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Pear Tree Green, by the Itchen

The Mysterious Mr. King

Henry Francis King (aka Harry or Frank) was born on July 10, 1898, in the parish of St. Mary Extra (now part of Itchen Parish), Southampton. His birth certificate says he was born at 9 Valkyrie Road, Pear Tree Green -Valkyrie Rd. is not there today, but Pear Tree Green can be seen on the map left, just north of the Itchen Bridge.

The birth certificate shows him as just Henry, no middle name but he was using Francis later in life (this is not unusual, in those days they seem to have regarded the naming during christening as more important than mere certificates). His father is shown as William King, which should have been Thomas William King (unless his father really was someone else, but his later marriage cert. says Thomas.), and his mother as 'Alice King formerly Farrer'. However, she was not married to Thomas, just calling herself Mrs. King.

Alice could not marry Thomas because he already had a wife, Emily (nee White). They were married in 1889 and had two children, Tom b.1895, and Winnie b.1897, all living in central Southampton, just across the Itchen. Emily gave birth to Winnie in the last quarter of 1897 - by which time Alice was pregnant with Henry. It would appear that Thomas King abandoned his wife and children when he met Alice Farrer. (Perhaps the future actions of Harry/Frank should be judged in context of the example being set to him by his father).

Thomas had been a clerk in his father's coal merchant business, but by the time Henry was born he had moved to being a clerk in a corn store, presumably because his family did not approve of his lifestyle. It is not known whether Henry ever knew his half-siblings in Southampton.

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Henry King, birth certificate

Greaves Farm 2005
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1901 Census

The next record we have is the 1901 census when Henry and his mother Alice were at Greaves Farm on Saddleworth Moor, Lancashire. Alice's stepmother had recently died and she was visiting her family at the time of the census - in which she described herself as Alice King, married, age 25, along with Henry King, age 2, born in Woolston, Hampshire.

Alice's family were originally from Yorkshire, but her father spent some years living and working in Brighton, then Southampton. Alice had remained on the south coast with Thomas King when her family returned north not long before Henry was born.

The census also shows Thomas as a boarder in Adelaide Rd., Southampton, just across the Itchen. His wife Emily, with Tom and Winnie, were living not far away - nothing further is currently known of them.

Greaves Farm, Thurston in the 19th century

Births Dec 1905 - King Joseph S. Stoneham 2c 59

Births 1911 Mary M. King South Stoneham March 2c 86

Siblings

In the last quarter of 1905 Thomas and Alice had another son, Joseph.

On December 21st, 1907 their daughter Dorothy Alice King, known as Dolly, was born in Sholing Road, not far from Pear Tree Gardens where Henry was born. Thomas (now appearing correctly as Thomas William King) appears to have been in the same job as 'Storekeeper/grains'. Alice was still claiming to be 'Alice King formerly Farrer'.

In the first quarter of 1911 their fourth and last child, Mary Maud was born within the same registration district. Thomas and Alice had been living as man and wife for 13 years by this time.

The 1911 Census shows the King family living at 'Polruan Merry', Oak Rd. Itchen Southampton. The four children were Henry 14, Joseph 6, Dorothy 4, and Mary Maud 2 months. Thomas King was still a storekeeper.

And they had a boarder.... Martha Gower, age 65. Martha was born nearby but had married George Gower from the Folkestone area of Kent. In 1911 She is shown as widowed and had presumably returned to be near other members of her family.

Dorothy Alice King birth certificate 1907

14 Bucklers Road, Hardway, Gosport in 2005. Where Alice was living, apparently with her four children, when she married Jack. Below, the view across Portsmouth Harbour from the Jolly Roger pub, next to the house above. Whale Island, where Jack was based is directly opposite, there would have been a Naval ferry for a direct connection.

1913 - Jack Gower

At some point while they were living in the Woolston/Sholing area, Thomas and Alice had become friendly with a young Royal Marine, John Gower, known as Jack - the nephew of their boarder, Martha Gower. He was from Kent and based in Gosport.

He sent them the postcard on the right, from Devonport, addressing 'Mr. & Mrs King'. Unfortunately the date and some of the text on the back are illegible but it suggests he knew them quite well.

Right: POST CARD. postmark: Devonport date illegible.
Address: Mr. King, ??? ??? Nr. Southampton, Hants, England.
Message: Dear Mr. and Mrs. King
Please be very carefull (sic) how you look at this. The last lesson(?) got completely ???? The photo is alright but like ????? (don't laugh) ??? ??? all before. ??? ??? ???
Jack Gower

The next thing we know for certain is that on October 13, 1913, Alice Farrer, now describing herself as 'spinster', married Jack Gower at Portsmouth Registry Office. They both gave false ages on the marriage certificate - he was actually 24, and she was 39.

