1901:
Census - 6 Nicholls Building, Barrack Street,
Norwich
John Henry Tong
- Head - age 36 - Groom - born Charring Kent
Ann E. Tong - Wife - age 30 - born Norwich
John H. Tong
- Son - age 3 - born Brighton
Lillian M. Tong - Dau - age 2 - born
Brighton
1911: Census
- 120 Bull Close Road, Norwich - The
surname had been transcribed as 'LONG'
John Henry Long
- Head - age 46 - Coal Porter - born Charring,
Kent
Ann Elizabeth Long - Wife - Married 18
years - age 40 - House Duty - born Norwich
John Hearld Long
- Son - age 13 - At school, News Boy - born
Brighton, Sussex
Lillian May Long - Dau - age 12 - At
school - born Brighton, Sussex
Arthur Frank Long - Son - age 7 - At
school - born Norwich, Norfolk
Edna Maude Long - Dau - age 4 - At school
- born Norwich
Gladys Gertrude Long - Dau - age 1 -
born Norwich, Norfolk
(Age 24)
1921: March 12, Postcard from brother
Arthur Frank Tong - John was working
at the Burlington Hotel, Sheringham
John was a trained Chef and
also worked in a large hotel in London.
(Age 34)
1931: John took over the tenancy
of his parents Terrace House at 120 Bull Close
Road
(Age 41)
1939: He was registered blind and would
attend the Blind School which was on Magdelen
Street it is thought that it was here that he
met Blanche. at this time his occupation was
a Basket Maker which was the trade most patients
had at the Institution.
1938: Electoral
Roll - Fry Bridge Ward - 120 Bull Close Road
- John Harold Tong
1939: Electoral
Roll - 120 Bull Close Road Norwich
John Harold Tong
Head - born Aug 18th 1897 - Basket Maker,
Blind Pensioner
Blanche V Tong - Wife - born July 12th
1897 - Unpaid Domestic Duties - Blind Pensioner
The Hospital and School of the
Indigent Blind in Magdalen Street was founded
in 1805. In 1804 Thomas Tawell Esq, of Norwich
an iron merchant of considerable property, who
was threatened if not already afflicted, with
blindness, purchased a mansion in Magdalen Street
for £1050, at the time inhabited by Lord
Bradford together with four acres of garden
ground attached, and generously offered it to
the community as the basis of an institution
for the benefit of the Indigent Blind in Norwich
and Norfolk. On December 31st 1834 there were
in the hospital 10 aged blind, and in the school
40 pupils that were instructed and employed
in the manufactor of baskets, rope mats, lines
for sashes, linen, clocks, blinds, stockings
&c. At that time the pupils remained only
three years, or could leave as soon as they
has gained a sufficient knowledge of their trade.
It was rebuilt in 1891.
At this moment in time we are unsure of the
date John attended but the institution was now
called 'The Norwich Institution for the Blind.
It consisted of workshops and a retail outlet
for the products the inmates produced. The gardens
had long gone for housing development.
(Age 41)
1939: June 10, Marriage at the Register
Office, Norwich
John Harold Tong - age 41 - Bachelor
- Basket Maker of 120 Bull Close Road, Norwich
Blanche Victoria Parke formerly Howell
- age 41 Widow - of 3 Roland Yard, Norwich
Fathers; John Henry Tong (deceased) -
Coal Porter & Walter Charles Howell
(deceased) - Fish Merchant
Witnesses; William Samuel Wilde &
E. A. Hansel
John Harold signed and Blanche Victoria
made her mark
Entry 67 - information
from file certificate
We have
a mystery - No one can ever recall
Blanche living with John after their marriage,
infact the story goes that the family all believed
that John never married Blanche (although records
state otherwise). We do know that in 1939 John
was alone on the Electoral Roll and then in
1945 Blanch is recorded. There are no records
between those date because of the war, so we
have to assume she was in fact living with John
although the family only have knowledge of her
in the 1950's.
1940: July
19. At about 6.15am a lone enemy raider dropped
a stick of bombs which damaged or destroyed
the following places- 78-80, Bull Close Road;
- John lived at 120 Bull Close Road - What a
near miss.
