Ernie and Grace Fordham

I found these two on separate days and it took me a while to realise they were the same couple. They don't look all that different or older in the later photo, even their pose is the same, but somehow much is changed. They were easy to find in the census records, in London in 1870, and then 17 years later, still childless. They appear confident and optimistic in the first photograph, worn out and sad in the second, though putting a brave face on it. On the back of the first photo a hand written note describes them as 'uncle Ernie and aunt Grace'. A neice or nephew inherited these images, no child of their own. We can only guess, but I think they had children and lost them. It was not so unusual in that age. Brave people. I hope the rest of their lives were not too hard.