Stuck! And don't know where to...Isabella Harris

[LizzieL]

And I  cannot find a previous marriage for Mallows, Albert or any children .

Ancestry has a partial transcript of the 1911 marriage between Albert Mallows and Isabella Clarke (nee Harris). his father is called Robert and his age is given as 56. The 1871 census has a Robert Mallows b abt 1826, wife Harriet b abt 1826 and son Albert b abt 1852 Bridgham.

An Albert Mallows birth was registered Q1 1852 in Guiltcross reg district.
In 1881, Albert has a wife called Hannah b abt 1851 Bridgham.
In 1891, he has a wife callet Harriet b abt 1847 in Walsham le Willows, Suffolk, with three extra children with Suffolk birthplaces.

I cannot find a marriage between Albert and Hannah or a death of a Hannah Mallows between 1881 and 1891, or a death of any Hannah of the right age in Guiltcross district.
There doesn't seem to be a marriage between Albert and Harriet either.
In 1901 Albert is still with Harriet and they have an additional daughter Jane born Bradford Yorkshire abt 1894. They must have gone there between censuses because they are back in Norfolk by 1901. There is a death of a Harriet Mallows in Wayland district registered Q4 1908 with correct age.
The 1911 census entry for Albert is interesting as regards the people living with him.
 

[4LauraM]

Albert Mallows was the Licensee for the Old Railway Tavern in Attleborough 1915 to 1922. Albert died 1928.

Two other Licensees are link through marriage. Robert Self, 1888 to 1896 and then his son William Leonard Self,1897 to 1900,  as his daughter Mabel Gertrude married my great Uncle Ernest Arthur Clarke.

Isabella Mallows is the mother of Ernest and Alfred Bruce Clarke who died in battle in WWI and is commemorated on a cenotaph in Attleborough.

Isabella Mallows (nee Harris) was widowed 1906 when her husband John Hawkins Clarke passed.
These are my g-grandparents.

[dee-jay]

Laura,

This is a very intriguing set of circumstances but I think it wise to ignore the 1881 Census return at Litcham for now as it contains too many anomalies; the family unit was new to that parish; and the following records are extant:

Bridgham St Mary Baptism
No 526   24 May 1873 Albert son of Albert & Harriett MALLOWS Labourer
No 526    24 May 1874 Albert son of ditto [source appears to be PR Transcript of above record and a year 1874 baptism is more relevant to a 4Q 1873 Birth reg'n. ]

GRO Birth refs which include Bridgham in the Registration District:
4Q 1873   Albert MALLOWS  Guiltcross 4b 226
3Q 1875   Alice MALLOWS     Guiltcross 4b 235

It appears that 4Q 1857 Robert MALLOWS married Harriett CLEARS ref:   Guiltcross 4b 652
Bridgham St Mary Marriage [FreeReg transcript]
25 Dec 1857 Robert MALLOWS ofa Widr son of Robt = Harriett MEARS sic ofa spin dau of Robt, thatcher
   Witnesses:  John DARLEY;  Mary Ann SAYERS   

The bride's surname is CLEARS in the GRO index and in 1841 she is recorded CLEARES aged 20 with father Robert, a thatcher, and family at Market Weston, Suffolk, the birthplace she records throughout her marriage to Robert MALLOWS.  1851 Harriet CLEARES is at home recorded aged 30.  She died in 1888 at Kenninghall, Norfolk but Administration was not granted until 1893 to husband Robert MALLOWS, labourer.  Effects £132.

