Page 65 - ‘A Blaker Family History’ The family history of Joseph Blaker (1916-2007; ‘Joe’)

© The Blaker Society
© The Blaker Society

Neil and Kate McClaren. In that record, Mary was recorded as an 18 year-
old single woman.

Mary and ‘Alf’ were married in June 1901. Their marriage certificate
confirms ‘Alf’s’ age as 19 years, and his address as 3 Stanton Square,
Sydenham – the home of his sister and brother-in-law, Emily and Joseph
Grist. Mary’s age is also recorded as 19 years, but this is inconsistent with
the birth certificate attributed to her, which, if correct, would put her age
at just 16 years – below the legal age for marriage! Equally disturbing is
that no trace has been found in any English County for Mary Ann’s
address which she gave as ‘63 Heardley Road, Streatham’.

It is assumed that ‘Alf’ and Mary Ann chose to get married in Lower
Sydenham as that was the area where ‘Alf’ was living – Stanton Square has
since been demolished, and is now part of the Stanton Square Industrial
Estate.

The witnesses to ‘Alf’ and Mary Ann’s wedding were Joseph Albert Grist –
‘Alf’s’ brother-in-law, and Lily Maud Blaker – presumably ‘Alf’s’ sister,
Lavinia Hetty under another name incarnation?

Proximity of Stanton Square to St. Michael & All Angels Church, Lower Sydenham

6.22.2 Alfred John Blaker and Mary Ann Martin
The church in which ‘Alf’ and Mary were married was destroyed in 1940.
A new building was built on the site in 1955/56, and the road has been
renamed as Champion Crescent.

At the time of their marriage, ‘Alf’ was working as a ‘Plate Layer’, together
with his brother-in-law, Joseph Albert Grist, and employed by the London,
Brighton and South Coast Railway.

Based upon their children’s birth certificates, their school records, and
the lists of Electoral Voters, we can trace at least some of the addresses
where ‘Alf’ and Mary Ann lived as:
• 95 High Street, Norwood – c. 1904
• 12 Dunbar Street, Norwood – c. 1907
• 4a Eaton Cottages, Ernest Street, Norwood – c. 1909 –
c.1911
• 7 Auckland Place, Auckland Hill, Norwood – c. 1918 - c.
1932
• 32 Wolfington Road, West Norwood – c. 1939 – c. 1945
• 15 Wolfington Road, West Norwood – c. 1946 – c. 1961

With the exception of the properties in Wolfington Road, the other
locations have been demolished and redeveloped. However, it is evident
that they were all located in close proximity to each other.