George Harry DELLOW was born on 28th May 1875, second son of George and Ellen DELLOW. His birth address was 5, Melbourne Cottages, Victoria Rd, South Norwood.

In 1881 the family was living in Croydon. Harry was still at home(aged 15) in 1891, working as a clerk at a coal office. His address, 49, Albert Rd, is the one that he & Fanny married from 5 years later.

Harry's whereabouts become unknown after the birth of his third child Philip, until 1906/7.

Harry either had a second wife, or at least had a family with, another woman, Gertrude SIMMONS. The information I have about him is from my newly-found half-cousin Tony, through his second family. By 1908 Harry was living in Christchurch, Hants, and Gertrude was seemingly his wife(as per their child's birth cert.) His occupation was now an assistant hotel manager. By 1911, Harry & Gertrude had moved back to London. When their next son was born in 1912, Harry was a wine merchant's manager. The 1911 census shows Harry with his second family in Wandsworth.

Were Harry and Gertrude waiting for Fanny to die, so they could legally marry? As it happened, Fanny outlived Gertrude by a few months. Harry died on 12th May 1951, aged 75, and is buried in West Norwood Cemetery.

Fanny SHILCOCK was born in 1877 in Bourne, Lincs. third daughter of John Baxter and Alice SHILCOCK. In 1881, & 1891. Fanny was living at home in Bourne. Her father John was running The Nag's Head PH in Bourne, and Fanny will have resided at the pub with her five sisters. And then, at some point between 1891 and 1896, she moved to Surrey, and met Harry, her future husband; she was about 4 months pregnant when they married. I expect it was a 'shotgun wedding.' How this went down with her rather well-to-do family in Bourne is anyone's guess! I wonder if anyone from her family attended the wedding at Croydon Register Office?

In 1901 Harry and Fanny were living in Croydon, with two daughters Fanny and Joyce. A son was born in August of that year. Fanny and Harry appear to have parted company in the early years of the new century. I have yet to discover whether they divorced. I believe that the family were told that he'd died. An uncle was under the impression that she had remarried, or was living with a Frenchman - a chef at the Savoy Hotel. No-one in the family can remember her 'first husband', or recognise the man in the photo opposite.

I have yet to find her in 1911. It's probable that she is this dressmaker in Lambeth....but where is Philip?

A grand daughter described her as having "... dark hair, gold earrings, bracelet etc, & she liked a Guinness."

She didn't remarry, as she was Fanny DELLOW when she died in Clapham, on 27th Jan 1950 aged 72. On her death certificate, she was described as 'widow of Harry DELLOW' even though she predeceased him.

1897-1987. Married twice. In 1911 she was in Bourne, at the Nag's Head, with her grandparents. Had 5 children with her second husband. Lived in Lincs. She died in 1987.

1901-1987. Lived with, and cared for Fanny, in Clapham until her death in 1950. Not found yet in 1911 where he should appear as a 9 or 10 year old. Married Goody in 1958. Moved to Lincs.