In 1841, Henry, the youngest child of John and Sarah (nee Higgins) was living on Frog Lane, with four of his siblings. As well as leasing the house from the Berkeley Estate, his father also leased 151, 155a, 160, and 164, which were gardens, green, or road. John was a sawyer.
Sarah died in 1849, aged only 55, and, in 1851, John (now a labourer) was living with Henry (also a labourer) and the family of Henry’s elder brother John.
In 1857, Henry married Elizabeth Pearce, in Bristol. At the next Census they were living on Frog Lane with their two children and Henry’s father. Both men were sawyers. Ten years later, Henry and Elizabeth were living with their six children on Frog Lane.
In 1872, the family moved to Murhill, outside Bradford on Avon. Henry and Elizabeth’s last child, Kate, was baptised at St Martins in August ’72 and he mother died 4 months later, in Murhill.
In 1881, Henry was living in Bradford on Avon with 4 of his children from Elizabeth, plus six more. And his housekeeper Emily Simpkins. In fact, Emily was the mother of those children, and they went on to have nine children altogether (on top of the seven children from Henry’s previous marriage.
Emily married John George Eskett in January 1872, and, three years later, John filed for divorce. Apparently, between September and November 1873, Emily had committed adultery with several men, then in the year from February 1875, she committed adultery with Henry. However, the divorce seems not to have gone forward on that date, as the petitioner didn’t attend court.
In 1888 John married Emily (spinster) at Walcot church, in Bath.
In 1891, the family were living in Rose Cottage, Bradford on Avon, and, in 1901 and ’11 they were living in nearby Station Cottage. John died in 1915, aged 78, and was buried at Limpley Stoke church. He left an estate worth £277 10s.
North Nibley One-Place-Study 