Steward family of Hethersett, Norfolk, England

My story starts with my Great Great Great Great Grandfather. Of course my actual family story goes back way beyond that, but research becomes more difficult the further back you go and so the story must start somewhere.

So I begin with William Steward. I know a few things about this gentleman including the fact that he was a baker by trade and became a freeman of the city of Norwich on 30th October, 1793. He had at least two children and it is likely be was born somewhere between 1770 and 1780. He was married to Ann Coe and the children I have a record of are Henry and George.

Henry was born about 1817 and died in 1881. He was also a baker, but is also described as a journeyman. He lived at a number of addresses in Norwich including Ber Street (1861 census), Woods Yard off Ber Street (1871 census), and 6, Cannells Court, Timberhill (1881 census). Like his father he was a freeman of Norwich, being awarded this honour on 4th June, 1841. He married Susan (or Susanna) Larkman.

The year 1808.That year saw George III on the British throne with William Cavendish-Bentinck, the Third Duke of Portland, prime minister. It was also the year that the original Covent Garden theatre in London was destroyed by fire. The United States prohibited the importation of slaves from Africa, the Peninsula war was being fought and travel entrepreneur Thomas Cook was born. It was the year that Beethoven wrote his famous fifth and sixth symphonies.

It is also the birth year of my great great great grandfather George Steward (brother of Henry) who was born in Norwich. George was a baker by trade and became a freeman of Norwich on 10th July, 1830. On June 6th, 1841, he was living in Ber Street and also had the profession of Inspector of Police. In the 1851 census his address is given as Creak's Buildings and his date of death is given as November 11th, 1866, in Bull Close Road. He died from kidney disease.

Brian David Butcher's history of policing in Norfolk "A Movable Rambling Police" gives a flavour of law and order in the middle of the 19th century when George would have been involved in policing. The County Police Act of 1839 allowed the establishment of a paid police. In 1836 to be sworn in as a policeman applicants had to be aged between 25 and 50 and at least 5ft 6in tall. Regular officers at the time were paid 70p a week and received a coat, greatcoat, hat, cape, belt, truncheon, rattle and handcuffs. The men had to supply their own trousers and five pence a week was taken to cover the cost of clothing.

Policing was divided into three shifts. Officers on the first shift started duty at 6 a.m and patrolled in pairs until 8 a.m, covering only the suburbs. From 8 a.m until finishing duty at 2 p.m they would work alone throughout the City. Those starting at 2 p.m patrolled separately until 11 p.m when they finished duty. Those starting at 11 p.m returned to the suburbs to patrol in pairs until 6 a.m. A police station was established in the Guildhall.

Members of the Force received fees for a wide range of activities such as arrests, finding stolen property and attending court as a witness giving rise to claims of payment through results.

"Whilst there was greater enthusiasm for appointment as an ordinary officer, life was to prove extremely difficult. Heavy drinking and its effects constantly affected officers of all ranks. Long hours had to be worked under conditions of strict discipline. Something of that life can be gathered from a number of rules, dated 1840, which applied to officers at Norwich.

They had to attend the station house at 10 minutes before duty time. If they were not there when the clock struck then there was a fine of 2 1/2p. If they were not there 15 minutes later the there was an automatic suspension until the next watch committee meeting.

The whole time of officers, even off duty, was at the disposal of the watch committee. A sergeant had the specific duty to see that the men were perfectly sober. Officers were expected to be civil and attentive; to act with coolness and at the same time with firmness and promptitude.

George was probably about 18 when he married Catherine August. Her date of birth is given as 1808 and it is likely she was born in Strumpshaw just outside Norwich. Catherine was my Great Great Great Grandmother. George and Catherine had seven children - George (born 1837), Henry (born 1830, died 1906), Margaret (born 1832), Ann (born 1835), Donald John (born 1839), Jessie Catherine (born 1843, died 1909) and Charles (born 1846).

Henry was my great great grandfather and on September 16th 1850 he married Mary Ann Vincent in St Augustine's Church, Norwich. Henry's trade was given as tailor/journeymen and we know that he lived in various areas of Norwich including Ber Street, Philidelphia (which I presume is Philidelphia Road), Bull Close Road and Cowgate Street. He died on October 19th, 1906 aged about 78 - a reasonable age for those times. Mary Ann's work is given variously as cotton reeler, "assistant in business", weaver and silk filler.

Henry and Mary Ann Steward had 12 children - six sons and six daughters. They were Henry (born 1850), James (1851), Ann (1856), George (1858), Caroline (1859), Sarah (1860), Elizabeth (1862), Alfred (1866), Mary Anne (1869), Donald (1872), Arthur (1873) and Maria (1876). This means that Mary Ann was producing offspring from the age of 20 to about 46.

Of these children George became my great grandfather and that's where things begin to get interesting.

George was in many ways a rather notorious character. In 1877, aged 18 or 19 he married Hannah Durrant and they had one son - George who was born in 1880. Hannah died, probably in childbirth and George re-married in June 1882 to Sarah Engledow. Together they had five children - William (born in either 1881 or 1883), Sarah (1884), Alice (1888), Arthur (1894) and Horace (1900).

George and Hannah's child George became well known in Norwich as licensee of the Old Music House Public House at 167 King Street. This building is now part of Wensum Lodge education centre. Previously Wensum Lodge had been known as Jurnet's House at 167 King Street. It is the oldest surviving house in the city, built in about 1175. It belonged to the Jurnet family until King John Seized it. In the 18th century the house was known as the Music House and it was used by The City Waits who were the five official musicians for the city. In 1790 the building was divided into three tenements and was then bought by the brewing family of John Youngs who built a maltings there in 1851. It was sold to brewers Bullard and Sons in 1958 and converted to an adult education centre in 1997. In 1487 the house was owned by Sir John Paston and from 1584 by Sir Edward Coke. In the early 1900s it housed the architectural offices of Youngs, Crawshay and Youngs.

The first licensee of the Old Music House Public House appears to be Samuel Pallant who ran it from 1760 to 1763. There were 17 licensees before George Steward who had the licence from 6th May 1902 until 9th February 1926 when it was taken over by his wife Emily Fanny Steward. The pub was closed on 12th November 1932. Emily took over the licence after the death of her husband on 11th January, 1926 in the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital. A search of the records shows that George died on the Ber Street Ward from empithelioma of the oesophagus and carditis heart failure. This could possibly have been brought on by being gassed in the war.

It is likely that other members of the Steward family helped out with the pub as George Steward obviously saw action in the First World War. He was medically discharged from the Duke of Cornwall Light Infantry on 26th November, 1917, when he would have been about 36 years of age. He had shrapnel wounds and injuries to both wrists and was awarded �25 for each wrist and �10 for his service.

He had three children with Emily, who died in 1967. The children were Eva Emily who died in 1981, Ernest George who dies in 1991 and George who died in 1976. In his will George left effects to the value of �248 9s 6d to his wife Emily. Emily's maiden name was Porter.

In July 2006 journalist Derek James wrote about the numerous pubs in King Street in his column in the Norwich Evening News. At one time almost 60 pubs were in operation. Sailors from around the world mingled with the locals when they stooped off at the port of Norwich and headed off into King Street for a night on the town. Derek tells us that many were going into town but never got any further than King Street.

Norwich pub historian and author Derek McDonald says it is difficult to imagine what life must have been like in the extraordinary King Street. In his article Derek lists the Music House as being in business from 1760 until 1932.

A guided tour of King Street under the Norwich Heritage Programme in 2011 underlined the huge number of public houses in King Street with at one point 26 pubs and two breweries.

A chance meeting at Norwich Archive centre with Peter Wilson led to him sending me details of a 1925 publication "Inns and Taverns of Old Norwich" by Walter Wicks which had the following to say about the Music House Public House.

