Mabel was born on 25th November 1898 in Tolleys, Crediton Devon, to Isaac 'Harry' Harwood Vernon (29), an agricultural labourer and farm carter, and Ellen Vernon (nee Tonkins) (22), a former domestic servant and now a housewife.
Mabel was baptised on 19th February 1899 in Thorverton.
Mabel had four older half siblings (one half sister, and three half brothers) - the children of her father Harry and his first wife Lucy James - :
- Edith Ellen 1891 - 1971 (79)
- Walter Charles 1892 - 1965 (73)
- William John 1894 - ???? (?)
- Frank 1896 - 19?? (?)
And nine full siblings (eight brothers and one sister):
- Frederick 'Fred' (born Tonkins, later Vernon) 1897 - 1915 (18)
- Mabel Ellen 1898 - 1993 (94)
- George 1900 - 1900 (0 - 3 months old)
- George Henry 1901 - 1973 (71)
- Ernest Isaac 1904 - 1997 (93)
- Isaac Harry (went by Harry like his father) 1906 - 1964 (58)
- William Harwood 1908 - 1972 (64)
- Florence Emily 1911 - 1993 (82)
- Sidney 'Sid' 1913 - 2004 (91)
- Percy 1915 - 2002 (86)
The fact that the family moved around mid-Devon a lot, likely as Harry sought farm work, is revealed in the children's different places of birth and their attending different schools...
Mabel's birth certificate shows that though she was born in Crediton, her mother Ellen's residence was Shobrooke, which is two miles west of Crediton. At some point, around this time, Mabel's elder half siblings Edith and Walter attended school in Thorverton, which is four and a bit miles east of Shobrooke. Mabel herself was baptised in Thorverton in February 1899.
1899 saw baby Mabel and the family move, about four and a bit miles, this time from the Thorverton area to East Coombe. Whilst the family resided there, Edith and Walter attended nearby Stockleigh Pomeroy Church of England School from the October. 1900 saw them move again: that year from East Coombe, about three miles east, to West Bowley, Cadbury. Edith and Walter attended Cadbury School from the 12th March to the 7th September, when the family left the area.
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1900, when Mabel was only twenty to twenty-two months old, her younger brother George passed away as a very young baby - only zero to three months old. Their parents would name their next son George also, likely after their lost child.
The 1901 Census shows the family had moved back to Thorverton:
At some point between 1901 and 1904, the family moved three and a half miles south to Upton Pyne, for there Edith and Walter attended school for a time, before returning to Crediton in 1904.
Did Mabel's older half siblings like apart from their father and step family for a time? Notably, whilst Edith and Walter attended Crediton Hayward School and their address is listed as Chapel Down in Crediton in October 1904; their younger half siblings Fred, Mabel and George began attending Sandford School from 25th June 1904, and their address is given as Priorton Mill (a mile north of Sandford, and three and a bit miles north of Crediton). These three stayed at Sandford School for three years, till the family left the area in July 1907. Also Walter appeared to be staying, neither in Crediton nor Sandford, but with his grandfather in Chawleigh in the summer of 1905, when, aged twelve, he made attempt to steal a silver water and chain. He was soon discovered and sent to an industrial school. This and the army were said to have reformed his character.
The family moved next back to Crediton, where Mabel and George attended Crediton Hayward School, like their older half siblings had done before them. Then from February 1908, they and Fred began attending Dunsford County Primary School, which is about nine miles south of Crediton where they last lived. They left the school only five months later, in July 1908, when the family moved again - this time, five miles east, to Holombe Burnell, where they again attended the local school.
Around 1909, Mabel, George, Ernest and Harry attended school in Longdown (only a mile west of Holcombe Burnell where they previously attended), before the family moved about ten miles to Hittisleigh - the children attended the school there from September 1910. At the time they lived at Beer or Beara Cottage, which was seemingly about half way between Hittisleigh and Cheriton Bishop.
The family were still there a year later at the time of the 1911 Census:
In January 1812, Mabel joined her younger brothers George, Ernest and Harry at Drewsteignton Primary School (Drewsteignton is only about four miles from their previous home in Cheriton Bishop). Whilst the three brothers had begun attending the school in November 1911 and their previous school is listed as Hittisleigh, Mabel for a short time attended school in Whiddon Down, a hamlet to the west of Drewsteignton. Whilst the siblings attended Drewsteignton School, the family lived at Tenants Piece (or Tenantspiece) Cottage in Drewsteignton. They left the school in May 1912, with a return to Whiddon Down.
Mabel was fifteen when the First World War began. Her older half brother Walter and older brother Fred both served in the war. Whilst Walter, an experienced soldier, survived; teenage Fred was not so lucky. He was killed on Thursday 30th September 1915, during (or just after) the Battle of Loos, aged only eighteen. His name appears on the Men of Dunsford war memorial.
On 16th August 1920, Mabel (21) married John 'Jack' Harris (20), a labourer, in Monkton. The young couple married in the presence of Mabel's father Harry and brother Ernest.
Mabel and John had two children:
- Richard H J 1923 -
- Nancy (adopted) 19?? -
Richard's birth shows the small family in the district of St Thomas in the early 1920's.
Alas I know little of Mabel's long life beyond this point, other than its close.
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1993, Mabel passed away, aged ninety-four, in the district of Teignbridge.
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