Ada Brown born Norwich 1908

[LizzieL]

There is a marriage at Sprowston on 6 Jan 1891 between Charles King Brown (30) bac and Emily Spinks (24) sp, Charles is a Sergeant farrier in the 20th Hussars, his father is James Brown -  Engine driver. Emily's father is William Spinks - market Gardener.
wit Frederick George Spinks and Emily Spinks (maybe brother and mother).

[LizzieL]

There's a birth reg in Southampton District for a Charled King Brown in Q3 1860

[LizzieL]

On 1891  census Charles and Emily at Aldershot, but Emily says she is born America

[amondg]

If you think this is the same Emily Brown in 1911-----birth suggest her father was in the military at some point.
1881 Census Mousehold Lane Norwich
William Spinks 43 born Marsham Norfolk assistant gardner
Emily 42 born Somerset
William 19  born Southampton
Frederick 17  born Quebec Canada  (possible witness to marriage)
Emily  14 born Valletta Malta
Charles 10 born Valletta Malta
Ellen 6 born Norwich Norfolk
Robert 2 born Norwich Norfolk.

By the age of Charles in 1881 they would still be in Malta in 1871.

[Mabel Bagshawe]

1881 suggests Emily Spinks was born Valetta, Malta, along with  a younger brother. an older one was b Quebec, so maybe where US comes from? Father William is now a market gardener - not sure of his previous employment as the second child b in Malta arrived in 1871. as the oldest child was b Southampton - navy might be a possibility?

[Mabel Bagshawe]

There's a Charles Brown b Southampton c1862 working as a labourer in Wolverhampton in 1901. Says he's single

[Aulus]

Oh gosh, you have been busy!  Thanks very much for the input.

Some good leads here, I think.

For some reason, FindMyPast doesn't want to show me images of 19th century military records at the moment, though I can there was a William Spinks, a Master Gunner 3rd class, in the Royal Artillery, stationed on Malta in 1871

[Mabel Bagshawe]

Emily's mother (also Emily) was alive in 1901, but although she had various children and grandchildren living with her, Emily Brown was not among them

[amondg]

When William and Emily's daughter Ellen Jane Spinks age 6 in 1881, married Edward Meredith 11 May 1895 in Hellesden he was a soldier so was his father Henry James Meredith, the interesting point is Ellen's father William is described as a Master Gunner R.A.

1901 census 134 Aylsham Road, Norwich
Emily Spinks 61 widow own means (would this be a widow's pension)
William H  Spinks 39 son (he died 1907 age 46)
Ellen J Meredith, daughter  26
Robert  Spinks  son 22
Edward A Meredith son in law 27
Edward H Meredith grand son 5

son Frederick Spinks age 37 is down the road at number 129 Aylsham Road- boarder, born Quebec.

1891 census St Bartholmew's Heigham Emily is a widow.
There is a death for a William Spinks age 53 in 1883, St Faiths registration district that included Hellesden.
Emily died 1904 age 64 in the Norwich registration district

The son Charles Spinks age 10 in 1881 born Malta joins the Army 2nd Battalion Norfolk Regiment serves in Ceylon and India.