HARMER, Thomas Edward 1932-2021

[Richard R]

From the Telegraph of 26 March 2021: HARMER Tom. Peacefully at home on Friday 19th March 2021. Much loved by his wife Ruth, his children Charles, Mary, Ann, Edward and Nicholas and his grandchildren. Private funeral at St Michael's Church, Irstead, Norfolk, on Friday 9th April at 2.30 p.m. Donations, if desired, in memory of Tom payable to The Nancy Oldfield Trust may be sent to Murrell Cork Funerals of Stalham, 32-34 High Street, Stalham, Norwich...

He was s of Capt Russell Thomas HARMER 1896-1940 and Daphne 1905-98 d of Edward Gurney BUXTON 1865-1929 (gs of Sir Edward North BUXTON 2nd Bt 1812-58) and his wife & cousin Laura GURNEY 1875-1957 scion of that gentry family of Walsingham Abbey & Earlham. He m 1960 Ruth Macmillan b 1935 reg Q2 Norfolk d of David Littlejohn WALKER 1901-2002 by his 1930 m reg Q1 Essex to Catriona Macmillan WHITE 1894-1981, and had 3 sons and two daus as above.

[G. Willis]

Some Walker notes:

D. L. Walker of Archway House, 6, Burgh Road, Aylsham, Norfolk, educ. St John's Coll., Cantab. (B.A. 1922), solicitor. His wife dau. of William Harvey White; further details eluded me- seemingly not evident in U.K. records(?) Some user-generated compiled data implied this D. L. Walker to have been married 2ndly in 1936 to Ida Mary Rushby (1905-2002); given the probate record providing Catriona Macmillan Walker's address as that of D. L. Walker, this can be supposed to be incorrect.

D. L. Walker 2nd of three sons (also 2 daus) of Rev. Gilbert George Walker (1858-1933), of "Eastcliff Lodge, Lincoln" [per probate; presumably the residence of that name on Eastcliff Road], formerly of Old Somerby, nr Grantham, Lincs., educ. Worcester Coll., Oxon. (B.A. 1880, M.A. 1884), rector of Barkston with Syston 1922-31, of Somerby with Great Humby 1905-22, of Partney with Sayby 1893-5, vicar of Huttoft 1891-3, prebendary of Sutton-in-Marisco 1929- (an explanation here: https://www.british-history.ac.uk/fasti-ecclesiae/1300-1541/vol1/pp114-115), assistant master, St Olave's Sch., Southwark 1883, King's Sch., Warwick 1880-3, and (m. 1896) Margaret (1868-), per several sources "daughter of the Sheriff Clerk of Aberdeenshire"; given the 1904 volume "Records of the Sheriff Court of Aberdeenshire" edited by a David Littlejohn, the Sheriff clerk from 1909 to 1920 (https://archiveshub.jisc.ac.uk/data/gb231-ms0487) and her son's name, this David Littlejohn doubtless her father.

Rev. G. G. Walker eldest of nine sons (also 3 daus) of John West Walker (1830-1912), of Hundleby House, Spilsby, Lincs., M.B. Lond., M.R.C.S., writer of (doubtless int. al.) "On the treatment of diptheria" in The Retrospect of Medicine, vol. 45, 1862; J.P., per Alumni Oxonienses, "gent.", and (m. 1857) Bessie (1832-1912; also "Bets[e]y" inc. in census records), dau. of Thomas Hollis (1800-1876), of Hundleby Road, formerly of High Street, Spilsby, "gentleman" [per probate, which refers to "John West Walker, of Spilsby, bachelor of medicine" as an executor], "road surveyor" (1871 census), "auctioneer and valuer" (1861 census), "Auctioneer Surveyor On The Roads Valuer And Inspector Of Weight And Measures" (1851 census).

John West Walker b. Spilsby, s. of John Walker and Anne (possibly "West"? No obvious corresponding marriage record I could see); numerous deaths of John Walkers at Spilsby, some probate records, none conclusive, some possibly suggestive.

[S R Eglesfield]

David LITTLEJOHN (3 IV 1841 - 11 V 1924), the Sheriff Clerk of Aberdeenshire, was also the father of Ruth LITTLEJOHN (4 XII 1879 - 24 VIII 1964), whose daughter, Ruth Sylvia GILL (Lady Fermoy as she became, 2 X 1908 - 6 VII 1993), was the mother of the Hon Frances Ruth Burke ROCHE  (20 I 1936 - 3 VI 2004), who was the mother of Diana, Princess of Wales. David Littlejohn WALKER was therefore the Princess's first cousin twice removed upwards.

[G. Willis]

Ah, thank you- interesting additional details also.