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Henry was a Seaman when he married in 1935,....father John............ and he died in 1940.........commemorated on the Tower Hill Memorial

He was a Cook when he died..................an apprentice baker in 1921, in South Shields.

1921 Census Of England & Wales
6, Barrow's Buildings, South Shields, Durham, England
John Joseph Nicholson Head Male 1856 64 Aspatria, Cumberland, England Commisioner Mr Henderson, Theatre De Line
Annie Nicholson Wife Female 1858 62 Workington, Cumberland, England Home Duties -
Henry Stodetard Nicholson Son Male 1903 18 Sunderland, Durham, England Baker Apprentice Mr Prince

Several trees on Ancestry have Ethel marrying Henry Stoddart Nicholson.

Children:

Births Sep 1924 (>99%)
Nicholson Henry May S.Shields 10a 16_0

Births Mar 1926 (>99%)
NICHOLSON Annie E May S.Shields 10a 1416

Births Sep 1929 (>99%)
Nicholson Isabel F May S. Shields 10a 1262

Isabel died in infancy, 1929.


BUT -
Henry Stoddart Nicholson married Elsie Crew in 1935, declaring himself to be a bachelor:

Marriages Sep 1935 (>99%)
Crew Elsie Nicholson Liverpool S. 8b 47
Nicholson Henry S Crew Liverpool S. 8b 47

They are together in 1939, with son Gordon (1935).

Back to the beginning...............................

Name Annie Burn May
Gender Female
Birth Date 27 Jul 1880
Baptism Date 5 Sep 1880
Baptism Place Gateshead, Durham, England
Father John Joseph May
Mother Dorothy May

MAY, ANNIE BURN ARMITAGE
GRO Reference: 1880 S Quarter in GATESHEAD Volume 10A Page 836


1881 England, Wales & Scotland Census
6, William Street, Gateshead, Durham, England
John J May Head Married Male 21 1860 (iron) driller in factory Newcastle on Tyne, Northumberland, England
Dorothy May Wife Married Female 18 1863 - Gateshead, Durham, England
Annie B May Daughter Single Female 0 1881 - Gateshead, Durham, England

Are you sure that's the right Ethel dying in 1978?

Your Ethel was born at the end of 1904 .
The one who died was apparently born in early 1897.

Ethel was born in 1904...not 1897

MAY, ETHEL MARGARET SERLE
GRO Reference: 1904 D Quarter in TYNEMOUTH Volume 10B Page 344

ADDED

Birth already posted above.......

The 1923 marriage was to a HENRY S.......the 1978 death was of a woman whose spouse was THOMAS

It would be very unusual but just about possible - poor woman if that is the case.

That Ethel's death, showing her DOB:

Deaths Sep 1978 (>99%)
NICHOLSON ETHEL MARGARET 5MR1897 N TYNESIDE W 2 1123

If that's correct, then Grace can't have been born in 1897.

But your Ethel was born in 1904.

Grace May
Age 4
Estimated Birth Year abt 1897
Relation to Head Daughter
Gender Female
Father John J May
Mother Ellen May
Birth Place Bath, Somerset, England
Civil parish Cramlington
Ecclesiastical parish Seghill
Town Cramlington Low Colliery
County/Island Northumberland
Country England
Registration District Tynemouth
Sub-registration district Earsdon
ED, institution, or vessel 25
Neighbors View others on page
Piece 4811
Folio 156
Page number 13
Household schedule number 64
Household members
Name Age
John J May 41
Ellen May 35
Ernest C May 10
Grace May 4
William E May 8/12

then in 1911 census Grace appears

Grace May
Age in 1911 17
Estimated Birth Year abt 1894
Relation to Head Servant
Gender Female
Birth Place Bath
Civil parish Gateshead
County/Island Durham
Country England
Street Address 5 Team Valley Terris
Marital Status Single
Registration District Number 557
Sub-registration district Gateshead
ED, institution, or vessel 04
Piece 30414
Household members
Name Age
Wm Pearson 63
Anne Pearson 63
Grace May 17

I have been unable to take her in later Census's.


As for Ethel Margaret May I found her in the 1921 Census

Ethel Margaret May
Gender Female
Marital Status Single
Age 16
Relation to Head Servant
Estimated Birth Year 1905
Birth Place Durham, Durham, England
Residence Date 1921
Residence Street Address 33 Baring Street, South Shields
Residence Place South Shields, Durham, England
Occupation General Domestic Servant
Occupation Code 900/7
Employer Private
Employer Code 760
Inhabited Y
Ward Hadrian
Parliamentary Division South Shields Pb
Registration District South Shields
Registration District Number 556
Sub registration district South Shields First
Sub Registration District Number 1
Respondent Mr Jas Johnston
Enumeration District Name South Shields Cb
Enumeration District 18
Schedule 79
Schedule Type Code E
Household members
Name Age
James Johnson 46
Elizabeth Johnson 58
Ethel Margaret May 16

then her marriage

Ethel M May
Registration Date Jul 1923
Registration Quarter Jul-Aug-Sep
Registration District South Shields
Inferred County Durham
Spouse Henry S Nicholson
Volume Number 10a
Page number 1587

and finally her death

Ethel Margaret Nicholson
Death Date 30 Aug 1978
Cemetery Whitley Bay Cemetery and Crematorium
Burial or Cremation Place Whitley Bay, Metropolitan Borough of North Tyneside, Tyne and Wear, England
Has Bio? N
Spouse Thomas Nicholson

