Greatrix-Thacker Family Tree Website
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Updated:18/03/21
ID:878 Florence May Whiting (Tomlinson,Byatt) 1887-1964?
Lisas 2nd Great Aunt
Birth    4 MAY 1887 Little Bowden, Northamptonshire
Death Poss 1964 Poss. Bromley, Kent
Spouse   Rowland Charles Tomlinson (b.1886)
Spouse   Albert Byatt (b.1884)
1887
4 May 1887 - Birth of Florence May Whiting
Florence May Whiting was the third child of of William Charles and Hannah Whiting (nee Marshall). She was born in Little Bowden,Northamptonshire.
1891
5th April 1891 - 1891 Census for '12, Buckley Square, Ardwick, Lancs'
Name                    
 		Relationship    Age     Est YOB Gender   Birth County                      Occupation
William Whiting Head                29       1862       Male Boltoph Claydon, Bucks Foreman Stay Maker
Hannah Whiting Wife 29 1862 Female Wallbrook, Staffs  
William Whiting Son 8 1883 Male Great Bowden, Leics Scholar
Elizabeth Whiting Daughter 6 1885 Female Great Bowden, Leics Scholar
Florence Whiting Daughter 3 1888 Female   Little Bowden, Northants  
Frederick Whiting Son 1 1890 Male Little Bowden, Northants  
By 1891, the family had moved to Ardwick, in Lancashire. Their address on the census is 12, Buckley Square. Florences father, William, 29,  was a Foreman Stay Maker in the Corset Factory. 
Between 1892 and 1896 the family moved back to Great Bowden, Leicestershire
1901
31st March 1901 - 1901 Census for '18, The Green, Great Bowden'
Name                       
 		Relationship    Age     Est YOB Gender    Birth County                 Occupation                                   
William Whiting  Head               
 		38        1863       Male    Claydon, Berkshire Foreman in Corset Stay Factory
Hannah Whiting Wife 38 1863 Female Hallbrook, Staffs  
Elizabeth A Whiting Daughter 16 1885 Female Great Bowden, Leics Eyeletter in Corset Stay Factory
Florence M Whiting Daughter 13 1888 Female Little Bowden, Leics  
Harold Whiting Son 9 1892 Male        Timperley, Cheshire  
Arthur E M Whiting Son 4 1897 Male        Great Bowden, Leics
 		 
Dorothy Whiting Daughter 2 1899 Female Great Bowden, Leics  
Ernest Whiting Son 2 1899 Male        Great Bowden, Leics  
Hilda E Whiting Daughter 3 mths 1901 Female Great Bowden, Leics  
1903
1903 Death of brother, Ernest
1906
1st March 1906 - Marriage to Rowland Charles Tomlinson 
March 1906 to September 1907
Florence and Rowland live at various addresses in Rotherham including 73, Pembroke Street and 63 , Pembroke Street
September 1907
Florence and Rowland move to 90 High Street Barrow in Furness where Rowland commences a business as a Green Grocer.
In March 1912, Rowland filed for divorce on the grounds of adultery by Florence with Albert Byatt, although the couple were already seperated and were estranged before she began a relationship with Albert .

The divorce papers tell us that Rowland was a Wagon Builder and lived at 45 Pembroke Street, Rotherham in February 1912.

It gives us an account of their relationship after they married :

'That after the said marriage your petitioner (Rowland) lived and co-habited with his said wife (Florence) at 73 Pembroke Street, Rotherham, aforesaid Wilton Lane, Rotherham, aforesaid, 63 Pembroke Street, Rotherham aforesaid, and 90 High Street, Barrow in Furness, and there is no issue of the said marriage.
That in or about the month of September 1907 your petitioner and his said wife went to Barrow in Furness and there your partitioner commenced business at 90 High Street as a Green Grocer which business failed, and on January 3rd 1908 your petitioner returned to Rotherham aforesaid to obtain employment but his said wife refused to return with him, and your petitioner has not seen her since, and was unable to trace her whereabouts until the month of February 1912.
That during the months of May, June and July 1909 the said Florence May Tomlinson committed adultery with Albert Byatt at Great Bowden near Market Harbourough.
That on 13th day of March 1910 the said Florence May Tomlinson  gave birth to a female child of which Albert Byatt is the putative father and he is contributing to its support.'

