Dad was 29 when he married Daisy Mary Brown at St Michael's church, Cotham, on 8 August 1908. The witnesses were John Thomas, Edith May Wood and Edward Wood. The vicar was Andrew Ping, who was a patron of Newark Choral Society in the 1920s.
Daisy was then 22, but died of consumption (tuberculosis) the following year. Dad used to refer to her in one of his throwaway lines as a Sunday School teacher he had once known but David wrote in 1987 that she was an assistant teacher at Cotham village school. This has been confirmed by my more recent findings.
Daisy’s father William Brown was a restaurant keeper in Newark. Cousin Hilda remembered her as 'a tall, graceful, willowy refined girl with a gentle languid way. Large soulful blue eyes and having that ethereal pink and white skin.
In the 1901 Census of Cotham we find:
Daisy Brown Monitress Elementary
Sarah Beard Brown age 52, b.Malmesbury, Wilts, School Master Elementary
Daisy is described as her niece. Sarah was single. The entry 'Master' is one of the many errors and quirks found in these records. It is clear that Daisy was a trainee teacher under her aunt, the village schoolmistresss.
Dad married Ellen Hague at Newark Parish Church on 6/9/1913. She was the daughter of Robert and Lucy Hague of 1 New Street, Cherry Holt Lane, Newark. She was known affectionately by her nieces, my cousins, as Auntie Nellie.
Our family home at 'Northallerton', 20 London Road, New Balderton, was built in 1912 for Dad and Nellie. Thomas Smith Morley, Dad's Uncle Tom, wrote to Dad from 76 Kennington Road on 23/1/1913 (eight months before he married Nellie) 'Pleased to see photo of your house and to know that you are a property owner.' In August 1912, Dad had received £274.19. 10d, his one-third share of the sale of properties in Grove Street, Balderton, and Sleaford Road, Newark, which had belonged to his father. No doubt this tidy sum helped to build 'Northallerton'.
On Ellen's birth certificate, her father Robert is described as a 'letter stamper'. I have now found this entry for in New Street, Newark, in the 1881 Census:
Robert Hague age 28 Stamper for GPOCS Mess, born Swinderby, Lincs
Lucy Hague age 26 [wife] born Lincoln
In the 1901 Census, they were living at 83 Barnbygate, Newark:
Robert Hague age 49, born Swinderby, Lincs, occ. Post Office Official
Lucy Hague age 46, born Lincoln, wife
In 1967, Hilda sent me the only photograph we have of Ellen/Nellie. It was already badly faded, but I have tried to restore some detail in computer scans. He is a detail of the photo.
I have a great deal more information about these years of tragedy, but it is not appropriate to publish it on the Net.
In 1920, my father married Doris Wilson, and this gave rise to The Balderton Barratts of whom I am one