mary ann arno + william abercrombie
Mary Ann was born on 16 July 1874 to Jospeh Arno and Eliza Mallindine and baptised at St James the Great in Bethnal Green on 28 August 1881 along with her older brother Henry. She grew up on Sale Street, behind St Mattthew’s Church, and when she finished school, she worked at home making fancy boxes.
She married William Abercrombie at St Andrew in Bethnal Green on Christmas Day in 1895 and her father was one of the witnesses along with Ann Rebecca Brand. William was born on 26 August 1874 in Bethnal Green to James Abercrombie, a Vellum Binder, and his wife Susan Conner. He lived at 28 Mape Street and worked as a Pipe Mounter when he married.
The first of their six children, Mary Ann Elizabeth, was born on 11 November 1896 at 32 Seabright Street — only a few streets away from family home on Sale Street — and baptised 6 December 1896 at St Andrew in Bethnal Green.
Emily Florence was born on 22 May 1898 and baptised 8 June 1898 at St Andrew followed by William James on 24 May 1900. He was born at 31 Pollard Street and when he was baptised on 13 June 1900 St Andrew, his father's occupation was listed as Pipe Mender. They were still on Pollard Street, living in just two rooms, when the census was taken and although William continued to make pipes, his occupation was listed as Silversmith so perhaps he was specializing in the decoration side of the manufacturing process.
Susan, born on 17 February 1902, was the last child born in Bethnal Green and by the time daughter Lilian May was born on 4 February 1904, the family had moved to Leyton in Essex. Their youngest child Henry John was born in Leyton on 4 April 1906.
In 1911, the family of 8 was living in just 3 rooms in a house at 50 Dawlish Road in Leyton and William was working as a Pipe Mounter in Gold and Silver for a fancy goods merchant. All six of their children were attending school.
In 1917, their son William left his job as a Boot Clicker, cutting out the leather for the various parts of the boot, and enlisted in the Royal Navy and served first on the HMS Powerful and later on the Conqueror, Pembroke and Prince Eugene. Thankfully, he survived the war and was discharged on 12 December 1918.
All six of Mary Ann and William's children married and in total, they had ten grandchildren. Emily was the first to marry in 1921 to Henry Gibbons and they had two sons. In 1939, they were living at 70 Cranbourne Avenue in Wanstead and Henry was working as a Director and Buyer at a Woollen and Cotton fabric equipment firm while their eldest son was an apprentice Upholsterer.
In 1925, Susan married Horace J Goddard in West Ham but it doesn't appear that they had any children. Horace has not been found in the 1939 Register but Susan was living in Gosport along with a 9 year old girl also named Goddard who must have been a relative of Horace's. Horace died in Southend on Sea in 1982 and Susan died in Southend in 1998.
Mary Ann married Herbert G Potter in West Ham in 1926 and they had one son. They lived at 147 Claude Road in Leyton and Herb worked as a Food and Provision shopkeeper. Mary Ann died in 1978.
Lilian married Frederick Stanley Perrott in West Ham in 1928 and had two children. In 1939, they were living on Lindley Road in Leyton with Lilian's parents. Lilian died in Redbridge in 1973 and her husband Fred died in 1982 in Waltham Forest. Three years after Lilian's marriage, Henry married Edith Mayhew and they had two children. Henry worked as a Foreman Housepainter and in 1939, they were living at 211 Francis Road in Leyton. Henry died in 1969 and Edith in 1982.
Thirty-one year old William was the last to marry, to Minnie Simmonds in the fall of 1931 and they had three children. In 1939, they were living down the street from his sister Emily at 130 Claude Road in Leyton and he was working as a House Painter. William died in Leyton in 1961 and Minnie died in Waltham Forest in 1996.
With all their children married, Mary Ann and Wiliiam were living at 48 Lindley Road in Leyton. Sixty-three year old William was no longer working as a pipe maker and was listed as being unemployed and working as a handyman and gardner. William died in 1945, months short of their 50th wedding anniversary, and Mary Ann died in Epping Forest in the summer of 1958.