Week 14 (April 1st -7th ): Water

Week 14 (April 1^st -7^th ): Water

From Amy Johnson Crow -  Our ancestors travelled by water, built towns near water, and powered machines with water.

I don’t have anyone in the tree with the surname “water”, and I only have 1 known ancestor that was in the Royal Navy, but I don’t want to use him for ”water” as only know about his travel to other countries. There is stories that a Great Uncle was in the Navy and died at sea but to this date this is only a story as myself (and members of a forum) can’t find any documents relating to him – birth, marriage, death, military etc. So, I sat and went through the list of names in my tree and came to the Lady I have decided to use – Harriet Ann(e) Fountain – fountains use “water”, so I have a link.

Harriet Ann(e) Fountain was born was born 11^th August 1869 in Hilgay Norfolk, UK and died 18^th November 1953 in Ely, UK. She is not a close relative to me, but is the mother-in-law of the mother-in-law of my maternal Grandmother.

I don’t know much about her, so I have had to look back at the census records linked to her for information.

Harriet was the 1^st child and eldest daughter of Henry Fountain and Esther Clarke. She had 4 siblings, 2 brothers and 2 sisters.

In 1871 she was 2years old, and therefore no information of interest to report. In 1881 she was 12years old and listed as scholar at home. In 1891 she was 22years old and is listed as a domestic servant for the Jones family.

On 2^nd October 1898 she married Thomas Henry Overall at Downham, Norfolk, UK. They had 5 children that I know of.

In 1901 census she has no occupation listed but has a baby, so my guess she is a full-time mother and doing domestic duties at home.  This is the same for the 1911 census except she has 3 children. In 1939 she is listed as a widow and has an occupation of unpaid domestic duties.

When she died she was buried in the same grave as her late husband Thomas in Ely, Cambridgeshire.