Delayed response owing to finding 'new' info while double-checking what I had. Probably nothing new to you, but here is my Greave timeline. I will do another post shortly about the Wiggs:
1891 census – Oulton Workhouse – Frank Greave 13, Florence 10, born Dover 'legitimate children of Herbert'
1901 census – Fourth Hand on the fishing boat 'Our Boys' out of Lowestoft, nr Newark Lightship
1903 – 29 July, burial of James John Wigg, smack man, at Lowestoft.
1906 – marriage of John Wigg's widow, Ellen Martha nee Hood to Frank Harold Grieves (sic).
Address of both 52 Queens Rd Lowestoft, where Ellen had lived with John Wigg
1911 census – Third hand on the Lowestoft fishing vessel 'Boys Friend' in Padstow, Cornwall
- Ellen at home with children at 52 Queens Rd
1911, 7 Sept burial of Ellen Martha May Greaves aged 15 months
1915 - 5th August – enrols in RNVR and is immediately called up to serve on 'Halcyon II', for the whole of the war, as ? Trimmer, then stoker. Address on record 32 Queens Rd (possible mistranscript on card for 52). Halcyon II appears to have been a trawler or motor boat seconded to the Admiralty
1918, October – birth at 52 Queens Rd of Ernest Edward Wigg ('Ted') Lancaster, son of E(a)rnest Lancaster, toolmaker at Lowestoft Motor Works, a widower since April 1915, with one daughter, Grace aged 2.
1919, Dec – Harold Frank Greave demobilised from HMS Ganges. Home address on card has been crossed out and replaced by 'c/o F Newson, 25 Mariners St, Lowestoft'
1920, Jun qtr – birth of Molly E Lancaster, sister of Ted.
Ernest invented and patented the Lancaster Bi-Metallic Piston, which was made and sold through Hobbys of Dereham. Later, he and Ellen moved to London (possibly via Brighton) and a company was formed to exploit his invention further. He did not make his fortune.
12th Feb 1953 – Ernest and Ellen married very quietly at their parish church, Our Most Holy Redeemer, Clerkenwell. I deduce quietly, because it was Thursday, by licence, and the witnesses were two ladies resident at the House of Retreat of the (Anglican) Sisters of Bethany (I found them on the electoral register) It looks like no family were present, even though Ted and his family lived close by. Ellen died in 1957, and Ernest in 1979, outliving Ted by about 18 months.
Until you sent a death date for Frank of 1956, I had assumed that they married once they knew they were free to do so, and there is a death for a Harold F Graves aged 73, March qtr 1950, Lothingland, Suffolk which would fit. I don't have a certificate for that. The Lancasters remained in touch with the Wigg children in Lowestoft – Ted and his family took holidays there in the 1950s and early 60s, sometimes staying with one of the Wigg's at 52 Queens Rd. There are other explanations for the timing: pressure from e.g. the formidable Vera, Ellen knowing she was fatally ill etc.
It would be interesting to know at what point your ancestors went to Barnardo's, and on whose initiative. (I have read about the Isthmian Lines). Vera's son Derek (see upcoming post) had seen two young men in seaman's rig visiting his grandmother and was unaware that they were relatives.
Looking forward to hearing from you.