Naughty Uncle Jack

It's been over four years since I last posted on family history. My sister and I are just picking up the threads again, and we've started with a difficult one.

My mother used to talk about her Uncle Jack, who was a favourite of hers, but there was a mystery. A couple of years ago my sister and I visited some Perry relatives who confirmed some of Mom's story. So we decided to try to find out what we could. We've drawn a lot of blanks but this is what we know.

What we know and what we don’t know.

John Percy Walter Morris

Born  October 1896 (Wordsley) Baptised 4^th November 1896

My mother always called him Uncle Jack. Written on the back of his war photograph is Johnny Morris.

Served in the 1^st World War. South Staffs Regiment. Got the basic war medals.

What did he do for a living after he left Stourbridge? He is a 14 year old errand boy in the 1911 census. At the time of his marriage he is a watchmaker and living at 10 New Street Stourbridge, the address of his father’s shop.

Married Nellie Westwood,  Stourbridge 1924. They were married at St Thomas Stourbridge. Nellie is a domestic living at 26 the Oak Kingswinford. The marriage is witnessed by his brother Frank and Eli Millward who lives at no 1 the Oak. Her father was a bricklayer and Eli a brickmaker. It seems that the Oak was a brickyard.

Divorced 1926. John Hennel was co-respondent. It seems the only way we can see the court record is to go to the National Archives in Kew The reference is J77/2292/1797

Moved to London Why? When?

Married again in London? Kingston on Thames? Richmond on Thames? Visited in one of those places by my mother in 1939.

Is there a child from his first marriage as my father suggested that we haven’t found yet? The Nellie Morris we found born in 1923 is not the right one. Her parents were James Morris and Alice Weaver.

Are there children from his second marriage?

Visited the Perry family in the 1950s, was clearly well off, though it was suggested that he was wanted by the police for something.

What did he do that he was wanted by the police?

Died Where? When?

Some Perrys

This from my sister Julia, who is researching our Perry ancestors, of whom more later. She has received some interesting stuff from local historian Nigel Perry, who has been consistently helpful to us.

This is message l received from Nigel when l was stuck on Elizabeth Brown. l had looked at the two Elizabeth Browns and decided ours had a father called Edmund. l had also asked him about the Irish community.

 Hi Julia

The Irish were certainly a force in Stourbridge in the mid-1800s. Many lived in an infamous place called Angel Street (Coventry Street), which was demolished when our [new] ring road was built. I suppose they came over after the potato famine in the 1840s and to help build the new railway line in the 1850s.

With a bit of luck, I have probably located your Edmund Brown. Although the surname Brown is numerous, Edmund is not so common as a first name. Edmund does not seem to have stayed in one place for very long!

In the 1851 census, an Edmund Brown was living at Bentley Heath, Darlaston - the address looks like 'Bensley Office' off Stone Row - I can't be sure of the writing. He was an iron furnace labourer, aged 54, and born in 'Cavarthar' Wales. He was living with his wife Ann, aged 52 who was born in Chaddesley. Living with them was a son Edmund, born in Erdington Shrops. an ironroller aged 26 and unmarried. Also a daughter Helen aged 19 born in Stourbridge! Also a young baby son aged 2 months born in Rowley. But of far greater interest there was a visitor in the house named Ann Partridge aged 6, who was born in Stourbridge! Why would an six year old be with them -probably because she must have been related, perhaps Ann was her mother's sister?

I then checked the 1861 census, and found Edmund and Ann living in Miner??

Street, Wolverhampton. He was a blacksmith, born in 'Cabaitha' Glamorgan.

Somehow this Welsh name rang a bell in my distant memory. I found out that it was Cyfarthfa, a hamlet to the north west of Merthyr Tydfil, where significantly there was a large ironworks and blast furnace founded in the 1760s, which was in operation right upto the 20th century. A Stourbridge ironmaster Francis Homfray was briefly connected with the Cyfarthfa Ironworks (as well as co-founding the nearby Blaenavon Works). Then I discover that GKN through Dowlais took over The Cyfarthfa Ironworks in 1902

I then tried to find Edmund Brown in the 1841 census, but without success.

But I did find Ann Brown, aged 40, living at Round Court in the Town of Stourbridge. She had children William and Edmund, aged 15, daughters Elizabeth and Ellen [Helen?] aged 10 and Sarah aged 5 living with her, but no husband! So Edmund senior managed to escape being counted, wherever he was. I think Round Court was at the Stourbridge end of Enville Street, originally home to the weaving population of the town.

I do hope this helps you to delve further into your Brown ancestors - let me know