Second protagonist - James Harman (Futter)

So what of James and Elizabeth's children whether as Harman, Futter or both?

Paul, the youngest, born about 1858 was with his parents in 1861/71 and 1881. His story is partially on ancestry though with no record for him in the 1861, 71, 81 and 1891 censuses. In 1871 and 81 he was listed as Harman along with his parents and the 1861 has been mis-transcribed. In  1891 he is listed as Paul Futter in Great Yarmouth, a coal merchant with wife Maryann and 4 children, one of which, Paul, is named in his father, Paul's, probate record.

John, born about 1854, was with his parents in 1861 and 71. By 1881 he was married to Ann (named on probate record), a boatman and coal merchant, living in Upton with Fishley (south west of Martham and quite close) with 3 children: Gertrude (1876), Elizabeth (1878) and John H just 4 months old. By 1891 they had another 4 children: Harry H (1884), Harriet G (1886), Oliver H (1888) and Marion (1890) though Gertrude and John from in 1881 census weren't listed. 1901 lists John as a coal dealer still in Upton with Fishley, with son Henry H (named on John's probate record) helping in the business as coal carter, and with abn additional daughter Bessie (1896).  1911 has 3 children still living at home: Henry, a general smith; Oliver, a fisherman; and Bessy, helping in the house. John and Ann had been married 36 years and tragically 6 of their 12 children have died. Only 7 children were named on the various censuses so the other 5 must have died very young. 
Familysearch had baptisms for some of John and Ann's children:
John Futter - 2 April 1879
Julia Futter - 2 April 1879
James Harman Futter - 3 Jan 1882
Paul Harman Futter - 28 Feb 1883
Oliver Harman Futter - 8 Jan 1889
Marion Jerusha Futter - 21 Jan 1890
Edith Bessie Futter - 24 Sept 1895
Checking the death registrations for Futter deaths between 1876 (Gertrude's birth) and 1911 for people born between 1876 and 1896 and in the registration district of Blofield (given on census returns for Upton with Fishley) finds 10 possible deaths:
Rebecca Harman Futter died Sept qtr 1877 age 1
John and Julia Futter died Dec qtr 1879 age 0 - matches with baptism record to give 2 of John and Ann's children
James Harman Futter died March qtr 1882 age 0 - another match with the baptism record
Paul Harman Futter died Dec qtr 1884 age 1 - the fourth child of John and Ann's to die
Harriet Gertrude Futter died March qtr 1885 age 9 - matches with Gertrude listed in 1881 census
John Harman Futter died June qtr 1887 age 6 - matches with John listed in 1881
3 others plus the Rebecca who died 1877 must belong to other families, though with Rebecca's middle name she must be connected somehow. It's hard to imagine the hearbreak of losing 6 children in 8 years.

Benjamin, born about 1852 and with his parents in 1861 and 71, by 1881 had married Hannah, was a coal carter living in Great Yarmouth with 2 children: Benjamin H (1878) and Harriet H (1881). By 1891 he was listed as a coal merchant , still in Great Yarmouth and with 3 more children: Arthur H (1884), Happy H (1886) and Benjamin H (1888). It looks like the first Benjamin must have died. In 1901 Arthur is working as a carpenter's apprentice, Happy as a milliner's apprentice and there was an additional daughter Hannah (1892). The 1911 census details that Benjamin and Hannah had been married 39 years and had had 6 children in total, 1 of whom had died (the first Benjamin).

James and Elizabeth's 3 youngest boys all carried on with the Futter surname though retaining Harman as a middle name for themselves and their children. All 3 continued with the coal business like their father, and indeed there is still a couple of Futter coal merchants in Great Yarmouth: FW Futter & Sons and PH Futter & Sons.