Violet Florence Higginbottom was born on 30 March 1907 in Finsbury, one of at least four children of Walter Edward Higginbottom (1882-19280 and Florence Emily Higginbottom née Walker (b.1882). Her birth was registered in the 2nd quarter of 1906 in the Holborn registration district, London.
In the 1911 census she is shown as Violet Higginbottom, aged 5 years and living in three rooms at 495 Liverpool Road, Holloway, London, with her parents and two siblings: Walter Higginbottom, aged 6 years and Albert John Higginbottom (b.1910) aged 6 months. Her father described himself as a carter for a mail contractor. A younger brother, Frederick James Higginbottom, was born on 31 October 1912.
On 25 March 1934 she married Algernon Aubrey Aris (1909-1940) at St Bartholomew's Church, Islington, London, where in the marriage register she is shown as aged 27 years, a spinster residing at 30D Pickering Street, Islington, whilst her husband was shown as aged 24 years, a bachelor and a packer living at 26M Pickering Street, Islington, the son of Francis John Aris, a deceased grocer.
Their daughter, Sheila M. Aris (1937-1940) was born on 2 August 1937 and her birth was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1937 in the Islington registration district. Both she and her husband were listed in the 1938 and 1939 electoral registers at 3 Peabody Buildings, John Fisher Street, Stepney. The 1939 England and Wales Register confirms that she, her husband and their daughter were shown as residing at No.3, Block L, Peabody Buildings and her husband was described as a 'porter, buildings estate'.
She died, aged 34 years, along with her husband and child as a result of enemy action on 8 September 1940. Her body was buried on 28 September 1940 in Square 407, Trench C, Grave 2022, in the City of London Cemetery and Crematorium, Aldersbrook Road, London, E12 5DQ. Her death was registered in the 3rd quarter of 1940 in the Stepney registration district, London.
She is shown as 'VIOLET ARIS 34' on the Peabody war memorial that is located at Block L, Peabody Buildings, John Fisher Street, London, E1 and as Aris, Violet Florence of 11K Peabody Buildings, John Fisher Street, Stepney on the Civilian War Dead Roll of Honour 1939-1945 that is kept just outside the entrance to St George's Chapel at the west end of Westminster Abbey. She is also commemorated on the Commonwealth War Graves Commission's website.
Credit for this entry to: Andrew Behan.
