Edith Emma Stoner b 1889 - seeking marriage details

[Paul Beard]

Edith Emma Stoner was the daughter of George Friend Stoner and Mary Ann Etherton. She was born in Lower Beeding in October 1889 (Horsham 2b 316 refers). In 1911 Census she is shown as living in Bolney, Sussex under her maiden name.

She died in Brighton on 30th June 1951 (Brighton 5h 61 refers). She is buried in the churchyard of Holy Trinity Church, Lower Beeding, alongside the double grave of her parents. Her details on the grave are Edith Emma Harrison and her age of 61 at time of death gels with what I know of her date of birth.

Family photograph, sent to her younger brother Harry in July 1915 (my maternal grandfather, who was born in Lower Beeding on 13th August 1894 ) show her with a young child (no more that 18 months old) and a man (presumably her husband) who was wearing the uniform of an army sergeant.

The photograph was taken in the studios of 'Wallers' in Horsham. Both he and she look to be around the same age. She signed the card 'Edie' but a search using that as first name produced zero results.

I am unable to trace any marriages between a Stoner and Harrison, other than one involving an E Stoner, who if it was my great aunt would have been 56 when she married. That particular Stoner married Frank F Harrison, born abt 1877 and who died in Worthing (Worthing 5h 575 refers). Clearly that marriage is not the one I am seeking.

I have tried Ancestry and Free BMD without any joy - any suggestions as to where to look next would be much appreciated. Thanks for taking the time and trouble to read this message and for any help you are able to offer.

[avm228]

Link to previous related thread: http://www.rootschat.com/forum/index.php/topic,517132.msg3727892.html#msg3727892

[avm228]

Have you investigated whether she left a will, in case that yields a name for her husband?

[Paul Beard]

Yes - seems she died intestate

[avm228]

Was there any message other than the signature "Edie" on the photograph sent in 1915?

Does the 1946 funeral report mentioned on your other thread list a Mr Harrison amongst the mourners?

Was any mention made of Edith Emma's death/funeral in the local papers in 1951?

[Mort29]

She died in Brighton on 30th June 1951 (Brighton 5h 61 refers).

Do you have that Death Certificate - who was the Informant?

[Paul Beard]

Thanks for the suggestion and will now set about doing that. Only thing on rear of postcard is 'To dear Harry with love from Edie'

The newspaper report (dated 31st May 1946) lists all of the children (and their spouses) of the deceased but shows the Harrisons simply as Mrs Harrison (daughter), which leads me to believe that Edith's husband probably died prior to May 1946. Supporting my theory, I guess, is the fact that she is buried alongside her parents - with no mention of her husband on the grave

[Paul Beard]

I believe that I have solved it. A search of Genes Reunited revealed that Edith Stoner married William Charles Tranter in Midhurst, Sussex in 1913. As previously mentioned the man in the photo was an army sergeant. I then traced a WW1 death on 9/3/17 in Flanders - Sergeant William Charles Tranter of Royal Field Artillery. Also traced was the birth of a son, Thomas G Tranter in Midhurst in 1914 - father William Charles Tranter - mother Stoner.

Scenario seems to to be that Edith subsequently married Frank F Harrison (born abt 1877) in Brighton in December 1945 (Brighton 2B 585) and he pre-deceased her when he died in Worthing aged 71 in December 1948. That would explain her having a young child and then, when she died, having the married name of Harrison as per on her grave. It also explains the photo of mother and child with a uniformed army sergeant.

Thanks for the interest and assistance given in helping me solve this.

[avm228]

Ah - well that looks like a result!

I wonder whether perhaps Edith didn't marry William Charles Tranter, despite having a child with him - I must say I can't see such a marriage, and his CWGC entry mentions his parents but not a widow.  I also note that she used the Stoner surname, rather than Tranter, when marrying Mr Harrison.

Just a thought  -  anyway, I am pleased you have managed to identify the people in your photo.  Thomas George Tranter seems to have died in South Staffordshire in 1985, his DOB given as 13 June 1914.  So he'd have been just over a year old when the photograph was sent (perhaps it was taken to mark his first birthday?).