Maurice Edward Talbot – 2000
From the Parish News – April 2000
25th January 1928 - 4th March 2000St Marys Church was filled with relatives and friends of Maurice, who had come to show their respects on the occasion of his funeral service on Tuesday March 14th. Many nostalgic memories were recalled at the reunion of associates of the Talbot family, many of whom had been away from Denton for nigh on forty years.
Born in Denton to Charles and Maud Talbot at Norwich Road, he went to the village school until he was ten years old, when tragedy struck the family with the death of their mother, leaving a family of eight sons and four daughters, including a newly born baby girl. Of necessity the younger members of the family, five of the boys including Maurice and three of the girls went to children's homes in Dereham and Long Stratton. The baby girl Evylyn was adopted, but in more recent years has "found her roots" and attended the service on Tuesday. The rest of the family were later united at Dereham.
Evidence of Maurice's strong will was shown at the early age of twelve, when after an altercation with the matron of the home, he climbed out of the bedroom window, found a bicycle, and cycled the thirty or so miles home to Denton.
On returning officially to Denton, aged fourteen, he worked on various farms in the village, including that of Mr Billy Leist at Mutts Farm. There he eventually became permanently employed until Billy retired when he finished with farm work and found employment as a welder at Howards' factory at Halesworth. When the factory closed he worked with his son Desmond in his coal business and was even helping until two days before he died.
In 1953 Maurice married Joy Love, who lived at Pockthorpe Cottage. For a while they lived at "Sunnyside", a terraced house situated on the site of "Ashton's Autos", Norwich Road. They later moved to Rose Cottage where they lived until 1974 when they moved to Queensway, Earsham.
His remaining link with Denton was the hiring of the allotment which he continued to tend immaculately until two years ago. This had been tended by his father before his death, and must have been in the family for over fifty years.
Our sympathy and condolences are extended to Joy and her family, Desmond, Sheila, Peter, Trevor and their families which include nine grandchildren.