It appears likely that Robert's 1st wife, Rebecca, was mother to Wm c1847;  Robt c1850; Albert c1852 & Rebecca c1857:

Burial at Bridgham St Mary’s
22 Mar 1857   Rebecca MALLOWS   32

It did not escape my notice that in 1871 Alfred HARRIS & family shared accommodation at Limehouse with a John CLARK, Travelling Auctioneer, and wife Esther with son John Percy 9 mos.  Is it not too much of a coincidence that a John Hawkins CLARK, Travelling Auctioneer, featured in Tonbridge Petty Sessions in August 1880?   Kent & Sussex Courier - Friday 03 September 1880

Finally, do you have the name of the fourth surviving child of Isabel's eight from her marriage to CLARKE, as indicated in her 1911 return?   I'm aware of Frank, Ernest and Alfred but the 4th eludes me and there are too many permutations for easy elimination.  As she had no children with MALLOWS, have you considered that any child responsible for her burial arrangements might have registered her death as CLARK/CLARKE?

dee-jay

[LizzieL]

Finally, do you have the name of the fourth surviving child of Isabel's eight from her marriage to CLARKE, as indicated in her 1911 return?   I'm aware of Frank, Ernest and Alfred but the 4th eludes me and there are too many permutations for easy elimination.  As she had no children with MALLOWS, have you considered that any child responsible for her burial arrangements might have registered her death as CLARK/CLARKE?

dee-jay

Alfred died in WW1 and his mother signed for his effects on 10th June 1919. That would leave a maximum of three who survived her. We know Frank is definite because he is the OP's direct ancestor. Do we know if she survived Albert Mallows (1928)?

[LizzieL]

The 1891 census has children
Lillian E  5 (1886) 
Amy I 4 (1887) and 
Sydney G  1 (1890)
all children born Stratford, Essex.

There is a baptism of Percy John Clarke on 15 Aug 1880 at Nettlestead, Kent s/ o John Hawkins Clarke and Isabel. Can't find a death for him before 1891 in a likely area.
 

[dee-jay]

Births
Sep 1880   CLARKE,  John Percy       Stepney 1c 436      IM aged 3 Sep 1883 Stepney
Sep 1883   Clarke    Percy John        West Ham 4a   75   IM aged 3 Jun 1886 W.Ham
Jun 1885   Clarke    Lilian Edith        W. Ham   4a   23     survived
Jun 1887   Clarke    Amy Isabel        W. Ham   4a   18     IM aged 5 Mar 1893 W.Ham
Jun 1889   Clarke    Sydney George            W. Ham   4a   27     IM aged 3 Mar 1893 W.Ham
Jun 1892   Clarke    Frank Charles        W. Ham   4a   20   survived
Sep 1894   Clarke    Ernest Arthur        W. Ham   4a   3   survived

In 1880 John Hawkins CLARK stated he travelled the country .....

1901 Found Lillian Edith a visitor aged 15, Dressmaker's apprentice, at Watton, Norfolk, born Essex West Ham.

[LizzieL]

So sad to lose four children before they were 5.

I think I have Lilian Edith in 1911, still in Norfolk and birthplace matches with 1891.

The 8th could be between Sydney and Frank or after Ernest. Too common a name unfortunately, unless a baptism record turns up. or maybe a school record if he/she lived long enough.

[4LauraM]

Percy John b. 1880 d. 1883

Herbert James b. 1883 d. 1884

Lillian Edith b. 1885

Amy Isabell b. 1887 d. 1893

Sydney George b. 1889 d. 1893

Frank Charles b. 1892 d. 1967

Ernest Arthur b. 1894 d. 1973

Alfred Bruce b. 1896 d. 1918

Seeing only three surviving children for Isabella and her connection to The Old Railway Station Tavern in Attleborough with her son, Ernest Arthur, I will bravely assume Isabella stayed close to Ernest & Mabel and their family.

Frank Charles Clarke became involved with another woman after the passing of his wife, May, in July 1950. Unfortunately, I don't know her name or any other details.

Now to fill in the gaps about Lillian Edith.

[dee-jay]

There are some strange entries in  Ancestry trees converting Chorlton (UK Manchester area) records into Jamaica, e.g. in respect of:
Births Jun 1920   CLARKE, Bruce J   Mother's Maiden Name  PARKER    Chorlton 8c 1420
and his purported father's 1967 burial in Peterborough, Ontario!

UPDATE:  So much of the contributed research on Frank Charles CLARKE born 1892 appears speculative, without confirmation via UK GRO certificates or WW1 Service, I'm beginning to think he might have vanished post-1901 Norfolk?