Marriage lookup - William RANDALL and Florence NICHOLAS

[avm228]

Not that it proves any link, but Abigail and her husband David Porteous also appear to have lived in Enfield in the 1920s.

[avm228]

Florence F Randall is living at 113 Leighton Road Enfield with William J until 1957. After that WJ is not there which is probably the 1958 death.
There is a James H Randall with them some years.
There is also David P and Audrey for some years.
Are these family names?

William J Randall of 113 Leighton Rd, Enfield seems to have had a birthdate of 3 Aug 1890, which would have made him 8 months (and 2 days) old when the 1891 census was taken on 5 Apr 1891.  This is consistent with the age of the baby son of Henry and Sarah as found in that census.

[Silvercup]

Thank you. Having spoken to my mum again she says that he had 2 sisters (fits) and that the story goes that when he was young, he was so hungry that he looked for food in bins. This does initially seem to fit with a disrupted family in an institution.

Also interestingly he was very artistic apparently and this could fit with a father being a coach painter!

Based on everything I think this must be the right family but I will check the marriage cert to be sure. It's possible that it's in the family but if not will order a PDF.

[KGarrad]

Based on everything I think this must be the right family but I will check the marriage cert to be sure. It's possible that it's in the family but if not will order a PDF.

PDF isn't available for marriages
Only for births and deaths.

[avm228]

Thank you. Having spoken to my mum again she says that he had 2 sisters (fits) and that the story goes that when he was young, he was so hungry that he looked for food in bins. This does initially seem to fit with a disrupted family in an institution.

Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why he was small as an adult?

[Silvercup]

Thank you. Having spoken to my mum again she says that he had 2 sisters (fits) and that the story goes that when he was young, he was so hungry that he looked for food in bins. This does initially seem to fit with a disrupted family in an institution.

Perhaps this goes some way to explaining why he was small as an adult?

That's exactly what my mum said, she doesn't think he grew properly as a child 

[BumbleB]

William was my gt grandfather and all I know is that he said he was a true cockney born within the sound of Bow Bells and that he was very short. I have found WW1 attestation papers which I believe to be his - address of Bromley by Bow but what really tipped me off was his height - 5' 3" and described as having a lady's stature!

On the papers he was 24 in 1914 and his next of kin was his mother named Sarah Randall.

My apologies, but I wonder whether you have slightly misread William's attestation papers:

Height 5' 3 1/8"  Girth 35 inches when fully expanded, range of expansion 3 inches.

Distinctive marks:  Lady's figure and dots - right forearm.  Dots - left forearm. 

I read that as tattoos.    And I think we have to remember that people were not so tall back at the beginning of the 20th century.  OK he was on the short side, but not exceptionally so - average height for males in 1900 was 5' 6".

[Silvercup]

Of course you're right, tattoos   

I thought it was a bit rude saying he had a lady's figure! I feel a bit daft now haha.

[Silvercup]

*Interesting stuff here about the relatively benign treatment of inmates in this institution at the time:

www.e7-nowandthen.org/2017/01/forest-gate-industrial-school-1890.html

Thank you, I found that too. Horrible to read about the fire.

I've been trying to find some more info about the children on the poor law board of guardian records but struggling my way around them a little! I'd love to know under what circumstances they went in, did the father desert them. Family have now said they thought he grew up in an orphanage - we know now he wasn't orphaned but the story is coming together.