George Davies

George was born in Dilwyn, Herefordshire on 9th Dec 1855. He was a Fruit Hawker, often in trouble with the police. He travelled around Hereford and Worcestershire and Kent, hop-picking and hawking. He and my great grandmother Honora Shea never married. George was already married to another woman, Mary Elizabeth Warburton. George and Honora were living together in 1901 with Honora’s children from her first marriage. George and Honora had two children, George Alfred in 1903 and Margaret in 1905. George does not appear on the 1911 census with Honora, but I’ve yet to discover whether he had left or had died by this time. You can read more about George Davies here…

George Davies – Sea-born or Storyteller?

Honora Shea

Honora was born to Irish parents in Bristol, Somerset on 9th Dec 1868, coincidentally sharing the same birthday as her future partner, George! Honora had six children, John, Ellen, Norah, Lavinia, George & Margaret. She travelled around hop picking and hawking, then in later years settled in Worcester working as an umbrella repairer. Her death is a bit of a mystery. There is a death registration for Honora Sheehy in 1943. This is likely to be her. If correct, she tragically died of Ashpyxia caused by smoke and fumes inhalation from an accidental fire.

John Thomas Danks

John was born in Oldbury, Worcestershire on 14th July 1861. There is no obvious marriage registration but he and Harriet ‘married’ around 1882 and had 5 children, two sadly dying very young. John worked as a Blacksmith’s striker in Walsall. He died on 1st Nov 1921.

Harriet Taylor

Harriet was born in Bloxwich, Staffordshire on 28th April 1860. She worked as a Buckle wrapper in Walsall. Harriet died on 27th Sept 1916 at home in Walsall.

Robert Campbell Heppell

Robert was born 16th January 1876 in York. He had various occupations; Bone combmaker, Waggoner for John Smiths Brewery and a labourer at the printworks. He married Alice Wood in 1899 and they had eight children. Robert died quite young on 26th Feb 1919 aged only 43. He was said to have died of a broken heart as he had lost Alice only a few months earlier. Not far from the truth as he died of Mitral disease.

Alice Wood

Alice was born 7th March 1880 in York. She worked at Terry’s chocolate factory as a chocolate maker. Alice died of Bronchitis and Cardiac failure on 6th September 1918.

Wharram England

Wharram was born at Brown Moor Farm, Kirby Underdale on 23rd April 1869. He moved to York to work on the railways, working first as a railway shunter, then as a guard. He married Annie Maria Whiting in her home parish of Bridlington in 1900. They made their home in York, having two daughters. Wharram and Annie took over the running of a grocery store in the early 1920’s. Wharram died on 1st Dec 1935, a year after losing his wife, Annie.

Annie Maria Whiting

Annie Maria was born in Burton Agnes, East Riding of Yorkshire on 21st April 1863. Annie worked as a Domestic Servant at Bewholme Grange until moving over to York to work as an attendant at the York Asylum. Annie died in York on 27th January 1934.