Alice was living at 14 Bucklers Road, Hardway, Gosport, and Jack was at HMS Excellent (Whale Island, Portsmouth). Alice appears to have have taken all four of her children away from Thomas King and moved them to Gosport. It is not known exactly when they moved but probably some time before the marriage, and certainly after Mary was born in 1911.

At the time of the marriage, Henry was 15, and this must have been the first he knew of his parents not being married. Illegitimacy was serious matter in those days and this major upheaval must have had an impact on him. He would probably have left school the previous year, at 14, but it is not known what he was doing at this time. Joseph was 8, Dolly 5 and Mary 2.

Jack Gower

Jack & Alice marriage certificate 1913

Mill Lane in 2005. No.6 was at the left end of the terrace (now re-numbered as Upper Mill Lane no longer exists). Below the view of the Marines Barracks (now part of St. Vincent's College) from the door of No.6

Mill Lane, Gosport

Soon after the marriage Jack, Alice and the four children were living at 6 Edward Place, Upper Mill Lane (now re-numbered as 6 Mill Lane), Gosport, directly opposite the Royal Marines barracks. Jack and Alice had a daughter, Queenie Lilian Gower, born there on August 29, 1914.

On May 31, 1916, Jack Gower was on board H.M.S. Malaya at the Battle of Jutland. He was badly burned in an explosion and died on June 10 near Edinburgh where the Malaya was based. He was buried at Anne's Hill Cemetery, Gosport.

At this time Alice was expecting their second child Vera, who was born on July 23, 1916. (Birth 1916 - Vera Gower, Sep, Alverstoke 2b 928 mother Farrer)

Meanwhile Henry celebrated his 18th birthday on July 10, but it is not known where he was at that time. A few months later he was recorded as being in the army, and may have already signed up some time earlier.

Queenie Gower birth certificate, 1914

Jack, Alice & Queenie, probably October 1915

Vera & Queenie 1917

Death 1918 - Joseph King, age 13, Dec. Alverstoke 2b 1316

Marriage to Daisy

On October 14, 1916, Henry King (still no 'Francis') married Daisy May Seymour at Alverstoke Registry Office.

Henry's occupation was given as 'Sapper, Royal Engineers'. His father is shown as Thomas King (deceased), also a Sapper R.E. It is not known when Thomas died but probably during the early years of WWI, which is consistent with stories handed down by the family. We have no details of Henry's time in the army - his service record may be available, but many WWI army records were destroyed during the bombing of WWII.

At the time of the marriage Henry, age 18 (he gave his age as 22 on the marriage certificate), and Daisy, age 23 (22 on the cert.), were both living at 6 Upper Mill Lane Forton - with Alice 40, Joe 11, Dolly 9, Mary 5, Queenie 2 and Vera 3 months. Daisy's father is given as Henry Seymour, painter, but we do not know why she was not living with him until she married.

Near the end of 1918 Joseph King died age 13, apparently from the influenza epidemic, and was buried in the same grave as Jack Gower.

Henry King and Daisy Seymour marriage cert. 1916

Daughter Margaret

Henry was back from the war, and presumably now out of the army. It is not known what he was doing in the war but if he was in the trenches it would no doubt have had another impact on his personality - what we would now call 'post traumatic stress syndrome' was very common amongst those who survived.

On March 23, 1920, Daisy gave birth to Margaret Patricia Fernaundre Lillian King. The family was living at 7, The Green, Gosport, and Henry's occupation was 'Taxi Cab driver - ex-Army' (Alverstoke, Jun 2b 1176)

Near the end of 1922 Daisy died of TB at the age of 29. (Alverstoke, Dec. 2b 649)

Without the certificates we do not know where they were living or what Henry, apparently now known as Harry, was doing for a living. He was still only 24 years old in 1922.

After Daisy's death, Margaret went to live with Daisy's brother and his wife -Walter and Ethel Seymour, aged around 40, at 68 St Edwards Road, Gosport. The Seymours were known to the King-Gower family, including Margaret's grandmother, Alice, at Mill Lane who were still there until Margaret was eight years old. But for whatever reason, Margaret was never told about them, or at least she never told her children about them. They were also told nothing about Harry, except that he had disappeared 'up north'.

