Vol 2. Chapter 5 - A tangled web

Thomas Ward was the illegitimate son of Fat Granny, Louisa Ward. He was born before she married Henry Clark.  Thomas Ward married Alice (Skinny Granny). Their daughter was my grandmother, Eliza Ward.

In 1888 Henry Walters’ sister, Mary Ann (Known to my mother as “Aunt Min”), married Fat Granny’s son, Henry Clark jnr.  Henry Clark jnr was half-brother to Thomas Ward. (Both sons of Fat Granny).  Although only 6 years between them, my grandfather, Henry Walters was an uncle my marriage to my Grandmother, Eliza Ward. Henry and Eliza had known each other all of their lives.

How long Henry and Eliza’s affair had been going on, we don’t know, but we do know that Eliza fell pregnant in February 1914. The baby, my uncle Harry, was born on the 2^nd November 1914 at 4 Belfour Street, Battersea.  My grandmother actually lived at no 36 Belfour Street.

On his birth certificate, my Uncle Harry was named “Henry Walters” and my grandmother gave her name as “Eliza Walters, formerly Clark”.  None of these facts are true! Uncle Harry was actually born out of wedlock, legally his name was “Henry Ward”. Eliza was not married and had therefore no right to call herself Eliza Walters. She was the daughter of Thomas Ward and her maiden name was Eliza Ward.

In about 1906, Thomas Ward and his family move in with his step brother, Henry Clark and for some reason the whole Ward Family adopted the name, “Clark”.

It is a mystery as to why Henry Walters did not marry Eliza when she became pregnant. Why leave it to after the birth? There must have been some understanding that they would marry, otherwise why register Uncle Harry as “Henry Walters” and why give her name as “Eliza Walters”?

My grandparents were married on the 22^nd November 1914 at Christchurch, Camberwell, nearly three weeks after Uncle Harry was born. They did not, as was usual, marry at the Bride's local parish church. They chose instead to marry away from her home and parents.

On the marriage certificate my grandfather, Henry Walters, gave his address as 15 Grainger Street, Camberwell. It seems that he was living in the home of Amelia and Frederick Gardner.  Amelia was the daughter of Fat Granny, and was therefore both Eliza’s aunt and Henry’s sister’s sister in law. And where was Eliza living 3 weeks after giving birth? At 14 Grainger Street  -  the home of her grandmother, Louisa Clark (Aka Fat Granny). It is interesting that the marriage was not witnessed by a parents nor a close family member. Eliza correctly gives her name this time as “Eliza Ward”.

On Uncle Harry’s birth certificate, Eliza gave the father’s occupation as “Contractor’s Carman”.  He drove a horse and cart as a deliveryman. Three weeks later, on his marriage certificate, Henry gave his occupation as a “Packer” – someone who packed the goods onto the cart ready for delivery.

Four months after the outbreak of the First World War, the 27 year old Henry had not volunteered for the army. His second son, George, was conceived in the March of 1918, 9 months before the end of the First World War. There is no record of Henry ever serving in the First World War.  Perhaps he was prevented from doing so by the disease which was eventually to kill him.

After their marriage, Eliza and Henry set up home in “The Island”, Nine Elms at 20 Ponton Street. This was the very same house that Eliza’s parents, Skinny Granny and Thomas Ward, had lived in from 1899 to 1904.

On 17 December 1819 their second son, George was born, Tom followed in 1920. My mother, Margaret, was born 31 July 1922, followed by her sister, Eileen 1^st February 1925. Finally, their youngest son, Ben, was born 25^th May 1926.

Within 10 years Henry was dead.

Coming soon – The merry Widow