Walter Ernest EARNSHAW

  General Notes:

Birth Certificate entry 262 in Book 1, on 23 Aug 1915 in sub-district Plaistow in the District of West Ham - registered by Mother
12 July 1915 at 43 Tweedmouth Road. Walter Ernest, Boy, father Verdi Lindley Earnshaw, mother Florence Lavinia Earnshaw formerly Gibson. father's profession Private 7th City of London Regiment No 2327. Informant F L Earnshaw mother of 43 Tweedmouth Road Plaistow.
Cerificate was issued 21 May 1937

Birth Sep 1915
W. Ham 4a p167 Earnshaw Walter E mother Gibson

Married in Holy Trinity Church Twickenham - register entry 59
Marriage Sep 1938 Brentford 3a 906
Earnshaw Walter E to Thorne
Thorne Jessie L to Earnshaw

Moved to Twickenham in early childhood (between 1920 and 1926) - 4 Heath Gardens and attended Trafalgar School (where I also went), leaving at age 14 to become a printer. At the end of his apprenticeship he was granted the Freedom of the City of London.

Later moved to Whitton - 18 Cypress Avenue and got married (16 Jul 1938) from that address and then lived at 16 Cheltenham Avenue until after the war.

During World War II, he served in the Essex Regiment Royal Artillery (no. 1687713) and fought in North Africa and Italy. He served from 23 Sep 1940 to 2 Aug 1946.

After I was born (9 months and 3 weeks after Dad was demobbed from the army!), we moved to 35 Wiltshire Gardens (in November 1947) and stayed there until after Mum died in 1966. He then met and married mum's cousin Mollie and he moved into Mollie's house in Exmouth (12 Phillips Avenue) in 1969. After marrying in 1971, they lived for a few years in Exeter (2 Pineridge Close) before retiring and moving back to Exmouth (31 Scott Drive) for the rest of his life.

2nd marriage
Marriage Jun 1971 Devon C 7a p990
EARNSHAW Walter E to Nicholas
NICHOLAS Mollie K to Earnshaw

Marriage Certificate
1971, Registration District Devon Central in the County of Devon
Marriage at the Congregational Church, Point-in-View, Withycombe Raleigh on Twenty second May 1971.
Walter Ernest Earnshaw, 55 years, Widower, Printer's Reader, 12 Phillipps Avenue Exmouth. Father Verdi Lindley Earnshaw (deceased), Technical Clerk (retired) HM Stationery Office
Mollie Kathleen Nicholas, 58 years, Previous Marriage Dissolved, - , 12 Phillipps Avenue Exmouth. Father James Adamson Best, Tailor (Retired)
Witnesses were Jack L Earnshaw (son of groom - me!) and J A Best (father of bride).

Death Dec 1992
WALTER ERNEST EARNSHAW Death Registration Month/Year: 12/92 Age: 77 Birth Date: 12 JUL 1915 District: Exeter Inferred County: Devon Volume: 92 Page: 21 .

Death Certificate
Fourth December 1992 at 31 Scott Drive Exmouth
Walter Ernest Earnshaw, Male
born 12th July 1915 Plaistow Newham
Compositor (Retired) of 31 Scott Drive Exmouth Devon
Registered by Mollie Kathleen Earnshaw, widow of deceased of 31 Scott Drive Exmouth Devon on 9th December 1992

Dad was Cremated at Exeter

The whole of the Earnshaw family tree has had to be derived as he would say nothing about his family. The only things I knew were
- His father was called Verdi Earnshaw (I knew him as he died when I was 6)
- His mother was called Florence Lavinia (nee Gibson)
- His grandfather was called Heman (although stated as Hermon)
- His family came from Yorkshire (Luddington) - actually it transpires that this was Luddenden
- He had a brother called Jack who died in WW2
The only family, other than Grandad, that I met were his uncle Tom and aunt Beattie (my godparents), his aunt Edie Earnshaw and his aunt Jessie Balch (nee Gibson).

There must be a family secret of some sort for him to be so coy about the family. Maybe this resulted in his grandparents moving to London in the mid to late 1890s. The only other issue was that he was born just 6 months after his parents wedding, but just under 10 months after his father enlisted into the army.

Electoral Role 1938 (on ancestry.co.uk)
Twickenham, Whitton Ward
18 Cypress Avenue
R O Earnshaw Verdi Lindley
R - Earnshaw Walter Ernest
Rw - Lipple Annie Maria
- Presume Annie was the housekeeper

Electoral Role 1958 (on ancestry.co.uk)
Twickenham West Ward
35 Wiltshire Gardens
2512 Earnshaw Jessie L
2513 Earnshaw Walter E - J
- J=Juror

National Register 1939
Ref: RG101/0931D/015/6 Letter Code: BUCU
16 Cheltenham Avenue, Twickenham M.B., Middlesex, England
Walter E, Earnshaw, dob 12 July 1915, sex male, occ Printers Compositor, marital status Married, schedule 197
Jessie L, Thorne (Earnshaw), 6 Nov 1913, sex female, occ Unpaid Domestic Duties, marital staus Married, schedule 197

  Noted events in his life were:

• Occupation: Compositor, 16 Jul 1938.

Walter married Jessie Louisa THORNE, daughter of Henry John "Jack" THORNE and Harriet Louisa "Lou" BEST, on 16 Jul 1938 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England.¹ (Jessie Louisa THORNE was born on 6 Nov 1913 in Exmouth, Devon, England ², baptised on 21 Dec 1913 in Exmouth, Devon, England,⁵ died on 9 Apr 1966 in Twickenham, Middlesex, England ^{3 6} and was cremated on 14 Apr 1966 in Woking, Surrey, England ⁷.)

  Marriage Notes:

Marriage entry number : 59
Married in Holy Trinity Church, Twickenham, Middlesex
Registration District : Brentford
Witnesses : JKS Earnshaw and Edith Earnshaw

Walter lived at 18 Cypress Avenue, Whitton, Twickenham, Middlesex
Jessie lived at 51 Mereway Road, Twickenham Middlesex

After marriage they lived at 16 Cheltenham Avenue, Twickenham Middlesex (bought new) and then moved to 35 Wiltshire Gardens in November 1947

Walter next married Mollie Kathleen BEST, daughter of James Adamson BEST and Elsie Sophia OSBORNE, on 22 May 1971 in Exmouth, Devon, England.¹ (Mollie Kathleen BEST was born on 4 Dec 1912 in Exmouth, Devon, England, died on 12 Dec 1996 in Exmouth, Devon, England ⁶ and was cremated on 19 Dec 1996 in Exeter, Devon, England ⁸.)

  Marriage Notes:

Married in Point-in-View church and reception at A La Ronde