My Great x3 Aunt Martha (1870 - 1947) was a domestic servant, housewife, mother of seven, and younger sister of my Great Great Grandfather Isaac 'Harry' Harwood Vernon (1869 - 1934).
Martha was born on Boxing Day (26th Dec) 1870 in the district of Okehampton, Devon, to William Vernon (about 42), an agricultural labourer, and Martha Vernon (nee Dyment) (about 38), a housewife.
Martha was named for her mother.
Martha was the ninth of twelve children (five daughters and seven sons):
- Susan 1854 - 1930 (75 years old)
- Thomas 1857 - 1916 (about 59 years old)
- William 'Robert' Robert 1859 - 1939 (about 80 years old)
- Sarah Ann 1860 - 1901 (about 40 years old)
- Silas 1862 - 1933 (71 years old)
- Mary 'Jane' Jane 1864 - 1930 (66 years old)
- Arthur 'John' John 1865 - After 1881 (at least 16 years old)
- Isaac 'Harry' Harwood 1869 - 1934 (65 years old)
- Martha 1870 - 1947 (76 years old)
- Louisa 1972 - 1974 (16 months old)
- Samuel 'Sam' Reuben 1875 -
- Ernest 1878 - 1903 (25 years old)
1871 Census:
1881 Census:
As a young woman, Martha lived with and worked as a domestic servant for the Brooks family, headed by farmer William Brooks, at Lower Rewe, Brushford.
1891 Census:
In Jan/Feb/Mar 1897, Martha (27 or 28), a domestic servant, married James Henry Morrish (about 25), a farm labourer in the district of Crediton, Devon.
At the time, Martha may have been a few months pregnant with their eldest son, William, as he was born in September 1897, approximately 6 - 9 months after his parents' marriage. Either that or Martha fell pregnant pretty much straight away after getting marriage.
James and Martha had seven children (five sons and two daughters):
- William James Henry 1897 -
- Frank John 1901 -
- ? John 1903 - 1903 (0 - 6 months old)
- Alice Eva Jane 1904 -
- Herbert Dunscombe 1907 -
- Elsie Gladys 1912 -
- Sidney George 1915 -
The 1911 Census confirms that by that year, Martha and James had had five children born alive, but sadly one had passed away in infancy. Birth and death records suggest this child was most likely a son called John, who was both born and passed away in Jul/Aug/Sep 1903, in Crediton.
1901 Census:
1911 Census:
Martha's eldest son William served in the First World War. On 22nd Sep 1915, just turned eighteen-year-old William enlisted as a Second Cook's Mate in the Royal Navy. William was promoted to Cook in 1919. William served on many ships, including: Vivid I, Active, Stock Force, Suffock Coast and Revenge. His character was consistently given as 'very good' and his ability as 'satisfactory'. Though he originally signed up to serve a period of twelve years, he appears to have been discharged in December 1919.
William's Service Record also supplies us with a brief physical description of him as a young man. He was 5' 3 1/2'', had red hair, hazel eyes and a fresh complexion. First reading this information, its novelty brought a smile to my face: this is the first person with ginger hair I have knowingly come across in my family. The red hair gene may well have come from his father's - the Morrish - side of the family, rather than my Vernon side, but who can say? Still, I can say my Cousin William had red hair.
By the mid 1930's, Martha and her husband James, both in their sixties, were living at Ratcliffe Cottage, at Raddon, Thorverton. James unfortunately suffered a long illness in his latter years, from which he eventually passed, but he 'bore it with great fortitude' and 'was a general favourite'. On Monday 18th May 1936, James passed away, aged sixty-four, at Raddon, Thorverton. His funeral, which took place on Saturday 23rd May 1936, at Thorverton, was reported in the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 29th May 1936:
A year later and James was still very much in Martha and their children's hearts. From the Western Times of 29th May 1937:
Martha and James' youngest two children, Elsie and Sidney, each married in the late 1930's. Newspaper announcements from the time give their widowed mother's address as 5 Jericho Street, Thorverton.
1939 Census:
In Jan/Feb/Mar 1947, having outlived a husband by a decade, Martha passed away, aged seventy-six, in the district of Tiverton.