John became virtually blind
and very death in his later years, as a boy
I remember meeting John in the street and he
would produce a big 'hearing horn' which he
would put to his ear so he could hear what you
were saying. Because he was deaf he would shout
at you saying "What did you say" which
made everyone near by turn their heads. - Ray
Taylor
1945: Electoral
Roll - 120 Bull Close Road - John Harold
Tong - Blanch V Tong
1964: As mentioned
above Blanche came on the scene in the early
1950's and it is is believed that Blanche died
about 1964
(Age 70)
1967: John Harold Tong died
- At the time of his death he was still living
at 120 Bull Close Road, Norwich. Shortly after
this time a few of the terrace houses (120 being
one) were compulsory purchased to make way for
access to the Norwich inner link road.
1967: October
12, We have a invoice from the Norwich Co-Operative
Society for John Harold's funeral and
cremation sent to his sister Edna Maud Wiseman
formerly Tong of 14 Rolleston Close,
West Earlham, Norwich, and paid by his brother
Arthur Frank Tong, of 33 Cavell Road
for the amount of £67 4s 6d. We would
assume that Arthur and Edna shared the cost
of John's cremation.
More on Blanche Victoria Howell
Blanche's parents
1883: Marriage record - Walter
Charles Howell married Emiline Poll/Pole
at Norwich - Sep quarter (4b 207)
1897: Birth
record - Blanche Victoria Howell at Norwich
- Sep quarter (4b 179)
Blanche's father
1910: Death record - Walter
Charles Howell at Norwich - Jun quarter (4b
8_5) age 51
1911: Census
- 66 Cherry ST Norwich Norfolk
Emmeline Elizabeth Howell - Head - Widow - age
47 (1864) - Fish Dealer - born St Julians Norwich
Ethel Ellen Howell - Daughter - Single - age
21 (1890) - Blue Packer - born Lakenham Norwich
Thomas Henry Howell - Son - Single - age 17
(1894) - Last Finisher - born Lakenham Norwich
Blanche Victoria Howell
- Daughter - age 13 (1898) - School -
born Lakenham Norwich
Frederick Howell - Son - age 9 (1902) - School
- born Lakenham Norwich
(Age 28)
1925: Blanche had a daughter under
her maiden name, no father was recorded
Gladys O. Howell (1925)
- Norwich - Jun quarter (4b 227)
(Age 34)
1931: Norwich - Mar quarter (4b 243)
Blanche Victoria Howell married William
Parke
A search of free BMD birth records
have not turned up any children of this marriage.
(Age 41)
1939: June 10, Marriage at the Register
Office, Norwich
John Harold Tong - age 41 - Bachelor
- Basket Maker of 120 Bull Close Road, Norwich
Blanche Victoria Parke formerly Howell
- age 41 Widow - of 3 Roland Yard, Norwich
Fathers; John Henry Tong (deceased) -
Coal Porter & Walter Charles Howell
(deceased) - Fish Merchant
Witnesses; William Samuel Wilde &
E. A. Hansel
John Harold signed and Blanche Victoria
made her mark
Entry 67 - information
from file certificate
Blanche was
not known to the Tong family until about the
early 1950's. According to the surviving family
members John and Blanche were never married.
It is said that the family always believed that
John did not want to get married but that they
were pushed together by people at the Blind
Institution where they met. Why
was the marriage kept secret and why did John
and Blanche never live together until the early
1950's
(Age 67)
1964: Blanche died about 1964
age 67
It is apparant
that Blanche's daughter Gladys retianed her
birth name (Howell) even though Blanche married
William Parke in 1931 when Gladys was
6 and John Harold Tong in 1939 when Gladys
would have been 14.
Child of Blanche
Victoria Howell (1897) with unknown father
1947: Sept quarter - Norwich - Gladys
O. Howell (1925) married Stanley G.
Cooper
Gladys and Stanley devorced in about 1966
Gladys remarried a man called Victor (unknown)
Gladys died about 1977, Victor shortly after
Gladys O. Howell and Stanley G.
Cooper had children:-
1/ Martin John Cooper
- born June 1948 at Norwich - Sep quarter
(4b 855)
2/ Myles James Cooper - born November
1950 at Norwich - Dec quarter (4b 717)
3/ Mark Jeremy Cooper - born May
1960
4/ Morgan Jason Cooper - born March
1962 at Norwich Mar quarter (4b 1201)
Martin and Myles where last
known to be living in the Cambridge area
Mark was known to be living in Scarborough
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