Ernest A Kent's Norfolk Archaeology Volume 28 of 1945 had the following to say about the Old Music House

Norwich photographer George Plunkett took a number of photographs of the Old Music House and we reproduce one from 1931 with the kind permission of his son Jonathan. George has also written a history of Norwich Buildings which gives a fascinating insight into the past. You can read this by clicking here to go to George's web site.

Music House 1931. Photograph � George Plunkett - reproduced with permission

My great grandfather was known as Little Sixer - presumably because of his short stature and the fact he had six children.

The photograph below is of a property in Cowgate just down the road from number 32 and I would suggest similar to the home of my great grandparents, great uncles, aunts and indeed my grandfather.

A history of Norwich in the 19th century gives some idea of the world that the Stewards would have inhabited:

In 1801, Norwich had a population of 36,000. It was still one of the largest cities in Britain but it soon fell behind as towns in the North and the Midlands mushroomed. Nevertheless Norwich grew during the 19th century and by 1900 it had a population of over 100,000.

IIn the early and mid 19th century skilled workers built houses at Heigham and around Vauxhall Street. The middle classes built houses along Thorpe Road. However, like all 19th century towns Norwich was dirty, overcrowded and unsanitary. There were outbreaks of smallpox, typhoid, cholera and dipthaeria during the century. In 1819 there were 530 deaths from smallpox.

Nevertheless there were many improvements to Norwich in the 19th century. In 1804 a dispensary was opened where the poor could obtain free medicines. In 1806 an act of parliament formed a body of men called the Improvement Commissioners who had powers to pave, clean and light the streets.

The first police force in Norwich was formed in 1836. As early as the 18th century there was a piped water supply in Norwich - for those who could afford it but the water was impure. In the 1850s the council built a pure water supply. In the 1870s they built a network of sewers.

After 1877 they began slum clearance. The first public library opened in 1857. Chapelfield was opened as a public park in 1852. Mousehold Heath opened as a park in 1886. The Castle museum opened in 1894. The Royal Arcade was built in 1899. In 1844 Norwich was connected to Yarmouth by train. From 1849 it was connected to London. The Roman Catholic Cathedral in Norwich was built in 1884.

During the 19th century wool weaving and silk weaving rapidly declined. However, leather working boomed. So did brewing (note that in the 1901 census William Steward was listed as a brewer's labourer). Norwich became famous for boot and shoe making. In the late 19th century an engineering industry grew up in Norwich and flourished. There was also a mustard making industry.

George married Sarah Engledow, who was six years his junior, in June 1882 when Sarah would have been just 18 years old. They went onto have five children - three boys and two girls. I have no birth date for William, but Sarah was born in 1884 and died in 1973, Alice was born in 1888 and Horace in 1900. My grandfather Arthur Steward was born in 1894.

There has been a suggestion that George's second marriage was undertaken to give him a wife to look after his children. Certainly his behaviour might suggest this, but the fact he had additional children might suggest otherwise. Perhaps it was a marriage of convenience.

In the 1901 census, George's wife is listed as Sarah Steward who was aged 37 (and therefore seven years younger than her husband). Like George, her birthplace is given as Norwich, Norfolk, but her employment status is "undefined" although it is likely that she was a tailoress.

The eldest son George by his first wife was aged 20 in the census and his employment is given simply as "worker."

Next in line was William, aged 18 who is noted as a Brewer's Labourer. Sarah D. Steward was 17 and described as a "Boot Twiner."

Next comes 13-year-old Alice, followed by Arthur, aged seven and finally Horace, aged 1. My grandfather was therefore born in 1894. Alice married Elijah Ribbons who was head gardener at a holiday camp at Hemsby. They had one son. Horace married Hilda Watling who was born in 1896. They had twin daughters named Betty and Barbara. Horace subsequently died of Bright's Disease. I have been given a great amount of help in this area by Steven Dann of Norwich who is Betty's son. Steven contacted me through the excellent Genes Re-united web site to say that his mother married Bramwell Dann and he was born in 1954. He subsequently married Judith Atterton and had two children - Nicholas Dann (born 1978) and Eleanor Dann (born 1980). Eleanor married Ian Neave and they have a son Jamie Neave (born in 2000). And so the family tree begins to grow with new branches.

My understanding is also that Betty's twin sister Barbara had two daughters - Roz and Patricia. Patricia is now Patricia Cameron and I believe that she is undertaking her own family research.

By all accounts Great Grandfather "Sixer" Steward made Japanese style shoes from his own home and drank considerable amounts. His family were often forced to go begging for soup in order to survive. I have been told that it was common for him to finish an assignment and then "disappear" drinking for days, only to return home when the next job became available. Strangely his long suffering wife was a member of the Salvation Army and this in itself would have been a great source of domestic strife due to her abstinence. One comment I have received surrounds one of his disappearances and a report back that he was "caught one night entertaining the old trollops in the Magdalen Street area of Norwich." Magdalen Street would only be a few minutes walk from the area in which he lived.

When Sixer got drunk he would be abusive to his wife who has been described as a "wonderful woman." Every Christmas Eve Sixer would take off for the local hostelries whilst Sarah entertained her Salvation Army friends with a sausage and onion supper. Goodness knows what happened when Great Grandfather Steward arrived home rolling drunk in the midst of a party of people who were in all probability tee-total.

Through the ages, boot and shoemaking became ever more important to Norwich. Modern day excavations at Whitefriars Bridge revealed fragments of soles, uppers and triangular off-cuts of leather, clearly the waste from shoemaking, dating from the 10th and 11th century. By the mid 18th century, Norwich was a prosperous textile manufacturing city providing footwear for a large surrounding area.

As the textile industry dropped off, footwear took over. The streets around Whitefriars and Cowgate would have been constantly busy with people, often children, carrying boots and shoes in various states of completion back and forth.

Machines for sewing uppers were introduced into Norwich in about 1856 and stouter machines for sewing the uppers to the soles were introduced about 1870.

The National Union of Boot and Shoe Operatives was established in 1874 to cater for workers in the new industry and in 1897 there was a strike to gain the minimum wage, a 54 hour week and constraint on the part of the employers in the employment of cheap boy labour. The strike lasted for 34 weeks and resulted in the workers returning to work for very little gain.

The use of outworkers (and I believe my descendents to be in this area) provided the manufacturers with an infinitely variable workforce. The workers were not employed permanently and could be taken on or laid off at will.

As more machinery was introduced and the need for direct quality control increased, manufacturers employed outworkers less and less and this caused great distress. By 1910 the balance of shoemaking was undertaken in factories rather than from outsource.

On looking at a map of Norwich I notice that Cowgate adjoins a small back street that is named Steward Street. At first I thought this might have been named after Sixer as he was a well-known tradesman in the area. But there were many people with the surname Steward working in this area. Further research has shown that there are places in Norwich named after either a Steward or a Stewardson.

Steward's Court and Yard ran from number 130-132 George's Street but went out of existence sometime between 1935 and 1941. An 1877 directory lists it as the works of G. F. Steward, boot and shoe manufacturer.

130-132 St George Street taken in March 1936. Photograph � George Plunkett - reproduced with permission

Then there was a Steward's Yard on the south side of Bull Close which was lost between 1883 and 1890. The directory lists it being used by George Steward, a baker,

To put the time of my great-grandfather's birth into some kind of national and international context, the year before his birth, 1857, was the year Afghanistan became independent, James Buchanan was inaugurated as the 15th President of the United States of America, Garibaldi was attempting to unify Italy. George Borrow wrote Romany Rye, Joseph Conrad was born, Thomas Hughes wrote Tom Brown's Schooldays and Anthony Trollope wrote Barchester Towers. In London, the National Portrait Gallery was opened, the Victoria and Albert Museum was opened as the Museum of Ornamental Art and the Science Museum in South Kensington started its life. Edward Elgar and Robert Baden-Powell were born and Louis Pasteur proved that fermentation was caused by living organisms. There was a financial and economic crisis throughout Europe caused by speculation in United States railroad shares.

