Norwich – Rosary Cemetery (Edwin Vickers and George Vickers)

This gravestone at Rosary Cemetery in Norwich suggested initially that there might be something of a story, with two deaths at relatively young ages both in the same year. I’m not entirely sure I’ve found much of a story here, notably because I haven’t found out why these brothers died in their 30s.

Edwin was born in Penkridge, Staffordshire in 1838, the son of William Vickers and Harriet Vickers. George was born in Hyde, Cheshire in 1842, also the son of William and Harriet. Edwin and George also had James and William as brothers and Martha and Emma as sisters.

At the 1851 census, the family had moved to Norwich and were living at 24 Railway Cottages on Carrow Road in Thorpe. William was working as a journey blacksmith, with in this instance that word journey deriving from the French ‘journee’ meaning day as this was how frequently they’d be paid. It evolved from when there were masters and apprentices, with journeyman being in the middle of that scale. The family had only just moved to Norwich as William, the youngest in the family, had been born in Shropshire.

George married Mary Anne Meek in early 1869 and it appears that their daughter Jane was born on 19 March 1869 (perhaps not an ideal situation in Victorian times). She went to St Peter Parmentergate National School and the family were living at Rising Sun Lane. Jane later went to Thorpe Hamlet Girls’ School and she left in 1881.

At the 1871 census, George was living at the Thorolds Buildings in St Peter Parmentergate, along with his wife Mary Anne and their daughter Jane, aged 2. At the same census, Edwin was living at Castle Meadow, also in St Peter Parmentergate, along with a Maria Goatley.

We know a little about Edwin Vickers due to an argument that took place in 1874 which led to Robert Baxter, the landlord of the Nag’s Head pub smashing Edwin’s windows. The argument was concerning who could use an out-building at the rear of their properties, although the matter was later resolved by the mutual landlord. It though tells us (I say us, but mean me….) that Edwin was a carpenter, but this is unfortunately the only information that I can find in the media of the time about either him or his brother.

Edwin Vickers died on 22 January 1876 at the age of 37 and George Vickers died on 19 November 1876 at the age of 34. George was buried in the same grave as Edwin and I think that George’s wife remarried, hence why she isn’t listed on the grave. Why they died so young is another mystery that I can’t resolve, but maybe someone knows….