Marcus Lamb - my great, great grandfather - was born on 28 October 1862, at Upper Union Court, Great Passage St, Hull, the son of Martin James Lamb and Elizabeth Fox.
He worked first as a Tallow Chandler, and later as a Gasworks Stoker.
Marcus married Charlotte Neylon on 28 October 1882 - so it would seem that they married on his 20th birthday. This photo was taken on their wedding day. This is I think the oldest photo we have, the others being photos taken in the early twentieth century.
The couple weren't married for long. Charlotte died in childbirth, aged 27.
When I started my family history research via the census returns at www.ancestry.co.uk I had an easy time finding my great-great grandfather Marcus. Between 1871 and 1891 it seems he was the only Marcus Lamb in the whole of Britain. An unfashionable name at the time, then, though recently more popular - the databases also presented me with 22 registered births in the BMD index between 1984-2004 of children named Marcus Lamb.
Naming patterns do often become clear when researching family history, and in this research I've found many children named after their grandparents or parents. It seems that in this case Marcus was named after an uncle. His mother Elizabeth's youngest brother was called Marcus.
Marcus is aged 18, living with his parents Martin James and Elizabeth, at 2 Abbey Crescent, a house he later ends up returning to. He is working as a "Tallow Chandler", ie making or selling candles. His father is working at the gas works. Perhaps Marcus realises that candles are a bit old-fashioned, and that gas is where it's at for the future, as by the next census he's changed jobs.
Marcus and Charlotte, now married, are living at Verona Terrace, West Sculcoates. The old maps show that nearby were all kinds of small terraces, including one called "Picturesque Terrace". (I doubt it lived up to its name.) Marcus is now employed as a Gas Stoker. The couple have 3 children - Elizabeth (7), Charlotte (5) and Martin James (2).
Their household is shown to be living in 4 rooms. (At the same time, Marcus's brother Alfred and family were also living in a 4-roomed house - they had 8 children. See the entry for Alfred.)
Charlotte died in 1891 - not long after this census return was taken.
In the 1901 census, Marcus, his marital status now given as widower, is living with his mother Elizabeth (also widowed) at 2 Abbey Crescent. Also living in the household are his two younger brothers Edgar and Frank. Marcus's children from his marriage to Charlotte are also living here - Elizabeth, Charlotte and Martin, my great-grandfather.
The BMD index records that Marcus, widowed in his thirties, remarried in 1906, fifteen years after losing Charlotte. His second wife Ann is fondly remembered and played an important role in the family, bringing up my great aunts. See the page on Ann Jennison.
I'm not sure if Marcus spent the rest of his working life in the same occupation, but my great aunt remembers that he was hurt at one point in an explosion at work, and sustained an injury to his head.
Marcus is pictured here in a photo taken in the early part of the 20th century - probably around 1920.
Marcus died in 1928, in Sculcoates, Hull.
For census record references and other sources for this page see Marcus Lamb - summary of dates, places and occupations.