Arthur’s adoptive father William George Salmons was born on 9th June 1857 in Romford, Essex.
William’s parents were called William (variously described as a labourer, husbandman and a thatcher) and Elizabeth (nee Goodwin).
William was born in about 1830 and Elizabeth in about 1832 at Blythburgh, Suffolk. The couple were married at St Edward’s Church, Romford, on 10th October 1856. William died early the following year and was buried on 2nd February 1857, at St Edward’s, Romford. William did not live to see his son and namesake who was born in June that year.
At the time of the 1861 Census, William’s widowed mother Elizabeth was employed as a domestic cook at Paradise Place, Leyton, Essex. The whereabouts of William at this time is not clear.
Elizabeth remarried on 8th April 1866 at Walthamstow. Her husband and William’s new stepfather was George William How who was born in Walthamstow in about 1833.
At the time of the 1871 Census William was reunited with his mother. George How was working as a bricklayer and there were three additional children in the family. Priscilla born in 1866 and baptised at Leyton on the 23rd of September that year, George born in 1868 and baptised at Leyton on the 12th of April that year, and Christopher born in 1869 and baptised on the 6th of June that year at Walthamstow, Essex. The family lived at Shern Hall Place, West Ham.
Arthur’s adoptive mother Emily Stone nee Salmons was born on 13th August 1858 at Garden Street, St John Sepulchre, Norwich, Norfolk. Emily’s parents were called Philip and Hannah (nee Outlaw).
Philip was born on 3rd March 1835 in Arminghall, Norfolk and was baptised there on 15th March 1835. Hannah was born about 1831 in North Tuddenham, Norfolk. The couple were married on 19th December 1855 in Norwich. Philip could not write his own name and so placed a mark on the Marriage Register.
At the time of the 1861 Census Philip, Hannah and their two daughters Mary Elizabeth and Emily lived at Doris Lane, Norwich. Hannah was the head of the household. She was working as a dressmaker. Philip was a blacksmith.
At the time of the 1871 Census Emily was living at 125 Fleet Street, the London home of her uncle Alfred Stone (a waiter), his wife Susannah and one of their three children.
Arthur’s adoptive parents William and Emily were married on 8th August 1880 at the Nonconformist New Chapel, Church Path, Walthamstow. William was working as a labourer and lived at 10 Brandon Road and Emily lived in Hoe Street, both in Walthamstow.
Eight months later when the 1881 Census was taken William and Emily were living at 15 Cuthbert Road in Walthamthow. William was working as a gardener. They shared the address with William’s mother, Elizabeth How. She had been widowed for a second time and was working as a laundress. Her only daughter, Priscilla, was in service but lived at home while her younger sons, George and Christopher, were still at school.
William and Emily had two birth children: William Philip born on 9th January 1886 in Walthamstow and baptised there on 7th February 1886, and Maud Emily born on the 9th April 1888 in Walthamstow, and baptised at St Mary’s, Walthamstow on 6th May 1888.
On 26th December 1889 William’s half-sister, Priscilla How, married William Bish, a twenty-four-year-old gardener. The ceremony took place at St Peter and St Paul Church, Nutfield, Surrey. A son, George William Bish, was born on 22nd September 1890 at Rockshaw Cottages, in Chaldon, Caterham, Surrey. Priscilla died of typhoid fever on 14th October and was buried at St Peter and St Paul, Nutfield on 17th October 1890. Two days later her son was baptised at the same church.
William and Emily took on the care of their nephew. At the time of the 1891 Census, the family lived at Tower Cottages, High Street, Nutfield. William was working as a coachman and Emily was looking after their children William, Maud and adopted son George William Bish.
George Bish had a short life. On 21st January 1895 he succumbed to septicaemia, double pneumonia and peritonitis. His death took place at Rockshaw Cottages, the home of his father who had remarried on 23rd August 1891. George was buried on 28th January 1895, at St Peter and St Paul, Nutfield in a grave shared with his mother.
At the time of the 1901 Census, William and Emily lived at Waverley Court, Entrance Lodge, Camberley, Surrey. William was working as a gardener and Emily was looking after their children: confectioner’s apprentice William, scholar Maud Emily and an adopted son Arthur George Farmer (Salmons). It is not known when Arthur was introduced to the family but he was born about 1893 in Greenwich, Middlesex to an unknown woman.
William died on the 17th of March 1906 at Withdeane, Lower London Road, Camberley and was buried on 21st March 1906, at St Michael, York Town, Camberley.
At the time of the 1911 Census widowed Emily and her daughter Maud were both living-in at Virginia Cottage, Roman Road, Dorking. Emily worked as a cook and Maud as a housemaid. The whereabouts at this time of Emily’s son William is not known but he was to die of tuberculocis on 27th March 1913 at 74 Falkland Road, Dorking. In 1911 Emily’s adopted son Arthur was a footman to Norman McCorqudale at Winslow Hall, Winslow, Buckinghamshire.
On the 11th of March 1915 Maud married Charles Henry Childs at St Anne’s Church, Bagshot, Surrey. Less than a month later, on 4th April 1915, Arthur married Annie Agnes Daley at St Martin’s Church in Dorking. Arthur’s widowed mother, Emily, was one of the witnesses and his brother-in-law, Charles Henry Childs, was another. At the time of the marriage, the couple lived at 39 Hart Road in Dorking and Arthur was working as an assistant wine merchant.
Annie was born on 2nd August 1894 in Lowestoft, Suffolk to smacks man (fisherman) Joseph and Emily (nee Firman). Annie’s parents Joseph and Emily married on 4th November 1893 in Blundeston, Suffolk.
Charles Henry Childs was killed in action on 2nd December 1917 and his name appears on the South Street War Memorial, as do those of two of Emily Salmons nephews Frederick Henry Baxter and his brother Philip John Wood Baxter. Annie’s younger brother, Joseph, was a member of the Machine Gun Corps and died in France on 7th November 1918. At the time he was reported to be a native of Lowestoft and the son of Emily Daley nee Firman of 7 Hart Gardens, Dorking.
