Thursday, 16 May 2013

Herbert George Norris, 19 Cooks Road & Sarah Jane Rogers

It is a memory of my mother that her grandparents Herbert George Norris and Elizabeth Fanny (nee Darby) separated. She remembers that her grandmother went on a cruise with another man but nothing else. An examination of the electoral role, however, reveals a little more information.

Looking at the electoral roles for 1918 we find that Herbert George Norris and his wife are living at 19 Cooks Road, Southwark. The couple are also living there in 1919 and 1920. From 1921, however, Elizabeth Fanny is not listed at this address. Instead, in 1921, there is Herbert George Norris and three others: William Arthur Norris, Mabel Jessie Norris and Alfred Walter Thorpe. In the years that follow, the people living at 19 Cooks Road changes quite frequently - but there is no record of an Elizabeth Fanny Norris living there again. What is interesting, however, is that in 1928 a Sarah Jane Rogers is resident at the address, and continues there in 1929 ... come 1931, however, there is no Sarah Jane Rogers but there is a Sarah Jane Norris ... is that the same person? It very much looks like it is, because in the marriage records for the second quarter of 1930 we find that a Herbert George Norris married a Sarah Jane Rogers in Southwark ...!

According to the electoral roll, Herbert George and Sarah Jane Norris continued to live at 19 Cooks Road until at least 1939 ... at least thirteen other names are also associated with this address during that period. It seems likely, therefore, that the couple took in lodgers; but it is interesting to note that a number of the names are Rogers ... Florence Rogers, Frank Rogers, Albert Rogers, Edward Rogers, Arthur Rogers and George Henry Rogers ... and these, perhaps, are vital clues to identifying the woman who became Herbert George's second wife; but that is work for another day ...

As always, thoughts and further information are warmly welcome!

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