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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

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.

Found Ethel's birth:

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

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

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

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.

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

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

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.

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

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).

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

Cook
HENRY STODDARD NICHOLSON
Regiment & Unit/Ship
Merchant Navy
M.V. Inverdargle (Glasgow)
Date of Death
Died 16 January 1940
Age 37 years old
Buried or commemorated at
TOWER HILL MEMORIAL
Panel 58.
United Kingdom

1939 Register
16 Albert Terrace, Whitley Bay, Whitley Bay U.D., Northumberland, England

Thomas Nicholson 17 Feb 1890 Male Insurance Agent Married 370 1
Ethel M Nicholson 05 Mar 1897 Female Unpaid Domestic Duties Married 370 2
The record for this person is officially closed.


Deaths Jun 1969 (>99%)
NICHOLSON Thomas 17FE1890 NTHMBLD.S. 1B 1039

So, from all the above -

If it was your Ethel who married Henry S Nicholson, they must have separated before 1935, or else she died.

I don't see her as Nicholson in 1939, and don't see either a remarriage or death unless she had moved to some other part of the country - in which case it's impossible to tell which record might be hers.

NOT this marriage:

Marriages Mar 1932 (>99%)
Halliday Thomas H Nicholson S.Shields 10a 1358
Nicholson Ethel M Halliday S. Shields 10a 1358

That woman was a spinster, and was born in August 1909, per 1939 Register.

Im going to send for the marriage certificate.

As ErikaH pointed out : The 1923 marriage was to a HENRY S....

Did anyone find John Joseph in the 1891 Census

Incidentally, thank you so much for all your help everyone, gratefully appreciated.

I have found this for John Joseph May

UK, WWI Service Medal and Award Rolls, 1914-1920
R.A.S.C. (Royal Army Service Corps.) Pte. M/371701
Discharged: 14/08/1918
British War Medal and Victory Medal

which would put him at 59 yrs of age.
The records themselves are unaccessible.

The Royal Army Service Corps (RASC) was a corps of the British Army responsible for Military Admin - land, coastal and lake transport, air despatch, barracks administration, the Army Fire Service, staffing headquarters' units, supply of food etc.
So it could be him. My Grandad on my father side was in "dads army" at the same age.

Have you checked how many John Joseph May births were registered????

John Joseph was born c1859-60.

I doubt if he would be in the army in WW1, aged 55-59 - unless he lied about his age.
The upper age limit at that time was 51, including for the RASC.

"Dad's army" in WW2 was for men unfit (or too old or young) for front-line service.



This is the same man as above, though no further info:

John J May
in the UK, British Army World War I Medal Rolls Index Cards, 1914-1920
Name John J May
Military Date 1914-1920
Military Place England, Wales, Scotland, Ireland, United Kingdom
Regiment or Corps Army Service Corps
Regimental Number M/371701

The Home Guard in WW2 was also for men in reserved occupations.