Then on 1st April 1896 he married Gertrude Emma Sharp in St Albans.
He worked as a Baptist Minister and in the census of 1901 he was living at The Manse, Cutsdean, Gloucestershire.
At some point he transferred to the Church of England. In 1911 he describes himself as a "Clergyman of Established Church" and was living at 102 Orford Road, Walthamstow. Crockfords Clerical Directory shows that he trained at London College of Divinity. that he was a made a Deacon in 1910 and a Priest in 1912 and was a Curate at Walthamstow where he remained till 1913. The church orgsnist was a lady named Elsie Thomas.
In 1913 he
went to Australia on the
SS Osterley. On the passenger list he said he was a Warehouseman.
Travelling with him was the church organist, Elsie Violet Emily Thomas,
leaving behind her husband and 2 children.
He was then aged 36 and she
was 23.
In Australia he resumed work as an Anglican priest, where he was at Wonthaggi, Victoria 1917-1918;
then Vicar of Neerim Victoria 1918-22; Rector of Mullewa 1922-24 then Merridin 1924-25;
and then from 1925.Priest in charge of Jarrahdale,
in the Diocese. Perth,
W. Australia.
Alan Hobbs has been in touch with a lady in Jarrahdale, Western Australia who is involved with
the Jarrahdale Museum and has sent him an extract of a taped conversation she
had in 1979 with a 95 year old lady who mentioned Herbert.
MH: And who was the Minister when you first went there?
Mrs Glover: Oh there’s a list of their names here.
MH: Was the Minister living in Jarrahdale?
Mrs Glover: No, no. When I went there he was living in Rockingham. Came from
Rockingham.
MH: How did he come up?
Mrs Glover: By motorcar. He used to come up. He used to bring a fancy lady
with him to play the organ. That was Mr Hobbs.
A
notice appeared in an Australian newspaper on 22 April 1922 that Elsie's husband had commenced divorced proceedings on 19 December 1921.
Herbert continued working as a Minister
until his return to England on the
SS Jervis Bay
arriving on 23 April 1934.
The address (he was returning to) on the passenger list is that of his
brother Frederick, in St. Albans.
There is no mention of Elsie.
Did she remain in Australia? Did they have any children together? We shall never
know.
But while they were in Ausstralia she is described as his hoiusekeeper
on the various census's. So we know they were living together.
He was then appointed Rector of Barton Bendish, Norfolk, in 1934 and continued till his death in 1944.
His wife Gertrude died in 1952 in St Albans.