Person:Elsie Brown (15)

Elsie Brown was born on 30th April 1897 at Barnstaple in Devon, daughter of Mary Ann Brown, formerly Channing, and her husband James Brown, a baker. The family moved around the south-west of England quite extensively whilst Elsie was a child, living variously at Cullompton in Devon and Camborne in Cornwall, before settling in the Plymouth area.

In 1914, aged 16, Elsie married Reginald Vernon Norsworthy. She claimed on her marriage certificate to have been 19, and seems to have always added 3 years to her age after this point. Elsie and Reginald appear to have had two children together later in 1914 and 1915.

Some time between 1915 and 1922 Elsie and Reginald separated. Elsie then settled down with a man named Frank May. Elsie did have a daughter in 1919, Queenie May Norsworthy, who died as a baby. Her middle name may point to her actually having been Frank's daughter rather than Reginald's, although with May also being a common enough girls' name it could have just been a coincidence.

Elsie had another two children with Frank in 1922 and 1925. At the outbreak of the Second World War she was living with Frank and her two children with him at 1 Pear Tree Cottages on John Street in Plymouth, which was the house where Frank had lived as a child. He was working as a general labourer and serving as an Air Raid Precautions warden.

Elsie and Frank did eventually marry in 1945. She claimed to be a widow on their marriage certificate, although as it happens Reginald was still alive. One of the witnesses to the marriage was Elsie's daughter from her marriage to Reginald.

Elsie died a year later in 1946, aged about 49. Frank died the following year.

1. ↑ Births index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   b. Elsie BROWN, June Quarter 1897, Barnstaple Registration District, Volume 5b, page 434, mother's maiden name Channing

2. ↑ Pilton, Devon, England. Parish Registers.

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Pilton in the County of Devon in the Year One thousand eight hundred and ninety seven
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   557	1897 June 2nd	Elsie	James & Mary Ann	Brown	Pilton	Baker	W.H.M. Bagley

3. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 2243; Folio 49; Page 13, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 1 Goon Terrace, Camborne, Cornwall
   James Brown, head, married, male, 32 [1868/9], Journeyman Baker, worker, b. Morton Hampstead, Devon
   Mary Brown, wife, married, female, 31 [1869/70], b. Plymouth, Devon
   Eleanor Brown, daughter, single, female, 8 [1892/3], b. Devonport, Devon
   William Brown, son, single, male, 6 [1894/5], b. Plymouth, Devon
   Elsie Brown, daughter, single, female, 3 [1897/8], b. Barnstaple, Devon
   Lily Brown, daughter, single, female, 1 [1899/1900], b. Colompton, Devon

4. ↑ England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), (formerly the UK General Register Office.))
   Class RG14; Piece 13000; Schedule 317, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 11 Victoria Street, Plymouth, Devon
   4 rooms occupied
   James Brown, head, male, 42 [1868/9], married, Baker (Journeyman), worker, b. Bovey Tracey
   Mary Ann Brown, wife, female, 42 [1868/9], married 22 years, 11 children born to marriage, 8 children still living, b. Plymouth
   Eleanor Brown, daughter, female, 18 [1892/3], single, Bar Girl, worker, b. Morice Town
   William John Brown, son, male, 16 [1894/5], single, Mangle Worker, worker, b. Plymouth
   Elsie Brown, daughter, female, 14 [1896/7], School, b. Barnstaple
   Lily Brown, daughter, female, 12 [1898/9], School, b. Cullompton
   James Brown, son, male, 10 [1900/1], School, b. Cornwall
   Reginald Brown, son, male, 8 [1902/3], b. Cornwall
   Winnifred Brown, daughter, female, 4 [1906/7], b. Plymouth
   Dorothy Brown, daughter, female, 2 [1908/9], b. Devonport

5. ↑ ^5.0 5.1 General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Plymouth County Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 1 Pear Tree Cottages, John Street, Plymouth, Devon
   MAY Frank, male, b. 1 May 1889, married, general labourer A.R.P.
   MAY Elsie, female, b. 30 Apr 1894, married, unpaid domestic duties
   MAY [crossed out and replaced: STOREY] Ruth, female, b. 31 Dec 1922, single, tailoress
   MAY, Ronald, male, b. 1 Nov 1925, single, at school

6. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Elsie MAY, June Quarter 1946, Plymouth Registration District, Volume 5b, page 321, aged 52 [1893/4]