The year of his birth, 1858, saw Lord Derby become Prime Minister and Britain proclaim peace in India. It was the year that Theodore Roosevelt was born and Saint Bernadette is reputed to have seen her vision of the Virgin Mary at Lourdes. Puccini was born and Ottawa became the capital of Canada.

The watercolour above shows Cowgate, Norwich, in 1867 and was painted by renowned local artist Henry Ninham (1793-1874) The original is on display in Norwich Castle Museum.

I should imagine that the young George Steward would have been blissfully unaware of any of these developments which were helping to modernise the world, although there is some suggestion at the time that revolution was a topic of conversation as will be shown in an excerpt from a book below.

A visit to my local library uncovered a volume entitled "One Journey" by Bert Steward. Written in 1981, it details his life growing up in the Cowgate area of Norwich and his subsequent survival of the trenches of the First World War and his success as a farmer on the Norfolk-Suffolk border.

I have at present been unable to ascertain whether Bert is a direct relative of mine, but it would seem quite likely as he grew up in the same area of Norwich which today boasts the Puppet Theatre amongst other things.

The book does have an interesting few paragraphs about growing up in that area of the city. Bert was born in 1897. He lists his great grandfather as James Steward, a weaver. "Like many 19th-century Norwich citizens he worked in his own home, using an upstairs room, sitting on a stool pedalling away at his loom."

"The talk was of revolution. He (James Steward) was a Chartist. Near his loom hung a big picture of Feargus O'Connor, the Chartist leader. The Chartists believed that elections for parliament should not be decided as they were then, by a limited franchise and beer and bribery, but by a secret ballot and one man one vote."

Bert Steward goes on to talk about the life of his father, Arthur (another close name link with my own family here), and his two brothers - George and John, and their school Days at the Norman School in Cowgate Street. They were entitled to attend this establishment under the terms of the will of an ancestor Alderman John Norman who was Mayor of Norwich in 1714.

"Joseph Benjamin Brown was the headmaster, and the first errand my father was given was to shop to buy a big bundle of canes. These Mr Brown used generously, particularly on his two sons, but also on the Steward brothers. They benefited, learning more than the three Rs, the eldest becoming a headmaster himself, brother John being apprenticed to a Norwich carpenter, and my father, when 14, leaving according to the school records to help his father."

"His own father needed some help. The making of boots and shoes was taking the place of weaving in Norwich industry, and George Feargus Steward was one of the first of the small manufacturers round about 1860.

"In Colegate Street, where the 14-year-old was helping his father, there was also Tillyard and Howlett, later Howlett and White and then the Norvic Shoe Company, so there was competition right on the doorstep."

Before moving on to my grandfather and his marriage I must return a few generations to see what happened to the Steward line. At the present time I have no information on what happened to the seven children of George Steward and Catharine August apart from Henry Steward and Mary Ann Vincent.

As I have already said they had 12 children. My direct line is through George Steward and Sarah Engledow. Of the other 11 children I have only been able to trace two strands. Henry Vincent married Maria (I have no surname) and they had five children - Maria (born 1877), Henry (1878), Elizabeth (1880), Alice (1883) and James H (1888).

Arthur Steward married Elizabeth Kelf and they had four children - Arthur William (1893-1961), Donald John (1895-1973), Alfred (born 1896) and Wilfred Charles (born 1898). Arthur's turned out to be a tragically short life as he was killed in a road accident in September 1900 at the age of just 26. Elizabeth re-married to George Lambert in 1901.

Arthur's death was recorded in the Norwich Mercury Newspaper under the heading "Norwich Man's Shocking Death - Killed on the road at Thorpe Returning from Yarmouth Races" in the following terms.

A very sad affair took place in Norwich on Tuesday night. A man named Arthur Steward, who resided in Bull Close Road, was riding in a wagonnette on Thorpe Road, when he fell from the vehicle to the ground. The man was immediately picked up and appeared to be very seriously injured. He was conveyed with all speed to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital, but on the way he expired.

The Coroner's inquiry was held yesterday afternoon at the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital by Mr R. W Lidell.

The Coroner, in detailing the facts of the case, said the deceased with thirteen or fourteen others attended Yarmouth races on Tuesday, and at eleven o'clock at night the party were returning, and when driving through Thorpe St Andrew the deceased fell from the vehicle, and the wheel passed over him. So far as he could judge, he believed the affair was purely accidental. Anyhow, it did not arise from any violence used on the wagonette. At the same time they wanted to consider the circumstances that took place during the day. The deceased had been acting as secretary for the day's outing. It was a question whether at the time of this accident the deceased was capable of taking care of himself or not.

Henry Steward, tailor, of 11 Bull Close, identified the body as that of his son who lived at No 2 White's Entry, Bull Close. He was a shoemaker by occupation and 28 years of age. He had heard the deceased complain recently of pains in the body. Deceased had been collecting money for the outing, and early on Tuesday morning he was in the best of spirits. About 12.30 last night he heard that the deceased had fallen off the front part of the wagonette and had been taken to hospital. His son was a quiet, steady and sober man.

Charles Hubbard, a shoemaker, living at St Augustine's Street, said he accompanied a party of fourteen persons from St Paul's Tavern Cowgate Street and proceeded to Yarmouth for the purpose of going to the races. Deceased was one of the party, and acted as secretary to the outing. They travelled in a pair-horse wagonette, and a man named Fitt was the driver.

Did you stop on the way? - Yes. At the Queen's Hotel, Acle.

Witness continuing, said they took their food with them. They arrived in Yarmouth about 11.15 and had their dinner on the wagonette which was on the racecourse. The next meal was on the journey home. While at Yarmouth, each man was left to use hos own discretion and do as he pleased. The party left Yarmouth at 7.30.

What was the state and condition of the party at the time? - We were all sober, and that is the candid truth.

The Coroner - Jovial and merry? - Yes we were. On the homeward journey nothing occurred until after they had passed the King's Head. Deceased was sitting on the near side of the front seat. There were three persons on that seat including the driver and witness. Deceased had been blowing the post horn, and had hardly got the horn from his mouth when he fell from his seat. They were singing, but at that time the deceased was not turning round. He was the first to notice the deceased fall, and he immediately told the drive, who pulled up within ten yards. He spoke to the deceased, but could get no answer. He felt the wheel pass over the deceased. Witness said it was a singular thing that a few minutes previous to that the wagonette passed over an overcoat. Witness saw something in the roadway, and told the driver they had driven over someone, but upon getting down they found an overcoat lying in the roadway. Deceased was a very sober man.

Henry Fitt said he lived at the Swan public house, Cowgate Street. He supplied a pair-horse wagonette that morning for Yarmouth races. There were fourteen persons altogether, including witness and his boy. They left Yarmouth shortly after seven o'clock and all went well till they reached Thorpe St Andrew. Deceased had been blowing the posthorn from time to time. Witness boy called out "Look out!" and witness found that the deceased had fallen from his seat. He pulled the horses up, but the vehicle passed over him. They were all sober.

How many public houses did you stop at on the way home? - The Stracey Arms and the Blofield Globe.

At what pace were you driving? - Four or five miles an hour. We were going slowly at the time.

In answer to the foreman - The deceased did not fall to the side opf the vehicle, but over the footboard.

Dr Everard Dodson, house surgeon, deposed to the deceased having been admitted to the Norfolk and Norwich Hospital about 11.20 on Tuesday evening. Life was then extinct. He had since made a post mortem examination of the body, and found that the deceased's left arm was broken. Three ribs were broken on the same side, and the lungs were ruptured. There was a mark across the deceased's coat. He had no reason to believe that the deceased died from any act of violence.

Detective Sergeant Goldsmith deposed to searching the body, and finding a card containing a list of subscriptions received, amounting to �1 1s. There wre figures showing that 14s 6d had been spent.

