Tag: Foulsham

This is the ledger stone of William Mays (1720-1805) at Holy Innocents Church in Foulsham. There are a collection of these stones in the church from this date, but that’s perhaps likely as a huge fire in 1770 gutted much of the interior and so many older ones might have been badly damaged.

William was baptised in the church in Swanton Morley on 8 March 1720, the son of John Mays and Margaret Mays and he married Mary (nee Brown) in Thurgarton, Norfolk on 25 April 1756.

William died on 16 January 1805 and he was buried on 21 January 1805, his wife Mary having died on 8 June 1797. The name of their daughter has been completely mauled about on the grave, it’s Ellen Colville and it’s quite clear in the church records.

This is another instance where I suspect I’ll find out more at some point in the future, but as there are no newspaper articles about him and he pre-dates the census, there’s not much more of excitement that I can find at the moment.

This is the Commonwealth war grave of James Austin Armour located in the churchyard of Holy Innocents Church in Foulsham.

James was born in 1922, the son of William Robert Armour and Dorothea Armour, who was a Corporal in the RAF (service number 573750). He was educated at Hamond’s Grammar School in Swaffham and he had joined the RAF as an apprentice in August 1938.

James died at King’s Lynn hospital on 1 October 1947 and he was buried on 6 October 1947. He received a war grave from the Second World War shortly before the official end date of 31 December 1947, so this must be one of the last ones issued.

The death wasn’t directly war related, the Lynn Advertiser reported on 3 October 1947

“Motor-cycling fatalities

The second fatal motor-cycling accident in West Norfolk this week involved Corporal James Austin Armour (25), R.A.F., of Foulsham. He was involved in a collision on Wednesday near Modney Bridge, Hilgay, with a motor-car driven by Mr. A. W. Underwood, 3 Crown-lane, Littleport.

Dr. W. J. Tavendale (Downham) attended Corporal Armour, who was removed to Lynn Hospital by the Downham motor-ambulance. He had been stationed at Oakington, Cambridgeshire. The first fatality involved Percy Hewitt (27), Freebridge-terrace, Middleton, who died in Lynn Hospital on Monday.”

The probate issued in 1948 showed that he had assets of £127 which went to his mother. His parents are also listed on the war grave, his father died on 2 June 1932 at the age of 42 and his mother died on 16 February 1966 at the age of 74. This must have been a very difficult time for his mother given the early death of her husband, then seeing her son survive the Second World War before dying in a motorcycle accident.