His birth is registered in the March quarter of 1872 at Rotherham, a son of John Asbery and Hannah Elizabeth formerly Vollans. In the 1939 register he gave his date of birth as 27 January 1872.
In the 1881 census of 20 Kimberworth Road, he was living with his family, aged 9, born in Masbrough.
In 1891, at S___? Rd. Brightside Bierlow, Sheffield, next to the Grocer's Shop, George W Asbery was single, aged 19, a bookkeeper and collector (at the end of a household on the previous page), born at Kimberworth.
He married in the March quarter 1899 in the district of Farnham, Surrey, to Annie Thompson Dallas. This fits with the 1881 census where an Annie Dallas, aged 7, and born at Hamworthy, Dorset (close to Poole) was a visitor in the household of John Dean, at Canford Magna. It is confirmed by the 1911 census.
In the 1901 census of 185 Lake Road, Portsmouth, George W. Asbery was aged 29, a grocer, working on his own account and born at Rotherham. His wife, Annie, was 27 and born at Poole and their son, George C. was aged 11 months and born at Portsmouth.
In 1911 at Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire, in 6 rooms he was a grocer aged 39 and born at Masbrough, Yorks with Annie Thompson aged 37 and born at Hamworthy, Dorset. They had been married for 12 years and had had 3 children all of whom were living. These were George Connaught aged 10 and born at Portsmouth, Annie Winifred aged 6 and born at Aldershot and Stanley Norman aged 4 and born at Bushey Heath. With them was Annie’s sister, Elsie May Dallas, single aged 19 assisting in business and born at Aldershot.
In the 1939 register George W. Asbery, a grocer with a birth date of 27 January 1872 was living at 4 Hilltop Avenue, Stanmore, Harrow UD with Annie T. Asbery, housewife and a date of birth of 17 June 1873.
Roy Danson provided the following information. “He had a general store (grocer's shop - they also had a house in Stanmore, a mile or two away) at Bushey [Bushey Heath, Hertfordshire], N.W. London. He retired to Burgess Hill, Sussex (he had a bungalow in Lowlands Road) and worshipped at the London Road Methodist Church, where he met Mary Turner. He was a widower and married Mary on 28 February 1953 at the age of 80. The story is reputed to have been in the “News of the World”. [The marriage is registered in the March quarter 1953 in the Cuckfield district, (5h 348 - George W Asbery, Turner).] They subsequently lived at 47 Valebridge Road. [He died in the Cuckfield district (5h 226), in the December quarter 1960, aged 88.] After his death Mary moved to the Methodist Home “Richmond” at Bexhill on Sea. She corresponded and met with Florence’s children and is remembered as ‘a lovely person’.”
George and Annie’s children were:
George Connaught Asbery (1900 - 1972), born 1 May 1900 (registered Portsea 2b 510, June quarter 1900). He married Norah Colclough 9 April 1928
He worked for the London Underground. In 1939 (register, at 48 West Way, Heston, Middlesex, George C Asbery was a lift and escalator machinery attendant railway with a date of birth of 1 May 1900. Norah, had a date of birth of 4 March 1899. There was one whose record is closed. With them were Kathleen Shand with a date of birth of 9 December 1904 a depot manageress dyers and cleaners and Mary Colcolough a shorthand typist general drapers and furnishing with a date of birth of 3 December 1896. George died 22 (the probate index has 21) December 1972 (registered December quarter 1972, Hounslow district, date of birth 1 May 1900, 5c 1434) and Norah died 5 November 1979. Probate was granted for Connaught’s will at London 31 May 1973. He was of 48 West Way, Heston, Middx. Probate for Norah’s will was granted at London 5 February 1980. She was of The Tiled House Nursing Home, Shawford, Winchester. She died 5 November 1979.
Annie Winifred Asbery (1905 – 1978), registered in the Farnham district for the March quarter 1905 (2a 148). This district is where the marriage of George and Annie took place. A possible marriage is in the Watford district, September quarter 1928 (3a 2669), Winifred Asbery to Stanley Bates. In 1939 (register) at 10 Church Road, Harrow, Annie W Bates had a date of birth of 29 January 1905. With her was Stanley Bates, a master butcher with a date of birth of 18 December 1905 and there was one record that was closed. They had a butcher's shop at Stanmore Broadway, Middx. In the Stanmore Church and Village Magazine October 1944 (online) is an advertisement for Stanley Bates, Family Butcher, Church Road. Stanley Bates died 9 November 1952 at Edgware General Hospital, Hendon (registered Hendon, December quarter 1952 aged 46) with probate of his will (he was of 24 Church Road, Stanmore) granted in London 26 November 1952 to George Alfred Bourner, local government officer, and Henry Stuart Logsdon, shop assistant.
Annie Winifred Bates died 16 November 1978 (registered in the Chiltern and Beaconsfield district in the December quarter 1905 with a birth date of 29 January 1905). She was of 34 Chartley Avenue, Stanmore, Middx and probate was granted 24 January 1979 at Ipswich.
Stanley Norman Asbery, registered in the June quarter of 1907 in the Watford district, (3a 867). Bushey Heath, Herts. is close to Watford. He emigrated to Australia around 1930. From UK passenger lists, he sailed, 3rd class, from Southampton to Melbourne, Australia, 23 August 1929 on board the Moreton Bay. He was aged 22, a farm labourer, and his last address was Kingsmead, Bushey Heath, Herts. There are records on Ancestry.com in the census and voters lists for 1931 Gippsland, Victoria and 1937 Bendigo and Echuca, Victoria. A post on the forum of ‘Who do you think you are Australia’ by a great nephew or niece gave the information that he married Kathleen McNamara in New South Wales. He arrived in Australia on 21 September 1929 and was in the Australian army 1939-1948, enlisting at Paddington NSW.
Posted October 2016