The witness Hubbard, recalled, said Sergeant Speight, came to the scene and accompanied the deceased to the Hospital.

The jury recorded a verdict of "Accidental Death."

With regards to the four children of Arthur Steward and Elizabeth Kelf I have the following facts. Donald John Steward married Florence Alice Smith and they had three daughters - Kathleen (born 1921), Edna (1925) and Joyce (1926). Alfred Steward married Harriet Eleanor Harper but I don't have any details of children. Wilfred Charles died when he was just four months old.

The line from Arthur William is extremely interesting. He was born in 1893 and died in 1961. In May 1918 he married Alice Harriet Tuttle and they had three children - Doris Evelyne (born 1920), Elsie May (1921) and Marjorie Beatrice (1922).

Doris Evelyne (see more about Doris under the heading "The American Connection") married John Durrant on May 17th 1945 in Park Lane, Norwich (possibly in the Methodist Church). They had four children - Christine who was born in Norwich in 1947, Maralyn (1948), JoAnne (1950) and John Marvin (1957). Maralyn, JoAnne and John were born after Doris and John moved to the Salt Lake City area of Utah in the USA. John died on May 3rd, 1985, but Doris is still alive and living in Utah.

Christine has been married three times and has a total of seven children of which three are triplets. They are James Daniel Alva (born 17th January 1967 in Salt Lake City), Deanna Christine Brklacich (nee Alva born 9th April 1968 in Salt Lake City), Margaret Anne Cook (nee Alva born 4th April 1978 in Salt Lake City), Matthew Vincent Alva (born 28th December, 1979 in Salt Lake City), Alisyn Joy Thompson (nee Alva born 28th December 1979 in Salt Lake City), Jonathan David Alva (born 28th December 1979 in Salt Lake City) and Christian Lee Herman (born 10th February 1987 in Murray, Utah. In turn these people have a number of children that I will list at some time in the future.

Elsie May Steward married Alfred Shailer and they have a son - David. Marjorie Beatrice married Edgar Ernest Fraser and they had three children.

I had the pleasure in August 2010 of travelling to Utah to meet many of the family members. The American line is due to the emigration of the Durrant family from Norwich.

Doris Durrant (nee Steward) was my second cousin and lived in Provo, Utah, until her death in December 2011 at the age of 91. She was born and brought up in Norwich and as a young girl attended both the Calvert Street Methodist Church and the Mormon Church in Park Lane.

Doris admits that of the two she enjoyed the Mormon Church the best and that had far reaching repercussions for the rest of her life. The church in Park Lane has an interesting history. A tiny brick built chapel it was designed by Augustus Scott and built at the expense of James Spillings who was editor of the Eastern Daily Press newspaper. This brings another co-incidence as I worked as a journalist on the EDP for many years.

Spillings was a follower of Emmanuel Swedenborg, the 18th century Swedish theological philosopher, who had a considerable following in Norwich which eventually declined and within 20 years the chapel was sold to the Mormons who worshipped there until moving to a larger building in Eaton. Today the building is a private house, but the current owner hires it out for concerts and other events.

Doris married Cyril in Norwich and set off for the USA on the US vessel Washington in 1948. A list of passengers shows that Doris and Cyril who were aged 28 and 30 travelled with their daughter Christine who was one and Cyril's mother Emma who was 61.

Their point of entry was New York and the remainder of the journey to Utah was taken by train.

In 1961 Doris wrote her own life story up to that point and I reproduce it below with the permission of her children. It gives an insight into the Mormon religion.

Doris Steward - My Own Life Story

My name is Doris Evelyne Steward. I was born 5 February 1920 at my grandparents' home (my mother's parents) where my parents lived in the early part of their marriage, in Norwich, Norfolk, England.

My father's name is Arthur William Steward. He was born 28 December 1893 in Norwich, Norfolk, England. His father's name was Arthur Steward, and he also was born in Norwich, Norfolk, England. His mother's maiden name was Eliza Rosy Kelf.

My mother's maiden name was Alice Harriet Tuttle. She was born 18 January 1893 in Norwich, Norfolk, England. Her father's name was Frederick Tuttle and her mother's maiden name was Jeanette Elizabeth Fountain.

I was a convert to the church, so I was not blessed in our LDS (Church of Jesus Christ and the Latter Day Saints) Church, but was christened in the Methodist church.

When we were very little girls, my two little sisters and I started Sunday School at the Methodist Church close by our home. It was held in the afternoon. We also attended evening services. At this time, my grandfather, Frederick Tuttle, was superintendent of the Sunday School of the little Branch in Norwich, of the LDS Church. As soon as my sisters and I were big enough to walk there, a lady who lived close by and who was a Latter-Day Saint, started to take us to Sunday School. It must have been two or three miles each way and a very long way for us to walk. We called the lady Auntie Mabel, and I recall that every few minutes we would say, "Are we half way there yet, Auntie Mabel?" As I have mentioned, my grandfather was Sunday school superintendent, and I was very proud of him and enjoyed immensely attending Sunday school, (there in the morning and Methodist Sunday School in the afternoon). As I grew older, I began to realise there was a great difference in the two Sunday Schools I was attending. After much thought, study and prayer, I became a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I was eighteen years old and was baptised on the 17 December 1938 in our little chapel in the Norwich Branch in the British Mission. I was baptised by a missionary by the name of Francis Patterson and was confirmed by my grandfather, Frederick Tuttle. What a wonderfully happy day that was. There were very few members of the Church in Norwich, and I wanted everyone to know that I had become a member of the true church. I wanted them all to be as happy as I was. Of course, I knew there would be much criticism. People had many strange ideas and beliefs of our church and could not understand my joining the Mormon Church. At that time, I was working mostly with ladies much older than myself. I was very shy. I did not talk of my religion as I felt I had so much to learn and understand. I knew I would be asked many questions. When a lady who I worked with learned I was a Latter-Day Saint, she could hardly believe it. I recall so well how she bounded into the room and said, in a very loud voice, "are you a Mormon?" It seemed as though you could hear a pin drop as everyone turned to me. I told her I was, and she was truly astounded and said she didn't know how I dared. She told how when she was a little girl, her mother threatened them that the Mormons would take them away if they were naughty. She said even then, and at this time she was middle aged, she wouldn't dare walk by our chapel for fear someone would pull her in. In time, I was able to convince her that it was not like that and our church was very special and wonderful.

Here's one very happy experience I had. Another lady who worked with us, who belonged to the Salvation Army, said to me one Monday morning, "I came by your chapel last night and the congregation were singing. It was such a beautiful hymn that I had to stop until they had finished singing. That hymn was "Oh My Father," a hymn that has always been very special to me. This lady was a very quiet person, conversing with us very little. She was very staunch in her own religion. But she had stopped outside our little chapel to listen to our hymn and had told me of the pleasure it had given her. I was filled with joy and gratitude. There was so much criticism that this little instance was very uplifting and encouraging.

When I was in my early twenties, I was conscripted into the service, it being war time. I was in the A.T.S. which was attached to the British Army. I did my training in Leicester, then moved on to Derby. There were about five hundred girls in our platoon. We lived in a huge old building, which had once been an orphanage. I was the only Latter-Day Saint there. We worked in an ordinance depot and worked long, hard hours. I had never been away from home before and was very homesick. One great blessing, we never had to work on a Sunday and were free to attend the church of our choice. Both in Leicester and Derby, I met wonderful saints. I will never forget their kindness to me. Nor will I ever forget the wonderful spirit in those little branches. It was a great comfort to me then and is still an inspiration to me now.

