Biography of Cecil Robert Spurgeon

Cecil lived with his parents, sister Ethel, and a servant (Emma Rhodes) at 6 Goldsworth's Buildings, Norwich, England for a few years (1881 census), then at Thorpe Hamlet, Norwich & later Besthorpe, until his family fell on hard times in 1885/5, when his parents moved to Battersea, London. At that time it seems Cecil was sent to St Mary's Convalescent Home, Broadstairs, Kent (see the 1891 census). By the 1901 census he's back with the family in Brentford: five brothers, one sister, and their servant Ellen Neighbour.

At the age of 27 he married Ellen's sister Mary Ann Neighbour on 30 December 1905, heavily pregnant with their first child, Elsie, born 7 days after the wedding. A little over a year later, on 12 April 1907 he sailed with his sister Ethel from Liverpool to Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada, arriving on 19 April 1907. Meanwhile in Brentford, Middlesex, England his second child Victoria was born, but only lived a few months.

In 1910 USA census he's working as a labourer in a door factory, living with his brother Sidney, Emily (Sidney's wife), their son Sidney, and a lodger (Frederick Bunyan) at Alameda, California. Listed as married 5 years, immigration year 1907.

His first wife Mary Ann Neighbour remained in England; Cecil filed for divorce on grounds of desertion, was granted an interlocutary decree on 29 October 1912, and married Adeline Louisa Halsey (maiden name Crummey) a year later. Oddly there seems to be no record of Adeline's divorce, although her first husband (Henry Halsey) lived until 1930. She died on 21 August 1919, only 6 years after marrying Cecil.

In the 1920 census he's working as a moulder in a steel plant, living with his brother Sidney, Emily (Sidney's wife), their son Sidney, and a lodger (Frederick Bunyan) at Cumberland St, Pittsburg, Contra Costa, California. Later (27 June 1920) Cecil married his third wife, Mary Nichols (maiden name Mary Veck), who's husband had died 18 months earlier.

By 1930 he's living with Mary and two foster children (Walker Lucas Clapp age 7 & Ramona Norma Clapp age 1: their parents Walker Lucas Clapp & Ramona Dolores Veck had died 1929/28). Now an inspector at the steel mill, and a home owner (108 Cutral Ave, Pittsburg, Contra Costa). By 1940 he has 3 lodgers living with his wife & the 2 foster children at 292 East Seventh, Pittsburg, Contra Costa and is working as a tester in the steel mill.

Cecil & Mary adopted Walker & Ramona. Walker was killed while training to fly. Extract from Pittsburg, California Newspaper, 7 December 1942:

W. Lucas Clapp, 18, of Pittsburg, adopted son of Mr. and Mrs. C. Robert Spurgeon, was killed yesterday when the trainer plane in which he was flying crashed near Los Angeles. Spurgeon is inspector at the laboratory of Columbia Steel. The Army plane from Poliaris Field was on a routine flight when the accident occurred. Walker was killed in an Army Air Corps BT-15 at Quartz Hill (near Palmdale) California. Cadet Gerald F. Bell also perished.

Extract from Sonora Newspaper, 7 October, 1945:

Cecil Robert Spurgeon, 67, a native of England and resident of Twain Harte for the past two years, died in a Sonora hospital, Sunday morning following a long illness. A former resident of Pittsburg, Spurgeon was a member of the Pittsburg Masonic Lodge 429 and past patron of the Pittsburg Eastern Star Chapter. He leaves his wife, Mrs. Mary Spurgeon of Twain Harte. The body was sent to Pittsburg by the Bigelow Mortuary for sevices and internment, Tuesday afternoon.