A special occasion for the Joyce Family

This photo was removed from an album many years ago, & clearly must have been a special occasion for the Joyce family - although not well-off, they are all well dressed, including fancy hats. Most likely for a marriage. Identification of individuals, place & date is uncertain. It's very likely the older couple next to the coachman are William & Emma Joyce. Their children, who may be in the photo, are Emma Elizabeth (died early 1910), Thirza Martha, Eliza Rose, Caroline Emily (moved & married in Sheffield 1914), William, & Maud. The young girl standing on the left looks like Maud Rose Joyce, Joan Spurgeon's mother. The young man standing is William & Emma's son William, with sisters either side.

If the photo was taken on the way to William & Fanny's wedding, 26 December 1909, his parents William & Emma would be 53 & 57 respectively, Maud 17, Eliza Rose 27, William 21, Caroline 25, & Martha Thirza 29. Perhaps Emma Elizabeth was too ill to attend, and the lady in the carriage is Martha Thirza Negus, with her daughter Dorothy (6), & standing, left to right: Maud, Eliza Rose, William, Caroline. Presumably Fanny's at the church with her family. But the photo doesn't look like December (some leaves on the tree, not cold, no Christmas decorations)?

If the photo was taken on the way to Rose's wedding, 4 April 1915, William & Emma would be 59 & 63 respectively, Maud 22 (she looks younger), William 27, Eliza Rose 33, & Martha Thirza 35. Emma Elizabeth died in 1910, and Caroline went to Sheffield to marry in 1914. One of the ladies could be Fanny Watson (35), William's wife.

If the photo was taken just before setting off, maybe the lady holding a baby in the doorway is one of the family too.

In the 1901 & 1911 census, Martha Thirza's husband, Thomas Negus has an occupation of 'carman', ie a driver of a horse-drawn vehicle (for a baker in 1911). Maybe the horse & cart was borrowed for this special occasion? In which case the driver is probably Thomas Negus, age 28 in 1909. And since it looks like they are at the start of their journey, the place might be Bendish Road, East Ham.

Roy Spurgeon wrote on the back of the photo:

From left in carriage after coachman: Grandfather William Joyce; Grandmother Emma Joyce (nee Gay); Child of Emma Elizabeth - ?; Emma Elizabeth, daughter of William & Emma

Standing from left: Possibly Maud Rose, daughter of William & Emma (Joan's mother); Fanny Joyce (nee ?), wife of William Joyce; William Joyce, son of William & Emma; Thirza Martha, daughter of William & Emma

Photo estimated to have been taken around 1906 at marriage of either Rose or Caroline ??

But Rose's wedding was in 1915, & Caroline was married in Sheffield in 1914. There was no family wedding around 1906: first earlier wedding was Emma Elizabeth in 1902, but Maud would have been 10 - she doesn't look that young. Most likely photo date 26 December 1909?