Norris Family

My grandfather was William Herbert Norris. I knew from my mother that he was born around 1900 and that he came from Southwark, London. She had also mentioned the names of some of his siblings so It should have been easy to have located him in the 1911 census. Strangely, however, he and his family remained elusive .... until I attempted alternative spellings of the name"Norris" ...

William Norris

(my grandfather)

In the 1911 census the family is found with the surname "Norriss" and my grandfather appears as "William" rather than "William Herbert". Here I discover that my grandfather is living at 71 Cook Road, St Mary Newington. He is 11 years old. 

Herbert George Norris

(my great grandfather)

William's father is given as Herbert George Norriss a house decorator from Frome, Somerset (aged 38 years). Herbert's wife is Elizabeth Norriss, from Ipswich (aged 32). In addition to my grandfather, the children living there are:

Lily Norriss - aged 16, a "General Servant" (born 1895, Lambeth, London)
George Norriss - aged 14, "Office Boy" (born 1897, Bermondsey, London)
Albert Norris - aged 8, (born 1903, Lambeth, London)
Cecil Norris - aged 5, (born 1906, Handsworth)
Gladdis Norris - aged 4 (born 1907, Tooteing (sic) Surrey)
Leonard Norriss - aged 9 months, (Tooteing (sic) Surrey)

From the variety of places where the children were born, it would seem likely that the family moved around a bit. Not surprising then to find the family (with their surname now spelt correctly) at a different address in the 1901 census. Now the family are living at 32 Marshall Street, Southwark (in the ecclesiastical parish of St Jude / civil parish of St George the Martyr). From the 1901 Census we find that the full name of George Norris is "George Albert John Norris" that "Lily Norris" is "Eliza Lillian Norris" and that my grandfather's place of birth was "Southwark Park Road, Bermondsey". This time, my great grandfather, Herbert George Norris is described as a "Journeyman Handy Man"

Going back still further, to the 1891 Census, Herbert Norris (my great grandfather) is living at yet another address, namely 54, Bonnington Square, Lambeth. Here Herbert is 19 years old with his occupation listed as "Machine Painter" and his place of birth as "Charlton" in Somerset (Charlton being near Frome, between Frome and Radstock). Also in the house are  ...

Jacob Norris

(my great, great grandfather)

1) Herbert's father, Jacob Norris (my great, great grandfather). 
We are told his occupation, "Mantelman Groom"; his age, 43 years; and his estimated date of birth, 1848.

2) Jacob's wife, Eliza Norris.
Her estimated date of birth is given as 1849 and her age 42 years; place of birth is "Charlton", Somerset.

Besides Herbert, there are several other children living in the house ...

Frederick Norris - aged 17, a "General Labourer" (born 1874, Charlton, Somerset)
Albert Norris - aged 16, a "Carmans Assistant" (born 1875, Charlton, Somerset)
Edith Norris - aged 11, (born 1880, Notting Hill)
Arthur Norris - aged 8, (born 1883, Notting Hill)
Harry Norris - aged 6, (born 1885, Notting Hill)

These are all given as the children of Jacob Norris.

Staying with my great great grandfather, in the 1881 census, we find that Jacob Norris is living as a lodger at 2, Lawn Lane, Lambeth. His occupation is given as "Labourer".  Going back still further, to 1871, Jacob is shown living alone at the Toll Gate, Buckland Dinham, Frome. His age is 23 and he is living alone.

Which brings us to 1861 when Jacob is 13 years old ...

John Norris

(my great, great, great grandfather)

The 1861 census tells us that Jacob's father (and my great, great, great grandfather) was John Norris, then a 42 year old "Agricultural Labourer". His place of birth is given as Road, Somerset and his estimated year of birth as 1819. In 1861 he is living at Port, Laverton, near Frome. Also in the house are his wife Ann (b.1820, Broughton, Wiltshire), Jacob and Jacob's brother James who is aged 17. (The occupation of both Jacob and James is given as that of "Agricultural Labourer")

The 1851 Census reveals more about the family. John Norris is living at Road Bridge, Frome. Jacob Norris is there, aged 2, and so is James aged 7. In addition there are other siblings: Sarah aged 11, George aged 9 and Mary aged 4. With the exception of George all were born at Road. George Norris, is said to have been born at "North Bradley, Southwick". 

At this point, perhaps I should sound a warning - what follows is a little speculative ... it is me trying to make senses of the documents that I currently have ... but ...

Comparing the 1861 and 1851 census suggests that sometime between these dates there may have been a crisis in the Norris household. The 1851 Census gives John's wife as "Mary Norris" (b. 1815 Wingfield). This is different to 1861 where it has "Ann Norris" (b. 1820, Broughton). The most likely explanation is that between 1851 and 1861 John's wife Mary died and that he afterward remarried. Looking at the death records, I find that in Frome in 1852 two people named Mary Ann Norris died. One in the 2nd quarter of that year and the other in the third. Their respective ages are not given but it is possible that one refers to John's wife and the other perhaps to their child Mary. (Interestingly the 1841 census has John living with "Mary Ann Norris". The nature of the relationship is not stated but at the moment I assume they are married (not brother-sister) and that she is the same person as the Mary Norris of 1851). That this might indeed be what happened  is suggested by the fact that I can find no trace of John's daughter Mary after the 1851 Census and also by the fact that in the fourth quarter of 1852 records indicate that a "John Norris" may have married "Ann Burge" in Frome, Somerset. All this needs further looking at and it may be that I have got it completely wrong. However, It is very easy to imagine a scenario where, with at least four children to support, John could not long manage without a wife and that he therefore remarried soon after their mother died!

PS ... since this post I have made contact with a living relative. Irene Norris is a descendant of John Norris' brother Thomas. She has kindly offered to look into her own records concerning the conundrum detailed above, but in the meantime I have been provided with the following information ...

James Norris

(my great, great, great, great grandfather)

The father of John Norris was James Norris, who was married to Ann (maiden name unknown). Apparently they had eight children,all registered at Rode in Somerset. The children were:

Elizabeth - born 1810

James - born 1813

Ann - born 1815

Thomas - born 1817 (my correspondent's great, great grandfather)

John - born 1819 (my great, great, great grandfather)

William - born 1821

Caroline - born 1824

Ann - born 1825

Irene tells me that Thomas Norris married Maria Coleman from North Bradley and that they had six children. She tells me that they went to Van Dieman's Land in July 1825. They sailed on the Northumberland in 1854 and went to Tasmania at the request of Maria's convict father, James Coleman. Irene also tells me that Thomas' brother James also went to Australia, going out to New South Wales and residing in Albury.

Click here to read about James Coleman and the Norris family in Australia

The picture below is that of the Northumberland encountering an iceberg on an earlier voyage, from Australia to London (from the Illustrated London News)