed to death in a shipyard accident at the age of 34. She’s shown a few
weeks later in the 1911 census as the newly widowed mother of 4 boys under the
name of Ambrose. One of the boys was only five months old and Lily was
supporting them as a charwoman.
Lily
explains in the video “ My mother had a lot of bad luck”. So true
Shortly
after in the early days of the war Lily married George M Irwing at Sunderland
in September 1914. Her fifth son George RM Irwing was born in 1914. He was known by the family as Robert or Bob.
Irwing went off to serve his country. Again Lily was widowed when George fell
down a well whilst serving in France. Again she was widowed with an infant as
little Bob was only seven months old.
Edward had served in the militia from 1896. The Imperial
War Museum website lists him in several regiments of the British Army, York and
Lancaster Regiment, Sergeant, #3895, Labour Corps, Sergeant, #381409, Northumberland
Fusiliers, Sergeant, #89491.
Although in the 1911 census he is a railway porter he
re-enlists for the B.E.F. and served a short period at home and in France. By
the time of his final discharge in 1920 he had accrued 20 years and 181 days
service. In 1918 his wife Florence died in childbirth and his 5 children
ranging in age from 3 to 11 are placed in care of a Mrs Robinson and his sister
Mrs Emmeline Rowe.
In late 1919 he returns to see the children in Sunderland
and presumably he meets and marries Lily Irwing nee Belton (1882-1964). Despite
Lily having 5 children it was decided that George’s 5 children who were in care
would be brought to their new home in St Hylton.
Lily and Edward had gone on to have four more children,
twins Lily and Arthur then Mary and Gertrude. Lily Jnr born in 1920 described
their home in the video. It was a multilevel house in Albion St and her grandmother
lived below. The George family lived in the floors above where there was a
kitchen/living room and above that one big bedroom and two attic rooms. There
were limited mod cons and running water was externally available. Two buckets
were used to retrieve water for washing and bathing down a big set of internal
stone stairs. By this time some older members of the family had gained jobs and
moved away.
Edward
George made his big escape on bath night. After the bath water was carried up
the stairs to the metal tubs Edward took himself off to the Empire picture
theatre with a friend each Friday night. After the pictures he had a half a
pint with his friend before returning home on the train to his children newly
washed and with clean hair.
It
sounds like they had a happy time though as Lily Jnr describes taking their
pocket money and spending it on roast potatoes filled with yummy butter and
spending the rest on watching the magic screen puppet show at the local
Salvation Army.
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Lily George nee Belton (supplied by granddaughter Sophie) |
Lily
Junior’s older siblings have helped to fill in the story of her family. She's
not that sure where her father came from and his history but Ancestry has fixed
that. Thanks to digitization and transcription of records we know his father
was a mariner and he and his siblings come from Yarmouth. That probably
explains why her father called himself a “Yarmouth Bloater”. Bloaters are a
type of salted and smoked herring which is a specialty of the English town of his
Yarmouth. I wonder if his children and Lily was served a traditional tea time
treat of Yarmouth bloater paste spreads thick on buttered toast? It seems Lily only
remembers the treat of Sunday bacon, toast and dripping!
Edward
and Lily lived until ripe old ages with Edward dying probably in his seventies and Lily Snr in 1964. According
to his military records his character was described as "very good, honest,
sober, willing, hard working, intelligent and reliable." Certainly characteristics which would have endeared him to this hard working and loving mother.
PS Sophie and I love to receive photos .... please contact us via the comments below
