Ann Green was born 10 July 1821. She was the oldest daughter of parents William Green and Frances Baldwin. She was baptised on 15 July St. Paul’s in Norwich, Norfolk, England1. Ann’s father was a weaver.
Ann had two sisters, Julia (1823) and Elizabeth (1826) and a younger brother George (1831).
In 1841, when Ann was 19, the family was living together at Ring Yard in the parish of St. James in Norwich5. William, Frances and all the daughters were listed as weavers at that point in time.
At the age of 25, Ann married Robert Bell on Christmas Day 18433. At the time, they were both weavers and both living in New Cotton, Norwich. They were married at Christ Church in the parish of St Clement, Norwich. Ann’s sister Elizabeth stood up for her and Robert’s older brother John stood up for him.
Robert and Ann’s first child Emma Elizabeth was born in March 1844. William was born in 1846 and George Robert (called Robert) was born in 1849.
Unfortunately, Robert died of rheumatic fever in July of 1849, when Ann was 7 ½ months pregnant with Robert4. Ann was brought further sadness when Robert died at the age of two in December of 1851.
In 1851, at the time of the census5, Ann was living with her three children at Bull Close in the parish of St. Paul in Norwich. She was working as a silk weaver.
Ann found love again with John Algar, and they married on 28 March 1854. At the time she was still living at Bull Close and he was living at St. Mary’s Coslany, both in parts of Norwich6.
Seven months after their marriage, their first daughter Hannah Edith was born. She was followed by three boys, John Stephen (1856), George (1858) and Arthur (1860).
At the time of the 1861 census7, Ann was still working as a silk weaver, as well as raising her children with John who was working as a cordwainer (boot maker). They had moved to Magdalen Street in Haywards in Norwich. William Bell, Ann’s oldest son was also living with the family and working as a cordwainer with John. Emma Bell was boarding with Thomas and Sarah Spalls, perhaps good friends with their daughter Mary Anne who was also working in the weaving trade.
The silk industry crashed in 186013 when the import taxes on silk goods were removed. This is likely what led to the Algars moving from Norwich to Great Yarmouth between the 1861 and 1871 censuses.
On the 1871 census8 the same family group, with the exception of William Bell, is living on Lays Corner in the ward of Nicholas Great Yarmouth. At that time John, Ann and Hannah are all working as factory hands. John Stephen is listed as a boot closer, George as an errand boy and Arthur as a scholar.
On 7 March 1881, at the age of 59, while living at Row 14, Ann died of general paralysis and exhaustion9. Her son George registered the death. John must have been heartbroken, as he posted her obituary in three newspapers listing her as “the beloved wife of John Algar”11-12.
Link to Ann Green in genealogy
1Baptisms (PR) England. St. Paul, Norwich, Norfolk. 15 July 1821 (birth 10 July 1821). GREEN, Ann. Bishop’s transcripts for the Archdeaconry of Norwich. https://www.familysearch.org/ark:/61903/3:1:939F-RXS4-45?i=301&cc=1823613&personaUrl=%2Fark%3A%2F61903%2F1%3A1%3ANDTF-7P2 : accessed October 2019.
2Census. 1841. England. Saint James, Norwich, Norfolk. H0107/789/1. p. 17. http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed October 2019.
3Marriages (CR) England. St. Clement, Norwich, Norfolk. 25 December 1843. BELL, Robert and GREEN, Ann. No. 28.
4Deaths (CR) England. Norwich, Norfolk. 5 July 1849. BELL, Robert. No. 122.
5Census. 1851. England. St. Paul, Norwich, Norfolk. HO107/1813. p. 25 http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed October 2019.
6Marriages (CR) England. Registrar’s Office, Norwich, Norfolk. 28 March 1854. ALGAR, John and BELL (previously Green), Ann. No 63.
7Census. 1861. England. Paul, Norwich, Norfolk. RG 9/1212. p.22. http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed October 2019.
8Census. 1871. England. Great Yarmouth, Great Yarmouth. RG 10/1788. pg 37. http://www.ancestry.ca : accessed October 2019.
9Deaths (CR) England. Great Yarmouth, Yarmouth Northern, Norfolk. 7 March 1881. ALGAR, Ann. No. 238.
10Obituaries. (1881) Eastern Daily Press. 18 March. ALGAR, Ann. p.2
11Obituaries. (1881) The Norfolk Chronicle and Norwich Gazette. 19 March. ALGAR, Ann. p.5.
12Obituaries. (1881) The Norfolk News. 19 March. ALGAR, Ann. p.7.
