Walter Marwood Laurence
Posted: 07 Dec 2013 14:42
Please can you help me find a picture or more information about my Great Grandad, Walter Marwood Laurence (1875-1959)?
Despite extensive searches of local studies departments and military museums much of Walters life is a mystery. I do not like mysteries and am determined to solve this one.
I have been researching my family history for years and strangely, I know more about my distant ancestors than my closest. For example, Walters father, Frank was born in Sheffield, became a printer and died of turbucolosis of the spine when Walter was two years old.
The following is a mixture of family legend and documentation:
After Franks death, Walter was brought up by his mother, Elizabeth Catherine nee Marwood.
William Michael, Walters grandad, married a Quaker lass from Sheffield and up to Walter Quakerism was the way. He attended Penketh Quaker school. Walter, eschewed the religious side completely when he grew up, even when he died just wanting no words, no ceremony, just a plain square with a hole in it. " Just make sure I am dead" he said.
In the 1901 census Walter registered as (commercial traveller) Draper. The family had ' Laurence & ? ' drapers shop in Lime Street, Liverpool which went bust. I cannot trace this shop.
Walter then worked for a German man whom Walter afterwards thought must have been a spy because he always insisted on doing the East coast companies and Scarborough and another port were badly bombed in WWI and Walter's boss disappeared at the outbreak of WW1 ( interred, scarpered, shot?) so Walter was unemployed. I cannot find the name of this employer.
He became billeting/welfare officer in Birkenhead responsible for several thousand Belgian refugees throughout the War. I cannot find a record of this.
He married Elsie Mary Woodward June 1904 and they had two sons, Norman and Richard. Elsie died Jan 1919.
Walter had 3 mates called D.J. Clark who owned the Argyle Theatre, Jack Keating Manager of the theatre and Fred E Smith who was a barrister in Liverpool, later MP - who ended up as Lord Chancellor - Lord Birkenhead.
After the War Walter was again unemployed and through a friend (Charles Hall), FE Smith got him a job as office manager & cashier with a firm of solicitors Hall, Brydon & Chapman in Manchester.
After Jack Keating died Walter was very good to his widow, Polly, who was left with two daughters and a 4 month old baby boy called John. Walter had his eye on the eldest daughter Marjorie Keating who he married in 1929: she was 22 and Walter was 50!
And still despite extensive enquiries I cannot find a picture of Walter!
I am 50 myself now, and work in a call centre in South Yorkshire. Family history becomes important at my age, to know where you came from.
Despite extensive searches of local studies departments and military museums much of Walters life is a mystery. I do not like mysteries and am determined to solve this one.
I have been researching my family history for years and strangely, I know more about my distant ancestors than my closest. For example, Walters father, Frank was born in Sheffield, became a printer and died of turbucolosis of the spine when Walter was two years old.
The following is a mixture of family legend and documentation:
After Franks death, Walter was brought up by his mother, Elizabeth Catherine nee Marwood.
William Michael, Walters grandad, married a Quaker lass from Sheffield and up to Walter Quakerism was the way. He attended Penketh Quaker school. Walter, eschewed the religious side completely when he grew up, even when he died just wanting no words, no ceremony, just a plain square with a hole in it. " Just make sure I am dead" he said.
In the 1901 census Walter registered as (commercial traveller) Draper. The family had ' Laurence & ? ' drapers shop in Lime Street, Liverpool which went bust. I cannot trace this shop.
Walter then worked for a German man whom Walter afterwards thought must have been a spy because he always insisted on doing the East coast companies and Scarborough and another port were badly bombed in WWI and Walter's boss disappeared at the outbreak of WW1 ( interred, scarpered, shot?) so Walter was unemployed. I cannot find the name of this employer.
He became billeting/welfare officer in Birkenhead responsible for several thousand Belgian refugees throughout the War. I cannot find a record of this.
He married Elsie Mary Woodward June 1904 and they had two sons, Norman and Richard. Elsie died Jan 1919.
Walter had 3 mates called D.J. Clark who owned the Argyle Theatre, Jack Keating Manager of the theatre and Fred E Smith who was a barrister in Liverpool, later MP - who ended up as Lord Chancellor - Lord Birkenhead.
After the War Walter was again unemployed and through a friend (Charles Hall), FE Smith got him a job as office manager & cashier with a firm of solicitors Hall, Brydon & Chapman in Manchester.
After Jack Keating died Walter was very good to his widow, Polly, who was left with two daughters and a 4 month old baby boy called John. Walter had his eye on the eldest daughter Marjorie Keating who he married in 1929: she was 22 and Walter was 50!
And still despite extensive enquiries I cannot find a picture of Walter!
I am 50 myself now, and work in a call centre in South Yorkshire. Family history becomes important at my age, to know where you came from.