Louisa, Doreen and 'Frank'

On the first of September 1924, less than two years after Daisy's death, Harry had another daughter - Doreen Esmé King.

Harry is shown as 'Henry Francis King, Motor bus driver' - the first formal use of 'Francis', and it would seem that he had now taken to calling himself 'Frank'. Doreen's mother was 'Louisa Alice King formerly Purser' - but she was not married to Harry/Frank, just calling herself Mrs. King (deja vu). At the time of Doreen's birth Frank was 26 and Louisa was 33. They were living at 1 St. Ann's Crescent, Ann's Hill, Gosport.

Doreen King, birth certificate 1924

Marriage 1931, Jessie Farrer m. Ernest G. Pitt, Fareham Mar. 2b 977

Death of Alice

At some time between 1924 and '28, Frank, Louisa and Doreen moved to Somers Road, Southsea, where he had apparently found employment driving coaches between Portsmouth and London.

Also by that time Alice's sister Jessie had moved down from Yorkshire to live with the family at 6 Mill Lane. She had been housekeeper for her widowed father, who died in 1914, and substitute mother to her young step-brothers. Jessie then moved to Somers Road to live with Frank, Louisa and Doreen.

On July 29, 1928, Frank's mother, Alice, died of stomach cancer. She had been nursed through her illness by Dolly, now aged 20, and who now became mother to Vera 12, Queenie 14 and Mary 17.

There seems to have been some arrangement between Frank and Dolly for the four girls to move to Somers Road, apparently at Frank's invitation, but later considered by Vera to have been 'the biggest mistake of our lives' as she says they could have stayed in the Mill Lane house with Jack Gower's Marines pension.

There were now eight of them in a 3 bedroom house. Frank shared the main bedroom with Louisa, and four year old Doreen; the four girls shared the middle room and Jessie had the small bedroom. Not suprisingly relationships became strained, with Louisa at one point wanting Frank's youngest sisters moved to the Royal Marines orphanage.

Two years later, in 1930, Frank is thought to have found another job driving coaches from London to the North of England. He left everyone behind and they never saw or heard from him again, with one small exception below.

Louisa and Doreen went to live with Louisa's sister, thought to have been in Goodwood Road, Southsea, but we currently have no further information about them.

Jessie Farrer became housekeeper for Ernest Pitt in Fareham. She married him in 1931 and eventually inherited his house.

The four King-Gower sisters moved into one room in Albert Road, Southsea.

Some years later Dolly and Vera were in the Stokes Bay area when Vera says they saw Frank. Dolly wanted to pass by unnoticed but Vera insisted on speaking to him, only to find that he didn't want to know them. Apart from that, nothing was known of his whereabouts after 1930.

Alice Gower death certificate, 1928

The Missing 39 Years : 1930-1969

At some point during these years Henry (aka Harry/Frank) met Violet Ada Norris (nee Rich) - there is currently no confirmation whether they ever married, Violet may have been just calling herself Mrs. King (deja vu, deja vu).

Violet was born 14.01.1894 in Fulham, and had previously married Charles William Norris (a Lieutenant in the Army and 28 at the time) at Christ's Church in Fulham on 31.10.1917. They had three daughters in 1921, 24 and 26 - the last one apparently born in Emsworth, Hampshire.

It would appear that Charles Norris was the manager of a local bus company and employed Henry King, possibly in a sales position, and all this seems to have been back on the south coast in the 1930s or early 40s. Violet then 'took up' with Henry and left Charles who returned to London.

Henry became step-father to the three girls and they eventually moved to his home town of Southampton where he became a florist, though we are told that Violet did most of the work in the florist shop to pay for Henry's drinking and gambling. Apparently the three step-daughters were keen to leave home as soon as possible.

Death of Henry Francis King

Death - Registration District: Southampton

Date & Place : Twenty-Third September, 1969, 9 Mallwood Avenue, Southampton

Name etc : Henry Francis King, male, born 10th July, 1898. Florist (retired), 9 Mallwood Avenue, Southampton

Informant: Moira Rosemary Kirkby, daughter [now known to be one of three step-daughters, she died in 2006/7], "Ashley," Chilworth Road, Southampton

Cause: a. Massive acute pulmonary embolism. b. Deep thrombo phlebitis. c. Uraemia. d. Hydronephrosis and prostatic obstruction Natural Causes. Certified by M.F.J. Emanuel, Coroner for Southampton after post mortem without inquest.

Henry Francis King
death certificate