During this time, I was writing to Cyril John Durrant. He was a member of our Latter-Day Saint Church and of our little Branch in Norwich. He was in the Medical Corps of the British Army at this time. We had been out together when he was stationed fairly close to home and before I went into the services. Now we were writing to each other often. In fact, John (since going into the Army, he was called by his second name) wrote to me every day. By this time, he was overseas, stationed in many places, amongst which were Ceylon, Iraq, India, etc. After about nine months of service, I was released, as I had developed rheumatoid arthritis. This had settled in one foot and I had great difficulty walking for quite a while. After returning home, and with warmth, rest and care, the trouble gradually cleared up and I was able to work. I had a nice job in a large audit office, which I enjoyed immensely.

In 1945, John came home from overseas. He arrived in Norwich on V.E. Day. We started wedding arrangements at once, and were married in our little Norwich Branch by our Branch President, Brother Alfred Woodhouse, the following week, just nine days after John's return, on the 17 May 1945. After his leave, John had to return to his Unit, but this time in England. I lived with his mother whilst he was away. Finally he had his release from the Army and returned home. The City of Norwich had been badly bombed and many, many homes were destroyed. Young people getting married lived with relatives, as no houses were available. Names of those needing homes were put on enormous lists at the City Hall. So it took years to get a house. We, however, were more fortunate. My grandfather owned some houses and when some tenants moved out, he offered us a nice little house and helped us paint it. It was a great joy to us to move into our own little home and greater joy when our first little daughter was born on 7 February 1947. We named her Christine Dianne.

In October of that same year, we knew there would soon be another baby. We had planned on coming to America at some future date, and now decided we should go soon and while I could still travel. So many arrangements had to be made. Our furniture etc., all of which we had had such a little time, had to be sold. Finally all arrangements where made and we moved into my parents' home to stay until our departure for America. They were happy yet sad weeks in my parents' home. It was a happy home and lovely being with my parents. Sad, because we knew we soon would be leaving them.

We left Norwich the 12 February 1948 by train with our family and friends to see us off. We went to Southampton and onto the boat the S.S. Washington. Everything on the boat was very nice, comfortable rooms and good food, little of which I could enjoy. I was very glad when we reached New York on the 21st of February. John had enjoyed the voyage immensely, also his mother, who had come with us, and of course baby Christine, just past her first birthday, had a happy time wherever she was. We journeyed by train from New York to Salt Lake. The journey had been very tiring for me, but I felt much better on the train. A crowd of friends were at Salt Lake to meet us and took us to one of their homes where we had a wonderful meal and visit with old friends, some of whom had preceded us to America. Some had known us in our little Branch of the Church in Norwich.

Then we came with friends to Orem. We lived with Delo and Alta Rowley. We had met Delo whilst he was in the American Service in England. He had been an ardent worker in our little branch. He and his wife were wonderful to us. They then had one little son, Keith. They insisted on John and I and Christine living with them until our baby was born. John's mother was living in Springville taking care of her elderly Aunt and Uncle, who also had come from England many years before.

John worked on a church, building for a while, then onto Firmages in Provo. On 28 May 1948, our little daughter was born and we named her Marilyn Joy. We had been to the Salt Lake Temple, so she was born under the covenant. What a wonderful experience that was, to be sealed to each other for time and all eternity and to have our baby daughter, Christine, sealed to us.

When Christine was 16 months old and our new baby 2 weeks, we moved to Provo into the home where, at this time, 9 October 1961, we are still living.

On 18 May 1950, our third little daughter was born. We named her Jo-Anne.

In May of 1951, John changed his work from Firmages, where he worked in the shoe department, to Geneva Steel Plant.

Early May of 1954, I took my three little girls home to England to see our family What an experience this was, travelling with three small children. By train from Provo to New York, then by boat, and again, train. Our family met us in London, and we went the rest of the way to Norwich by car. We stayed until September, and it was wonderful to be with my family again. Again that long trip across the ocean. Then train and at long last back to Provo with John. His mother and a group of dear friends to welcome us at the train depot. It was good to be home again in America.

In 1957, 13 April, our little son was born, John Marvin, and what a joy it was to us. Our girls, Christine, Marilyn and Jo-Anne were so delighted. Indeed we were a very grateful and happy family.

So we continued on, happy with our family and in our church. I have enjoyed and still do, working in the Relief Society as organist, teachers' topic leader, etc. and still as a visiting teacher and visiting teacher supervisor.

Soon after coming to America, I received my Patriarchal Blessing. It was given me by Patriarch Amos Newlove Merrill on the 26 September 1948 in Provo, Utah. It was a wonderfully inspirational experience to me and has always continued to inspire and give me joy.

Christine and Marilyn are now both in junior high school, attend and love MIA, also, Sunday School and Sacrament meetings. Jo-Anne is in her last year of elementary school and Primary, attends other meetings and loves them. Little John loves his Sunday School and Primary. How grateful we are for the Gospel, for the Priesthood in our home and all of our Heavenly Father's blessings.

Doris Evelyne Steward Durrant, age 91, of Provo, passed away December 8, 2011. Funeral services will be held at 11:00 a.m., Thursday, December 15, 2011 at the Bonneville 13th Ward Chapel, 1498 East 800 South, Provo. Friends may call at the Berg Mortuary of Provo, 185 East Center, Wednesday evening from 6 until 8 and at the church Thursday one hour prior to services. Interment, Provo City Cemetery. Condolences may be sent to info@bergmortuary.com.

Doris was born in Norwich, Norfolk, England on February 5, 1920 and raised with two sisters, Elsie and Marjorie. She completed her education in Norwich. During World War II she served in the British Army. She joined the LDS Church during her teen years and enjoyed playing the pump organ during services.

She married C. John Durrant on May 17, 1945 in England. They relocated to America and were sealed in the Salt Lake Temple in 1948. She resided in Provo until the time of her death.

Doris was blessed with four children - Christine Hamilton (Ron) of Logan, Utah, Marilyn Mortensen (Jay) of Springville, Utah; Jo Anne Christensen of Orem, Utah and John M Durrant of Orem, Utah.

Throughout her life she enjoyed family and friends, playing the piano and reading. She was always active in the LDS Church and loved to serve.

She is survived by her children, one sister, Elsie Shailer, 18 grandchildren and 50 great grandchildren. She was preceded in death by her parents, one sister and her husband.

My paternal grandmother's maiden name was PAYNE and I am greatly indebted to Ian Baker who has provided me with much of what follows on this side of my family.

George H Payne was born in about 1860, probably to Henry Payne and Eliza Charlotte Drake who had married in 1852. Henry Payne died in 1864 and in the 1871 census Eliza is living in Northumberland Street in the Heigham area of Norwich. She is a 49-year-old widowed Laundress and has five unmarried children living with her. Elizabeth is an 18-year-old Laundress, Mary Ann a 16-year-old Laundress with Honor, 14, Eliza, 12, and George,9, all scholars and all born in Norwich.

In 1881 the same family group is living at 118, Northumberland Street. Eliza Payne is described as a 59-year-old widow and Laundress, George, 20, is a Labourer at Heigham Lime Works and probably a lime burner, Elizabeth, 28, and Eliza, 22, are Laundresses and Mary Ann, 25, and Honor, 24, are Willow Box Makers.

George Payne was later to marry Elizabeth Barrett. Elizabeth was born in Mulbarton in about 1854. In the 1871 census she is a 17-year-old general servant to Ann L. Palmer, a widow, in the village of Mulbarton. Early in 1879 Elizabeth married Zachariah Gowing who also lived in Mulbarton. Zachariah was a shoemaker and the son of Samuel Gowing, a shoemaker, and his wife Mary.

Zachariah died, aged 25, towards the end of 1879 after less than a year of marriage, leaving Elizabeth a pregnant widow. By the time of the 1881 census, Elizabeth Gowing (nee Barrett) has a one year old daughter, Mary E. Gowing, and is living with her parents John and Eliza Barrett on Norwich Road, Mulbarton. Next door is the family of Samuel and Mary Gowing, the parents of her deceased husband Zachariah. By now Samuel Gowing, 51, is an established figure in the village, being a Master Shoemaker and the Parish Clerk. It is likely that the homes were somewhere around the village pond.