The decree nisi was granted on 15th October 1912 and became absolute on 16th June 1913.
January 3rd 1908 - The couple seperate
Rowlands business failed and on 3rd January 1908 he returned to Rotherham but Florence refused to join him and the couple seperated. We believe she returned to her parents home in Great Bowden.
In 1909 Florence began a relationship with future husband Albert Byatt.
1910 
13th March 1910 - Birth of daughter Kathleen Dorothy
Right: 18, The Green, Great Bowden today.
1911
2 April 1911 - 1911 Census for '18, The Green, Great Bowden'
Name                                        
 		Relationship     Age     Est YOB Gender    Birth County                    Occupation                                  
William Charles Whiting Head                49        1862      Male         Boltoph Claydon, Bucks Labourer at Rubber Works
Hannah Whiting Wife 49 1862 Female
 		   
Florence May Tomlinson Daughter 24 1887 Female Little Bowden Laundress
Frederick Charles Whiting Son 21 1890 Male         Little Bowden Co-operative Asst in Shop
Harold Whiting Son 19 1892 Male         Timperley, Cheshire Painter
Arthur Edward Whiting Son 14 1897 Male         Great Bowden Stay Hand in Corset Factory
Dorothy Whiting Daughter 12 1899 Female Great Bowden School
Hilda Whiting Daughter 10 1901 Female Great Bowden School
Kathleen Dorothy Tomlinson Granddaughter 1 1910 Female Great Bowden  
1913
27th March 1913 - Birth of daughter Violet Byatt .
1913 - 16th June - Florence's divorce becomes absolute.
1915
10th December 1915 - Albert gets called up for Active Duty
From his service records we know that Albert got attestested to the army at the end of 1915. His profession is listed as Chaffeur, he is 31 years old. 
Their address is Main Street, Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire.
19th October 1916 - Albert is on Expeditionary force at Salonika (Macedonian Front)
1916 - 24th December - Florence & Albert marry.
1914
27th March 1914 - Birth of daughter, Violet Byatt in Market Harborough, Leicestershire.
S: England and Wales Birth Registration Index, 1837-2008 / 1939 Registry
1917
15 July 1917 - Baptism of daughter Kathleen Byatt,  at Little Easton, Essex.
Albert Byatts occupation is Chaffeur.
The familys residence is Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire.
S:Essex Baptisms
15 July 1917 - Baptism of daughter Violet Byatt, age 3,  at Little Easton, Essex.
Albert Byatts occupation is Chaffeur.
The familys residence is Kirby Muxloe, Leicestershire.
S:Essex Baptisms
1919 -11th November 1919
Alberts ID Certifcate tells us he was a private in the RASC No: 222947. He was granted 28 days furlough on the 11/11/1919 exactly a year after it was declared that Germany had surrendered.
By 1939 Albert & Florence had moved to Cromer in Norfolk and had bought and were running a boarding house near the coast.
Albert was also a member of the RAF Observer Corps. Kathleen and Violet were both schoolteachers. There were five guests staying at the boarding house including Llewelyn Phillips, an electrical engineer, a retired lady Elizabeth Ann Goulder, Mary Victoria Danks and Minnie Kathleen Allen, both school teachers, and  Arthur William Collis, a bank clerk and also a volunteer for the RAF Observers.
1939
29 September 1939 -  '1939 Registry for Shaftsbury, Cabell Road, Cromer, Norfolk'
Name                              
 		Gender    DOB              Status        Occupation                           
Albert Byatt                      Male 20/04/1884    Married Boarding House Prop          
Florence May Byatt Female  
 		04/05/1887 Married    Boarding House Prop  
Kathleen Dorothy Byatt Female 13/03/1910 Single School Teacher
Violet Byatt Female 27/03/1914 Single School Teacher
We are still unsure of Florences death. There is a record for 1964 registered in Bromley, Kent which could be Florence but we cannot verify it.