Third protagonist - John Waters

Remembering that John was on his own in the 1911 census though not a widower, where was Sarah?

There's no Sarah Waters born about 1849 in Martin Hussingtree in the 1911 census indexes. There is however a Sarah of about the right age (1851) but born in Hindlip. She was described as married not widowed and was staying with her son James Tolley age 36 and so about the right age for the son James with John and Sarah in 1881. James also was recorded as being born in Hindlip rather than Martin Hussingtree.  He was married to Mary and had been for 11 years with 6 children all alive: Violet (1900), Dora (1901), Rosa (1904), Lilly (1907), Jim (1909) , Jack (1910) . James was working as a farm baliff and they were living at Upper Shendley Field Farm, Northfield, Worcestershire (quite a grand farmhouse with 9 rooms). Sarah is described as having been married for 28 years and having had 3 children 2 of whom have died and 1 still alive. That doesn't match up with our Sarah: she married John in 1880, 31 years ago, and there were 3 Tolley sons and 2 Water sons. Except of course, the 1911 census return asks for children born alive to present marriage: there must have been a 3rd Waters child who was born and died inbetween the censuses.

In the Cottage at Upper Shendley Field Farm, Northfield, Worcestershire and working as a waggoner on the farm in 1911 was George Waters age 28 (the right age for John and Sarah's son George) but again born in Hindlip. He had been married to Elizabeth for 3 years and had 3 children: Winifred (1908), John (1909) and George (1911). Surely this is the right James and George and Sarah?

Hindlip is next to Martin Hussingtree, indeed now the parishes are combined into one so it's not impossible that the birthplaces are the same bar the name used. Unable to find John and Sarah's first son  Henry Waters in 1901 or 1911, there was a death registered for a Henry Waters of the right age in 1900 in Birmingham. That would account for one of the 3 children having died. There were a number of children born and died between 1881 and 1891 in Worcestershire but none in the Droitwich registration district. Between 1891 and 1901 there was Susannah Lilly born and died 1892 in the Droitwich district - could she be the third child? George living next door in the cottage would be the surviving child of the present marriage.

Still need to find what happened to Sarah's oldest William Henry Tolley and the youngest Tolley boy, John. Where John Waters was prior to 1877 when he began working for GWR is also still a puzzle.