Great x3 Aunt Martha Morrish (nee Vernon)

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.

Great Great Half Uncle George Henry Vernon

My Great Great Half Uncle George (1901 - 1973) was the younger half brother of my Great Grandfather Walter Charles Vernon (1892 - 1965).

George was born on 20th September 1901 in the Thorverton, Devon, to Isaac 'Harry' Harwood Vernon (31), an agricultural labourer and farm carter, and Ellen Vernon (nee Tonkins) (24), a former domestic servant and now a housewife.

George and his older brother Fred were baptised together on 5th April 1903 in Brampford Speke. George was likely named for his older brother of the same name, who had passed away, aged only zero to three months old, the year before George Henry was born.

George had four older half siblings (one half sister and three half brothers) - the children of his father Harry and his first wife Lucy James - :

• Edith Ellen  1891 - 1971  (79)
• Walter Charles  1892 - 1965  (73)
• William John 1894 - 1895 (1)
• Frank 1896 - 1897 (6 months)

And nine full siblings (seven brothers and two sisters):

• 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)

At some point between 1901 and 1904, the family moved to Upton Pyne, for there George's older half siblings Edith and Walter attended school for a time; and George's next younger brother Ernest was born in Netticott, Upton Pyne, in January 1904.

From 25th June 1904, George, with his older siblings Fred and Mabel, attended Sandford School. On their school record, their address is given as Priorton Mill (a mile north of Sandford). They stayed at the school for three years, till July 1907, when the family moved about three miles to Crediton. There George and Mabel attended Crediton Hayward School, as their older half siblings had down before them.

Then from February 1908, George, along with Fred and Mabel, 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 Holcombe 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 November 1911, George, Ernest and Harry began attending Drewsteignton Primary School (Drewsteignton is only about four miles from their previous home in Cheriton Bishop). At the time, the family lived at Tenants Piece (or Tenantspiece) Cottage in Drewsteignton. They left the school in May 1912, when they moved to Whiddon Down, a hamlet just to the west of Drewsteignton.

Around 1912 or 1913, the family moved about three miles east to South Tawton. There, at their home of Turnpike Gate, George's younger brother Sidney was born in April 1913. But the family had moved back towards Whiddon Down, within a few years: in February 1915, George's youngest brother Percy was born at their home of Toll Bar House in Whiddon Down. On a second look, they might not have moved at all, for a toll-house, which often had a gate across the turnpike road, was a cottage on which the charges for the turnpike road were often displayed. Also Whiddon Down is within the district of South Tawton.

During my father in his family tree research of the 1990's, he met with George's younger siblings, by then old men, he Great Half Uncles Sid and Percy. Sifting through some his research now, I just found scribbled that Sid (and presumably George and the rest of the siblings also) was "brought up at Barnstaple Cross, near Crediton".

George was twelve when the First World War began. His 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.

Alas I know next to nothing of George's adult life. My father's research puts his death year as 1973 (though I cannot confirm where he got this information from). There was a George Henry Vernon who married, had children, and then died in Staffordshire in 1973 (born around 1901); however, there was also a George Henry Vernon born in Staffordshire in 1901, so the death is more likely of this George and not ours.

Our George may well not have stayed in Devon or perhaps he didn't get married or have any children, meaning he comes up less frequently in records.

Great Great Half Aunt Mabel Ellen Harris (nee Vernon)

My Great Great Half Aunt Mabel (1898 - 1993) was a housewife, mother of two, and the younger half sister of my Great Grandfather Walter Charles Vernon (1892 - 1965).

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 - 1895 (1)
• Frank 1896 - 1897 (6 months)

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.