Ernest Edward Taylor in the 1921 Census

 Ernest Edward Taylor (1879 – 1944) was an elder brother of my grandfather William Taylor (1890 – 1972). There is an item about Edward’s life on this blog.

The 1921 census shows Ernest (aged 42, born in Weedon, Northamptonshire) living at 310 High Street, Plumstead with his wife Annie (43, born in Charlton) and daughter Hazel (5, born in Woolwich). Ernest was a “Technical foreman, explosives” at the Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Also living at the address was Annie’s sister Florence Lily Atley (31, born in Charlton), her husband William Henry Atley (27, born in Greenwich, a cable worker at Siemens Bros, electrical engineers, Woolwich) with their children William Edward (3, born in Woolwich) and Florence Lily (1, born in Woolwich). Also listed are Jane Bradley (72, born in Blackfriars, a widow), Annie’s mother. Also, Ralph Edward Winter (22, born in Hackney, out of work), who was an orphan and is described as Ernest’s adopted brother. Finally, Alice Wood (44, born in Woolwich, widowed, out of work), a visitor.  

Google Street View shows that the house (which is opposite St Nicholas Gardens) still exists. It is a two storey terraced property, apparently of medium size. The census shows that it had 6 rooms. Instructions for enumerators told them to include kitchens but exclude bathrooms and sculleries in the room total. It must have been crowded with 10 people living there! Edward and Annie were still living at 310 Plumstead High Street in 1938.

William Taylor and his family in the 1921 census

 This blog contains an item about the life of my grandfather, William Taylor (1890-1972). He had 3 children by his first wife Gertrude (nee Wilkins), who died of influenza in 1919, and married Gertrude's sister Ethel in 1920. Ethel was a widow, her first husband William Suter died in 1914. They had two children, one of which died of influenza in 1919, a week before Gertrude's death. In 1921 William and his family lived at 51 Charles Street, Woolwich.

The 1921 census shows William Taylor at 14 Hibernia Street, Ramsgate as a boarder in the house of Arthur Gower (aged 40) and his wife Helen May (33). The census was recorded in June 1921, so William and his family were probably in Ramsgate on holiday. William is shown as aged 32, an explosive worker at Royal Arsenal, Woolwich. Also listed are his wife Ethel (38) and children Eric (8), Vera (5) and Ronald (2). The census return wrongly states that both of the children's parents are alive. Ethel's daughter Doris Suter, aged 17, a machine hand in "Shirt Stores, Wood St, Woolwich" and Gladys Sullivan (17) are also listed. Gladys had the same occupation and place of work as Doris, they were probably friends.

Google Street View indicates that the property at 14 Hibernia Street no longer exists, there is modern housing where it stood.