The Family Tree

Caroline Clark
1834-1917

Caroline Clark's parentage is unknown.

In 1855 she was living in Mildenhall and married Thomas Howlett. At the wedding, she gave the name 'Alfred Woods, deceased' as her father but I have been unable to locate an Alfred Woods who died between 1833 and 1855, who might have been her father.

After marrying Thomas in 1855, she gave birth to their only child and two years later she found herself as a widow at the age of 24yrs with a 2yr old daughter. Fortunately, she married Robert Coe the following year and the couple - who didn't extend their family - went to live at 'Feet Bank', Downham (1871) and later at 'Bates Drove' (1891), Littleport.

In 1891 and in 1881, she gave her place of birth as 'Watchfield, Norfolk'. Prior to this in 1871, it's just noted as 'Suffolk' and in 1861 (where the Coe surname appears as 'Cole'), it is given as 'Backthen, Norfolk'. Ignoring the 1861 answer, it is possible that 'Watchfield' may be 'Wattisfield, Suffolk' - a combination of the 1871-1891 answers. There are Clarks in Wattisfield during the 19th Century.

Alternatively, there are also Clarks in nearby Isleham and at her first wedding, one of the witnesses, a William Gathercole, is seen on the census as living near to the Isleham Clark family (who incidentally are noted as living in a barn for the seasonal farm work!). Unfortunately, Caroline is not listed amongst the children but perhaps she was living elsewhere due to the unhealthy homestead.

Wherever she came from, Caroline outlived her first husband by 60 years; and her daughter and her son-in-law by months.


Further Details

Born:
circa 1834, 'Watchfield', Norfolk.

Married:

Children

Died:
1917, Littleport in Cambridgeshire, aged 83 years.

Buried:
Presumably at Littleport, Cambridgeshire.