In 1884 the widowed Elizabeth Gowing married Lime Burner George Payne, who was some five years her junior. They set up home in the Heigham area of Norwich and by the time of the 1891 census they were living at 86, Northumberland Street and had three children - Kate H, 6, Ethel, 3, and Ellen M (Nellie), 16 months. All had been born in Norwich.

Mary E. Gowing, Elizabeth's daughter from her first marriage, stayed in Mulbarton with her grandmother Eliza Barrett and was there in 1891. She has not been found in the 1901 census, but appears to have married late in 1901 (possibly either to Sidney Bellchambers or Ernest George Brighton).

George's mother Eliza in 1891 was living at 59, Northumberland Street, aged 69, with daughters Elizabeth, Mary A, Honor and Eliza. All five of them are shown as Laundress. Eliza died in 1895, aged 73.

In the 1901 census George Payne and Elizabeth are living at 66, Northumberland Street, Heigham and have four daughters at home - Ethel, 13, Ellen M, 11, Florence M (my grandmother), 7, and Anna E, 5. George, aged 40, is now a Labourer-Scavenger. Kate Payne, aged 16, was a domestic servant in the household of Richard Burrow at 130, Queen's Road, Norwich. Northumberland Street still exists as a narrow area just off the main Dereham Road in Norwich and about 20 minutes' walk from the city centre.

The term Labourer-Scavenger has intrigued me and I have been able to find out very little about it. At first I thought it would be the equivalent of a modern day refuse collector, but now have the feeling that it may have been less grand. A scavenger may well have had something to do with the collection of excrement from the road! Again as with the Steward side of the family, it seemed that George Payne more than enjoyed his drink and also frittered his money away on booze. He apparently kept some ducks and one Christmas asked his family to look after them whilst he went out on a bender. When he returned he found the family had lost the birds and so went into a drunken rage which included throwing his entire family out onto the streets in the pouring rain. George's nickname was Camster. I still have to ascertain why! Apparently Great Grandfather Payne felt women had only two functions in life - sex and providing food!

It is difficult to ascertain information on my grandmother's sisters, but I have gained one or two snippets which still need verification. It is thought that Kate Payne married a man by the name of Barner who worked with horses and they had three daughters. Ethel married a man by the name of Bob Wilkes who worked on the estate of Lord Roberts at Cockley Cley in West Norfolk.

Florence Payne married Arthur Steward and they became my paternal grandparents. Looking back I can still remember my grandmothers sisters Ethel, Nellie and Annie. I particularly remember Ethel who lived in a converted railway carriage in the west of Norfolk, which I always thought to be great fun.

"Got up at 10.15 a.m, had breakfast and checked the car ready to take Ethel back to Boughton. Set off at about 11 a.m and after a slow journey reached the destination at 12.30 p.m. Had dinner and set off for home at about 2 p.m. The return journey was much faster and took just over and hour."

Unfortunately I didn't record anything about the conversations or anything else that took place on that day. I also remember coming across the sisters at the wedding of my cousin Jennifer Nobbs to Raymond Ollason a number of years previous to this. I can also remember that one of the sisters (and I can't remember which one) died in my grandmothers house whilst staying there.

The records would put my grandmother's date of birth at about 1894 and she lived to be just a few months short of what would have been her 100th birthday. Towards the end of her life she lived in a home in Links Close in Hellesdon and refused to admit to being nearly 100, taking a few years off her age whenever possible.

Florence Payne met and married Arthur Steward and they lived at 122 Reepham Road, Hellesdon, which is about three miles out of Norwich in the North Norfolk direction. Today Hellesdon is a thriving suburb of Norwich, but in the early days of their marriage it would have been a much quieter place. Previously Florence had been employed as a laundress in Norwich Waterworks.

At one time my grandfather Arthur Steward was employed by Caleys Chocolate Factory. He was made redundant and moved to Hellesdon where he rented a bungalow from the local squire. Presumably this was 122 Reepham Road. He also rented a grocery store opposite and this is likely to be 154 Reepham Road where I was born. During the First World War my grandfather served with the Red Cross in the medical corps and was stationed in Holland where, presumably, he treated injured soldiers returning from battle. He was also in a forces band.

My grandfather would deliver goods around Hellesdon and as far afield as Horsford on his bike. During the war he had a nervous breakdown which necessitated my father returning from the second world war to look after the shop. Later my grandfather also ran a dairy in Reepham Road. Today this is a travel agency.

Florence and Arthur had two children - Vera (my aunt) and Arthur (my father) who was born in 1920. Both are still alive and still living in Hellesdon.

Vera Steward married Jack Nobbs and had one daughter Jennifer (my cousin). Jennifer in turn married Raymond Ollason and they had one son - Andrew.

In many ways I feel lucky to be alive. My immediate descendants both come from second marriages with death bringing a premature stop to their first marriages.

We start the Sandall line with my great great great great grandfather and grandmother - William Sandall and Sarah Nightingale. William was born in 1777 and I have to date a record of six of their children - William Thomas Sandall (born 1797), John Nightingale Sandall (born 1799), Sarah Sandall (born 1801), Edward Thomas Sandall (born 1803) and Sarah Francis Sandall (born 1804).

John Nightingale Sandall was my great great great grandfather and he married Elizabeth Ward and I have a record for them of six children - Charles Ward Sandall (born 1824), John William Sandall (born 1822), James Sandall (born 1826), Elizabeth Sandall (born 1829) and Joseph Sandall (born 1833), Edward James Sandall (born 1826). Charles Ward Sandall was my great great grandfather and he married Elizabeth Masterson. They had at least five children - Elizabeth Sandall (born 1853), Alice Sandall (born 1855), Charles Sandall (born 1860), Selina Eliza Sandall (born 1862), Henry Ward Sandall (born 1865).

Henry Ward was my great grandfather.. He married Margaret Annie Edmonds and I have a record of them having four children - Selina Maud Sandall (born 1891), Ernest Sandall (born 1894), Henry Sandall (born 1898) and John William Sandall (b 1890). This is where my own personal memory can take over to some extent. Selina Maud Sandall was my maternal grandmother. Henry Sandall was always known as Harry and he lived at various times in Bells Road, Gorleston and I believe Cardiff Road, Norwich. I used to visit him and his wife Gladys who was born Eveline Gladys Withers. They had no children.

John William Sandall was always known as Jack and lived for much of his life in St Luke's Road, Tunbridge Wells in Kent. His first marriage was to Daisy Malcolm and I believe that she died and he married Myrtle Heasman who I remember as being a lovely white haired and quite statuesque lady. I also remember that Jack was secretary of Tunbridge Wells Football Club for many years. Jack and Daisy had two children - a boy Ron who I remember living in East Grinstead and Gladys who married Tom Poore and lived in Newlands Road in Tunbridge Wells. I visited Tom and Gladys on a regular basis.

Using the 1901 census I tracked my grandmother down to an address at 4, Wells Street, Great Yarmouth. At the time of the census she was three years old. My great grandfather Henry Ward Sandall was aged 36 and described as a "house painter." His wife Margaret is listed as 34 years of age. She and Henry were married in St Nicholas Church at Great Yarmouth on July 8th, 1888. Margaret Edmonds home in the 1881 census is given as 105 George Street and her father is named as John Edmonds who was born in 1837 and whose occupation is given as a fisherman.

The remainder of the household consisted of John (aged 10), Selina (aged 9), Earnest (aged 7) and Henry (aged 3). All were born at Great Yarmouth.

To date I have a total of 124 people on my Sandall line and have also established a relationship with a former boss of mine when I was employed by Norfolk Constabulary. I was aware that Roger Sandall, who was a Chief Superintendent whilst I was Head of Media, originally came from Great Yarmouth and we were able to track down my Sandalls and his family living in close proximity to each other. Further research established that Roger is in fact my third cousin - a fact that gives me great joy as he was a fine police officer, a fine boss and now a personal friend who I still see regularly.

