Joseph William Morris

Joseph William was the son of Isaac and Jane Morris (née Worthington).

His father Isaac was born in Nottinghamshire in 1849, the son of Joseph and Sarah Morris (née Welbourne); he was baptised at Plungar parish church in October the same year. Isaac was recorded on the 1851 and 1861 Census living in Plungar with his parents and siblings but has not yet been traced on the 1871 Census. However, by 1881 Isaac was living in Plungar with his widowed father, Joseph, an agricultural labourer, and his sister Louisa (24), 'housekeeper'; Isaac's occupation was recorded as 'Army Reserve, railway labourer'. Only one potential military record has yet been traced; 1426 Isaac Morris who was discharged from the South Lancs Regiment (Prince of Wales's Own Volunteers) on 8 December 1882, cause of discharge, '1st period'.

His mother Jane was born in 1861 in Plungar, Leicestershire (registration distrct Bingham. Notts), the daughter of William, a farm labourer, and Ann Worthington. Jane had a son, Herbert Hodgkin Worthington, in 1880 (OND). He was baptised at Plungar parish church on 14 November 1880 and the baptismal record noted that Herbert was illegitimate and that his mother's occupation was servant. In 1881 Jane (19) was a domestic servant at 52 Shakespeare Street, Nottingham, in the home of William F Laurence, a warehouseman clerk, who was married with two daughtes; the household included three boarders. Jane's infant son Herbert was living with her parents and their seven children in Plungar.

Isaac Morris, labourer, and Jane were married at Plungar on 10 December 1883, and had nine children although two children had died by the time of the 1911 Census. Only seven children have been traced on either the registrations of births or baptism registers: Sarah Ann b. Feb. 1885; Mabel Ellen b. Aug. 1887 bap. Oct. 1887; Florence Jane b. May 1890 bap. June 1890; Joseph William b. March 1892 bap. March 1892; George b. Jan. 1895 bap. Feb. 1895; Elizabeth Mary b. March 1898 bap. May 1898 and Ethel Irene b. May 1903 bap. June 1903.

In 1891 Isaac, a plate layer, his wife and their three children, Sarah (6), Mabel (3) and Florence (1) were living on Chapel Street, Plungar. Also in the home was Jane's son, Herbert Worthington, described as Isaac's son-in-law. Isaac's occupation was given as plate layer on the baptism registers in 1887 and 1890.

In the following years the couple had two sons, Joseph in 1892 and George in 1895, and two daughters, Elizabeth in 1898 and Ethel in 1903.

The family was still living in Plungar in 1901 but Isaac was now employed as an ironstone labourer, an occupation he had been following at the time of his daughter Elizabeth's birth in 1898. Five of their six children were in the home on the night of the census: Mabel, Florence, Joseph (9), George (6) and Elizabeth (3), and also their half-brother, Herbert (20), now using the surname 'Morris', who was an estate labourer. Neither Mabel nor Herbert have been traced after this date

The eldest daughter, Sarah Ann, was working in the village as a domestic servant for John Clements, a farmer, and his wife.

Sarah Ann married Nelson Hourd (20 b. Harby, Leicestershire), a labourer, at Plungar parish church in May 1906. Their son, Leonard Nelson, was born in 1906, Gertrude Mabel in 1908, who died in 1910 (JAS), and Constance Edith who was born in 1911 (AMJ).

Isaac, a labourer, his wife and their children Joseph, a farm labourer, Elizabeth and Ethel (b. 1903) who were school age, were recorded in Plungar on the 1911 Census. Also in the home was their married daughter, Sarah Hourd, and her two children, Leonard Nelson and a newborn daughter [reg. Constance Edith, AMJ].

Their son George (16) was an assistant waggoner (farm), living in Sutton, Elston, in the household of the farmer, Robert Smith Richards, while their daughter Florence, was a domestic servant in West Bridgford, Nottingham, in the household of Charles Hemsley and his family.

Sarah Ann's husband Nelson, a farm labourer, was living in Grimstone, Melton Mowbray. He recorded on the census that they had had three children, one living [Leonard b. 1906] and two who had died, only of whom has been traced, Gertrude Mabel (1908-1910). It is likely that Nelson had not received the news that his wife, who was with her parents on the night of the census, had given birth to a daughter.

Joseph William joined the Royal Navy in 1913.

His parents Isaac, a retired farm labourer, and Jane, were living on Belvoir Road, Plungar, in 1921. Also in the home was their granddaughter, Joan Irene Hourd (b. 1915). Although Isaac had retired by 1921, his occupation was recorded on the marriage certificate of his daughter Elizabeth (m. 1923) as 'soldier' and on Ethel's marriage certificate (m. 1928) as 'former soldier'.

Isaac died aged 80 in 1929 (reg. Bingham). His widow Jane may have died in 1945 (reg. Sleaford), aged 84.

Of Joseph's siblings:

Nelson and Sarah Hourd had moved to Nottingham by 1921; they had eight children between 1913 and 1928: Morris Stanley (1913), Joan Irene (1915), Grace Mary (b. 1918), Doris Eileen (1920), Ethel Iris (1923), Joseph Alan (1924), Alwyn E (1926 d. 1947) and Aubrey Nelson (1928). Nelson died in 1971 and his widow Sarah Ann in 1974.

Mabel Ellen has not yet been traced after 1901.

Florence Jane married Albert Green (36), an engine driver, residence Dronfield, at Plungar parish church in August 1917. They were recorded on the 1921 Census in Dronfield and were still living there when the 1939 England & Wales Register was compiled. Florence died in 1940 aged 50 and Albert in 1954.

George married Grace Durrance in 1919 (reg. Bingham). She and their two children, Barbara (b. 1921) and Norman (b. 1923) were living in Melton Mowbray in 1921. George has not yet been traced on the Census but probably died in 1976 (reg. Melton Mowbray).

Elizabeth Mary married George Gibson Pearce (25), a labourer, residence Woolsthorpe, on 25 December 1923. They were living at Wolviston Garage, Caterham, Surrey, in 1939; George was a chauffeur. Elizabeth died in 1974 (reg. Colchester Essex).

Ethel Irene married Harry Mills (36), hotel porter, residence Kegworth at Plungar parish church in June 1928. In 1939 they were recorded at the Coach & Horses Hotel, Billinghay, Lincolnshire, where Harry was the manager. Ethel married secondly Charles A Sergeant in 1970 (reg. Worksop) and died in 1981.