Alice Walters PLUMB née INKSON, b. 15 Aug 1863 Snettisham, Norfolk
Her Story
Alice Walters was the fifth child of Thomas Harborow b. 16 Dec 1834 and Martha [fourth to survive to adulthood]. She was born in Snettisham where Thomas Harborow was the station master in 1863. Snettisham is north of Kings Lynn, up the coast of the Wash and not too far from the Monarch's Sandringham estate - although it was not the station that served the estate, that honour fell to Wolferton, one station closer to Kings Lynn.
Her birth was registered in Q3 1863 in Docking registration district which included Snettisham. She was baptised in Snettisham parish church on 13 Sep that year. Her date of birth is confirmed by the 1939 England Register.
She was, of course, living at home at the time of the 1871 census aged 7 but home had moved to Burnham Sutton, Norfolk, where her father had been posted as station master. In 1881 the census record places her in Shernborne Hall, a manor house 15 km south west of the family home in Burnham Sutton, as a parlour maid. She was said to be 18 years old.
In 1886 she married Thomas Plumb in Lewisham, London. The marriage was registered in Q4 1886 but the exact date and location are known from a wedding announcement in the Chelmsford Chronicle [her parents living in that area at the time of the marriage] : 16 Nov 1886 in the church of the Holy Trinity, Lee, Lewisham. Thomas Plumb was a local lad from Burnham Sutton so Alice Walters must have known him well even if he was four years older than her. We know from 1881 census that he was already living in Lewisham where he and his sister Mary seem to have been servants in a boarding school. Perhaps he went to London then called for Alice Walters?
By the time of the 1891 census Thomas Harborow and Martha had also moved to Lewisham with their younger children. Thomas and Alice Walters were living at 240 Lee High Road, Lewisham. Thomas, aged 31, is said to be the manager of a coffee tavern and Alice Walters to be the manager of an inn. Thomas Harborow and Martha were living at 80 Lee High Road, Lewisham. Thomas Harborow, aged 56, is said to own Tea/Coffee & Dining Rooms. Was Thomas [Plumb] his manager? Thomas Harborow must have retired from the railway at some point between 1886 and 1891.
10 years later, at the time of the 1901 census, the Plumbs were living at 43 Guildford Road, Greenwich, London. Thomas, 41, is said to be a commercial clerk. Thomas Harborow and Martha were living at 67 Ellerdale St, Lewisham. Thomas Harborow, 66, is said to be the owner of a grocery store.
Another 10 years on, at the time of the 1911 census, the Plumbs were living at 177 High St, Lewisham. Thomas, 51, is said to be a clerk for a removal contractors. In the record Alice Walters declared that they had been married 24 years and that they had had 5 children, only four of whom survived to adulthood. All four, daughters with ages ranging from 22 down to 12, were still single and living at home. Nothing is known about the fifth child - there are no records to be found.
In 1921 the Plumbs were living in a very large house at 69 Catford Hill, London. Thomas, 61y 10 m, is said to be a commercial clerk for Walter Winning removal contractors of 197, High Street, Lewisham. Two of the daughters, both single and in their 20's, are still living at home. Also immediate family in the house are two grandaughters : Gwen Jones, 5y 4m, and Stella Margaret Plumb, 8m.
Gwen's mother, Winifred Alice née Plumb, was visiting the Helsdons in Thornham, Norfolk on the night of the census and was described as a visitor so, most probably, was also living at 69 Catford Hill. Joseph Sydney Jones, died in 1919 - perhaps from injuries of WWI - so mother and daughter were widow and orphan respectively.
We know from other records that Stella Margaret was the daughter of Maggie Leslie, the older of the two daughters living at home.
Boarding with the family, at least at the time of the census, were Bridget Mary Inkson and three of her children. Bridget Mary was the wife of George Harborow, b 29 Sep 1873, one of Alice Walters' younger brothers who was away at sea.
The 1939 register shows that they were both still alive in September that year. No ages are given in the register but dates of birth are confirmed. Thomas would have been 80 years old and Alice Walters 76. The address given is 'Garth' South Rd, Aberaeron, Cardiganshire and the first named person is Sarah A Jones. She must somehow be related to Joseph Sydney Jones who married Winifred Alice Plumb, the second child of Thomas and Alice Walters. He was born in Aberaeron and a snippet on the internet notes a newspaper item about his mother living at 'Garth Villa' when he died in 1919. Were Thomas and Alice Walters just staying with Miss Jones, 'on holiday' as it were at the time of the register or were they actually living in Aberaeron?
They were certainly back in Lewisham after the war : Alice Walters died in Lewisham in 1947. Her death, at the age of 84, was registered in Q3 that year and she was buried [or cremated] on 20 Sep 1947. Thomas lived for another five years or so. His death, at the age of 93, was registered in Lewisham in Q1 1953 and he was buried [or cremated] on 30 Jan that year.