My maternal grandfather was Frank Owen Dew. His name is interesting in that the Owen was passed to me as my middle name and subsequently to my eldest son as his middle name.

In the 1901 census Frank Dew lived at 118, King Street, Great Yarmouth and was 11 years of age. I was having considerable problems tracking down this side of the family until a chance contact via the Genes Re-united site which introduced me to another distant relative.

Denise Burton listed amongst her relatives a Frank Dew who was born in Great Yarmouth in 1890. This co-incided with the name and birth date of my own grandfather and it soon became obvious that myself and Denise shared the same family tree. Closer investigation establishes that we have the same great great grandfather William Dew who married Suzanna Yaxley. They had seven children, the youngest of whom was my great grandfather Francis Dew.

Francis was born in Great Yarmouth in 1856 and was married twice. The first was to Caroline Harper Bowles and together they had a daughter - Laura Dew. It is believed that Caroline died and Francis married Maria Stone and they had a son Frank who became my grandfather. Francis' occupation was greengrocer and a number of descendants along the Dew family line seem to have followed this profession.

With the help of Art Mitchell from Virginia (another branch of the Sandall dynasty), I have been able to establish that my Great Grandfather Henry had a brother and three sisters. Elizabeth, a dressmaker, was born in 1853, Alice, a waiter in a tap room, was born in 1855, Charles, a gas fitter's labourer, was born in 1860, and Selina Eliza was born in 1861. It is interesting to note that Henry and Margaret went on to name one of their children (my grandmother) Selina. This Charles married Sarah Jane Davey in St Nicholas Church, Great Yarmouth on 25th February, 1882. Henry is also likely to have had another sister Selina who died as an infant in 1858. It is likely that Selina Eliza was named after this dead infant.

Selina is not a common name, but it is one that seems to run through many generations of the Great Yarmouth Sandall family. Elizabeth, Alice, Charles, Selina and Henry appear to have been the children of Charles and Elizabeth Sandall who were both born in 1825. Charles appears to have been the licensee at the Sir John Franklin Tavern at 56, Nelson Road, Great Yarmouth.

Further research shows that this tavern closed in 1904 when the "licence was given up in consideration of a new licence being granted for the Salisbury Arms in Cobholm." Cobholm is another area of Great Yarmouth. In the 1901 census there is a Charles Sandall listed for Great Yarmouth, aged 76, and described as a retired mariner. It is likely that on relinquishing the pub, Charles went to sea. It is also quite likely that the sea was his original vocation. A document listing ships in ports in County Durham in 1881 lists a Charles Sandall, aged 56, as a mate on the vessel Flora.

I recently visited Great Yarmouth and found that the former Sir John Franklin Tavern has now been split into two houses or flats. The outside of the building has been painted in what can only be described as burnt orange. Interestingly you can still see the bolts where the tavern sigh would have hung.

Grandparents/Parents

I have established that my paternal grandfather was born in 1894. This would make him 58 or 59 when I was born in 1952. My father was born in 1920 and so my grandfather would have been about 25 when he was born. My grandfather was a painter and decorator by trade but at one time also owned a dairy and a considerable parcel of land at the back of his bungalow in Reepham Road in Hellesdon. He later sold this land to a builder by the name of Southgate who developed a number of properties on the land off Meadow Way including the Meadow Way Chapel..

Somewhere along the line my grandfather pulled his finances around after a difficult start with his father's drinking.

On my maternal side my grandmother Selina Maud Sandall married Frank Owen Dew (born 1890). They had two daughters - Irene Olive Dew and Phyllis Margaret Dew. Irene died in the year of her birth. Phyllis Margaret became my mother. She married my father on Boxing Day (year unknown).

I married Anne Burton on 24th July, 1976 in Knottingley, West Yorkshire, and our sons Christopher Owen Steward and Matthew David Steward were born on 24th February, 1982 and 10th January, 1984 respectively. Today Chris is a secondary PE teacher, living in Eastbourne, Sussex, and Matt is a police officer in Norwich. Chris was married to Lynne Phillips on August 15th, 2008. Matt lives with his partner Emma in Wymondham, Norfolk.

Birthdates

Birthdates of people featured on these pages so far are as follows (along with their relationship to me): The relatives are listed in birth date order. Below that is the start of a compendium of names and information on people who have turned up in my family tree to date. Finally are individual pages on relatives to aid my research and help anybody with an interest in these pages.

Alva, Atterton, August, Barber, Barrett, Betts, Blake, Bond, Brklacich, Broad, Brunning, Burton, Cattermole, Coman, Cook, Dann, Davey, Dew, Drake, Durbin, Durrant, Edmonds, Engledow, Evans, Fisher, Fraser, Gebbett, Gowing, Hamilton, Harper, Harper Bowles, Harris, Herman, Hurrell, Kelf, Lyon, Neave, Nobbs, Ollason, Payne, Phillips, Poore, Sandall, Sayers, Shailer, Skipper, Smith, Steward, Stone, Sturdy, Summers, Taylor, Thompson, Threlkeld, Tomlinson, Tuttle, Vincent, Watling, Whittier, Wilkes, Yaxley,

Information not verified: The following notes include information that hasn't been verified or checked through. Eliza (not known which one) married a man named Brighton who was a market gardener but who, it is alleged, hanged himself. They had a son who was a first class pianist, but couldn't afford to send him to music school and so he ended up playing in local pubs.

Follow the links below to read the individual biographies of the people who I am researching and places featured n my research.

A number of years ago I was sent a history of the Steward name both in early England and the United States of America by Peggy Givens. Peggy's article can be accessed by clicking here

This includes numerous mentions of the name Steward (or a similar variety) in Norfolk going as far back as the 12th century. There was also a suggestion that our family could in some way be related to Oliver Cromwell, whose mother had the surname Steward. The object of this section of my family web site is to add details of ancestors and to also put them into the context of the times in which they lived.

If anybody can help with my search or just wishes to discuss what is on these pages I would be delighted to receive e-mails from them by clicking here. Alternatively please leave a message on our guestbook.

I would like to thank Peggy Givens for starting me off on my journey, Art Mitchell for his research into the Sandall family, mainly centred on the Norfolk seaside town of Great Yarmouth, Ian Baker who sent me a considerable amount of excellent information on the Payne family of Norwich, Steve Dann who has sent me details of his side of the Steward family and also proved that I have many more living relatives than I ever thought possible and Denise Burton who has undertaken a tremendous amount of research on the Dew side of my family.

Above all I would like to thank Belinda Broad and Chrissy Hamilton for their help and support. Belinda got in touch through the genes re-united web site and we soon established the fact that we are third cousins. She not only gave me all the information she possessed on her family tree but also sent me documentation and told me not only of relatives living in my own village but also about another branch of the family in the USA. That's where Steward descendent Chrissy came in - introducing me via e-mail to well over 20 new relatives, many living in the state of Utah. Together Chrissy and Belinda have re-ignited my fascination with family history - many thanks guys.

I would also like to thank Jonathan Plunkett for permission to use information and photographs from his father's web site "George Plunkett's Photographs of Old Norwich" which is a massive source of information and historic photographs. Please visit this excellent site by clicking here.

In order to help our research I am collecting details of people with family names from relevant areas who may or may not be related to us. This will give me a check list of people as and when I get more details or them and establish whether or not they are relatives.

Notes: Served with the fourth Norfolk regiment and lived at Gowthorpe Manor, Swardeston. He is commemorated on the World War 1 village memorial outside St Mary the Virgin Church, Swardeston and also inside the church on a wall tablet.

He died on 10th May 1915 at the age of 51. He was the son of John Steward and husband of Eleanor Mary Steward. He is buried east of the church in St Mary's Churchyard, East Carleton.