Another child - who died:

MAY, FRANCES QUEENIE ANN mmn SERLE
GRO Reference: 1899 M Quarter in NEWCASTLE-UPON-TYNE Volume 10B Page 165


MAY, QUEENIE 0
GRO Reference: 1899 S Quarter in NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE Volume 10B Page 74

Found Ethel's birth:

MAY, ETHEL MARGARET mmn SERLE
GRO Reference: 1904 D Quarter in TYNEMOUTH Volume 10B Page 344

1921 Census Of England & Wales
33, Baring Street, South Shields, Durham, England

Household members (3 people)
First name(s) Last name Relationship to head Sex Birth year Age in years Birth place Occupation Employer
James Johnson Head
Male 1875 46 Gateshead, Durham, England Theatrical Manager Thompson & Collins Borough Theatre
Elizabeth Johnson Wife
Female 1863 58 Eston, Yorkshire, England Home Duties -
Ethel Margaret May Servant
Female 1905 16 Durham, Durham, England General Domestic Servant Private


Ethel Margaret? Place of birth was Cramlington.

Reposting 1911 for JJ and Mary. Already posted by Jinet.

1911 Census For England & Wales
14 Hillgate Gateshead, Gateshead, Durham, England

Household members (5 people)
First name(s) Last name Relationship to head Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
John Joseph May Head
Married Male 51 1860 General labourer Northumberland N C on Tyne
Mary Elizabeth May Wife
Married Female 31 1880 - Northumberland N C on Tyne
John William Ernest May Son
- Male 10 1901 School Northumberland Cramlington
Ethel Margret May Daughter
- Female 5 1906 - Northumberland Cramlington
William Charlton Brother in law
Single Male 20 1891 Miners coal putter Northumberland N C on Tyne

Sadly, the Gateshead birth of Grace May (posted by Abby) isn't the right one. Would have been nice if it had been!

MAY, GRACE mmn CLARK
GRO Reference: 1897 D Quarter in GATESHEAD Volume 10A Page 994

Parents:

Marriages Mar 1888 (>99%)
Clark Grace Gateshead 10a 1011
MAY Philip Gateshead 10a 1011

She's with her parents in Gateshead in 1911 and 1921.

Cemetery Registers, Gateshead District - Record Number: 1907522.12
Location: Gateshead, County Durham
Cemetery: Saltwell Cemetery
Denomination: any
7 Feb 1914 John J. May, died at Union Workhouse, age: 61, labourer

Births Dec 1897 (>99%)
May Grace Gateshead 10a 994

Have you ruled out this death?
I know the stated age is several years out . . . . . . but depends on what the informant thought.

MAY, JOHN JOSEPH 61
GRO Reference: 1914 M Quarter in GATESHEAD Volume 10A Page 1159


ADDED:
Have you found him, his wife Mary, or daughter Ethel , after 1911?

It would be useful to know if Mary was a widow, or remarried, by 1921.

You can’t say with any certainty that Grace was Ellen’s child as you state that there is no documentary evidence to support the idea.

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census
29, Claremont Street, Bristol, Gloucestershire, England

Household members (2 people)
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
Thomas Serle Head
Married Male 69 1832 - Warminster, Wiltshire, England
Ellen Serle Wife
Married Female 47 1854 Licensed victualler Tiverton, Devon, England

and

1901 England, Wales & Scotland Census
25, East Wood Row, Cramlington Low Colliery, Cramlington, Tynemouth, Northumberland, England

Household members (5 people)
First name(s) Last name Relationship Marital status Sex Age Birth year Occupation Birth place
John J May Head
Married Male 41 1860 Plasterer Newcastle on Tyne, Northumberland, England
Ellen May Wife
Married Female 35 1866 - Bristol, Gloucestershire, England
Ernest C May Son
- Male 10 1891 - Norwich, Norfolk, England
Grace May Daughter
- Female 4 1897 - Bath, Somerset, England
William E May Son
- Male 0 1901 - Seghill, Northumberland, England


I don't think they can be the same person, I'm afraid.

What's your thoughts ?

Ellen Flower m. Thomas Serle. 14/5/1888 in Bristol.

Thomas Serle b. 1832 in Bristol M. Elizabeth Headford 9/4/1855. Elizabeth d. Mar 1887 in Barton Regis.

Thomas Serle then marries Ellen Flowers 14/5/1888 she is 22 yrs he is 56 yrs.
Ellen Flowers b. 1866 in Bristol.

1891 Census : Thomas age 59 and Ellen 37 yrs.

1901 Census : Thomas and Ellen appear together.

Thomas D. 29/1/1904 in Bristol, Gloucester aged 72 yrs.
Probate: 29/2/1904 in Bristol to Ellen Serle widow £133.

So far so good, However, my Ellen (Serle) has a child in 1897 and in 1901 appears in the 1901 census in Cramlington, Northumberland with John Joseph May passing herself off as his wife

Could they be one and the same or am I just wishing too much ?

Yes, I tried that too but came up with nothing.

I also followed a possible marriage : Thomas Serle m. Ellen Flower m. 14/5/1888 in Bristol. but as I looked further into that line, I discovered it was completely incorrect. which was very frustrating.