Ada RANDELL 1875
Ada Randell was the second child of James and Esther Randell. She was born in Trimingham 14 years after her older sister Mary. At the time of Ada's birth in July 1875 her mother, Esther, was already 37. Her father James was almost 45 and yet to assume the role of Trimingham, sub-postmaster which seems instrumental in defining Ada's future.
Ada lived with her parents and sister, until aged 23, when she married Edward Howe, a 26 year old Telegrapher with the post office. Edward and Ada married in Trimingham 7 June 1899. Ada was described, spinster daughter of James Randell Postmaster. The signatures of Edward, Ada and James.
In the year immediately after the marriage Ada and Edward were living in a modest but comfortable bay fronted, three bedroom stone terrace house in Avenue Road, Norwich. This address can still be found today.
In the census of 1901 a 'visitor', Matilda Bell was staying with them. Matilda was a spinster schoolmistress, age 67 who was born in Norwich, but spent most of her adult life in Falmouth. Her connection to the family remains unclear, leaving open the possibility she may have been a family friend, a relative of the Howe family, or less likely, overspill from a neighbour or even a paying guest.
By the 1911 census, Ada and Edward were listed living at 26 Lincoln Street, Norwich with their only daughter Laila Mary who was aged 3. Edward, recorded himself as aged 38 employed as a Telegraphist. In contrast Ada had no formal occupation but to assist her with this was Winifred Clark, a 17 year old girl from Trimingham, employed as general domestic servant.
A couple of additional pieces of information came to light seven years later in the War Service record of Edward D Howe. Included in the detail, with the name of his wife, Ada Randell of Trimingham, was the date of his marriage 7 June 1899, and the birth details of his dependants, who on this instance was Laila Mary Howe born 28 May 1907 in Norwich. Given that the information was recorded in April 1818, it seems reasonable to assume that Laila was an only child.
The death of Ada Howe
was registered in October 1961.
|
Edward Daniel HOWE 1873
Edward Daniel Howe was born April 1873 in Norwich, Norfolk. He was the eldest child of Edward and Anna Howe, who were also born and raised in Norwich. The family lived for the duration of the young Edwards childhood in a southern suburb of Norwich, at 219 Queens Road, Lakenham. Today Queens Road is a busy thoroughfare. It appears their family home still exists, but has undergone some external changes and is now an X-Press Store. All this is significant, in that Edward senior, changed occupation from Bank Messenger to News Agent between the 1891 and 1901 National Census.
Edward was the eldest of six children, he had four sisters, Alice 1875, Lea 1877, Ethel 1879 and Gertrude 1881. He also had a much younger brother, Ernest born in 1885. His sister Ethel was a photographers assistant but each of the other children were assigned a role in the family business.
Edward on the other hand worked with the General Post Office as a Telegraphist, a job that gave him a loose connection with the Post Office in Trimingham and of course, his future wife Ada.
The London Gazette, 27 January 1891 published the new appointments in the Post Office, this list included "Edward Daniel Howe, age 17 (Norwich) – Sorting Clerks & Telegraph Learners". In 1891 Telegraphic communication was in it's infancy using the 'Morse code' to communicate by land wires and later radio. By 1906 the introduction of Wireless Telegraphy enabled for the first time voice communication with ships at sea. During the Great War, Royal Navy Telegraphists were indispensable.
Edward Daniel Howe married Ada Randell in Trimingham in 7 June 1899 and Edward's 1918 War Service record lists his dependants as, wife Ada and daughter Laila Mary born 28 May 1907. The 1911 census obviously confirms this.
He enlisted in the Royal Engineers, Signal Section, on the 18 April 1818 in Norwich. With military precision he was noted as a Wesleyan, aged 45 years and 4 months and living at 26 Lincoln St, Norwich. An accompanying letter outlined that he was a skilled and qualified Telegrapher and should be treated as such. In due course he was given the number 371935 and the rank of private.
Edward D Howe died in 1968, he was aged 95 years and his death was registered in the North Walsham district. His wife Ada, didn't do quite as well, she died October 1961 at the identical location aged 86 years. In the same series of records, Leila Howe born 28 April 1907 is recorded as dying October 1990 aged 83 years. Whilst the spelling of her name and her birth date vary slightly from her father's war service record, I would be confident that she is one and the same. That being the case, it can be assumed that Laila Mary Howe never married or had children and therefore logic would dictate that the line of James Randell closed in October 1990.
Edward Daniel and Ada had one child;
Laila Mary HOWE 1907 Norwich, Norfolk
|