Well known Norwich brewery based in Barrack Street, Pockthorpe, Norwich. The brewery of James Beevor in Magdalen Street was bought out by John Patteson in 1784 and that of Charles Greeves at Pockthorpe was sold to Patteson in 1793. By 1795 the brewery of Jehosophat Postle had been acquired.

John Patteson retired in 1820 and John Staniforth Pattison took over with partners William Steward of Great Yarmouth and brothers Ambrose Harbord Steward and Timothy Steward the Elder along with his son Timothy Steward the Younger. The brewery became Steward, Patteson and Stewards from 1820 to 1831. In 1831 the brewery of George Morse was amalgamated and the company became Steward, Patteson and Co. On 26th September, 1837, this merged with that of Peter Finch to become Steward, Patteson, Finch and Co. Numerous other breweries were acquired and were eventually taken over by Watney Mann in 1963, being sold eventually in 1967 for �7,666,270.

Augustine Steward was born in 1491 in the Tombland house opposite the Erpingham Gate of Norwich Cathedral. His father, Geoffrey, was a Norwich mercer and alderman. Shortly after Augustine's birth the family moved from Tombland to a prestigious, stone-built house (Suckling House) in St. Andrews. Augustine was apprenticed to his father, who died in 1504. Augustine's mother then married John Clerk, a rich merchant and grocer. John was mayor of Norwich in 1505 and in 1510. Augustine's mother traded as Cecily Clerk with her own registered merchant's mark.

Augustine, known as Austen, became a highly successful Norwich mercer, who signed himself Awstyne Styward. He married twice and lived in the Tombland house where he was born. His first wife was Elizabeth Read of Beccles with whom he had a family of two sons and six daughters. His second wife, Alice Repps, from West Walton gave him a son and two daughters. Augustine was a Norwich councillor from 1522 to 1525, an alderman from 1526 to 1570 and Sheriff in 1526, He was Mayor in 1534, 1546 and 1556, a record that was only equalled by two other men within the sixteenth century. Augustine was also M.P for Norwich in 1542 and a Burgess in Parliament in 1547. During the sixteenth century, the office of mayor meant undertaking a demanding, full-time task for a year. A mayor's own business had to be successful and so arranged that it could run without him. The mayor was expected to use his personal funds for some civic hospitality. However, the Corporation did stage a three-part show to mark Steward's third term in office. It was recognised that Augustine had 'allwayes ben a good and modest man, hee was beloved of poore and rich'.

Steward's influence was prominent in the 1534 rebuilding of the Council Chamber of Norwich Guildhall. He was involved with purchasing Black Friars Church, (St. Andrew's Hall), from the Crown, for Norwich. A 1540 charter conveyed the Black Friar's Monastery to the city for �81, paid by 'our beloved Augustine Steward, of our city of Norwich, merchant.' A portrait of Augustine in his mayoral robes can be seen in the Blackfriar's wing of St. Andrew's Hall.

During Kett's Rebellion in 1549, Augustine Steward played a leading part in negotiations between the rebels and the King's army. Mayor Thomas Codde, who had been taken prisoner on Mousehold Heath by the rebels, appointed Steward his deputy. The Marquis of Northampton, representing the King, was entertained in Steward's house. A plaque on the cathedral wall marks the spot, not far from Augustine's house, where the rebels killed Lord Sheffield and Sir Thomas Cornwallis. Some of Kett's followers ransacked Steward's house but did not harm him. The Earl of Warwick used the house as his headquarters when he put down the rebellion.

Steward's home, opposite the cathedral, is a fine, surviving example of a successful Tudor merchant's trading-house with goods stored in the stone undercroft and a shop or workshop at street level. The family lived in the upper storeys. Augustine's house is jettied, and the timbers have warped over time giving the house a crooked appearance. An upper wing of brick, timber and plaster is built across Tombland Alley. Here you can see Augustine's merchant mark and that of the mercer's guild embossed on a corner stone, together with the date, 1549. Through the arch, the old house timbers are exposed and the carpenters' marks can be seen, denoting the order in which the timbers were assembled on-site after being pre-cut in a timber yard. After Steward's death in 1571, the house became in turn, a butcher's, a broker's, an antique dealer's, a bookshop and a coffee house. At present it houses several antique dealers. Allegedly, there are underground passages leading from the crypt to the Cathedral and also to St. Gregory's church. The ghost of a 'Lady in Grey,' a 1578 plague victim, is said to haunt the house.

Augustine Steward owned Norfolk manors at Gowthorpe and at Welborne. His estate around Tombland extended along the north and west sides of St. George's churchyard into Prince's Street and included the site of an ancient inn. In later life he resided in a large, quadrangle house that he had built on Elm Hill, on the site of Paston Place originally owned by the Paston family. In 1507 all the houses on Elm Hill, except the modern Briton's Arms, had been destroyed by fire. Augustine's new house occupied the area now sub-divided into numbers 20, 22, 24 and 26. The carved beam over the archway of Crown Court bears Augustine Steward's merchant mark on the right and the arms of the mercer's guild on the left. Augustine Steward was buried in the church of St Peter Hungate.

The house on Tombland where Augustine Steward was born still exists and has been called Augustine Steward House. It is generally reputed to date to 1530, however Marion Hardy, in an unpublished biography of Steward, discloses an earlier date for the house in the 1504 will of Augustine's father, in which the house was mentioned as the location of Steward's birth in 1491. Perhaps the 1491 house was damaged in the 1507 fires of Norwich and Augustine Steward re-built in 1530.

I found a record in the Norfolk Archives relating to the 1869 police examination of William Steward for the murder of his wife Martha, Closer examination of histories and records suggests that the surname could have been Sheward but there seems to be uncertainty on this and it needs more research. In the meantime here are the details of a particularly grizzly murder.

Parts of Martha's body turned up in the streets of Norwich and others were stuffed into gullies and blocking drains. It was originally put down as a prank by medical students. Martha's head was never recovered and police had no idea she was missing.

In 1869 William Steward (Sheward) walked into a police station in South London and confessed he had murdered his wife and chopped her body into small pieces. William was landlord of the Key and Castle Public House at 105 Oak Street. Eighteen years elapsed between the crime and the confession. After his trial and a guilty verdict, Steward broke down and confessed. The couple had rowed at their terrace house in Tabernacle Street (now the west end of Bishopgate) over money. William's temper got the better of him and he grabbed a cutthroat razor and slashed his wife's throat. William changed his blood splattered clothing and went for a job interview in Great Yarmouth. On his return he hacked Martha's body into small pieces, placed them in boiling water and heated them on the kitchen stove.

Over the next few nights he roamed Norwich Streets with a pail and its contents, tossing out body parts as he went. Entrails were poked down drains. Other body parts were eaten by dogs and rats.

He told neighbours that Martha had left him. He married again but for no apparent reason on January 1st, 1869, he confessed whilst on a trip to London.

William Steward purchased a Great Yarmouth house (haven't established which one) from the Sturgeon family. William was the eldest son of Timothy Steward, He married a daughter of James Brown of Halvergate and practises as a solicitor in conjunction with Nathaniel Palmer under the name of Steward and Palmer. Left the law after becoming possessed of an ample fortune and devoted much of his time and abilities to promoting whatever tended to advance the interests of his native town.

For many years he was a leading member of the Paving Commission before that body became the Local Board of Health. He promoted the establishment of the Town Hospital and for several years was chairman of the Management Committee. He was the first chairman of the Victoria Building Corporation. He was a Norfolk Magistrate and described as "of upright and consistent conduct and of great benevolence." He died in 1841, aged 80. This would mean that he was born in 1761.

In the Whites Directory of Norwich for 1845 there are a number a traders with the surname Steward. They include the following:

History of the Steward Family

Grandparents/Parents

Birthdates