Henry Purkis

GEDCOM Note

Henry was born on 12 June 1840 at 6:30 am, 30 minutes after his twin sister, Susan. At the June 1841 census he was recorded as being 11 months old and living in the parish of Wood Ditton.

According to www.wood-ditton.org.uk, "the village of Wood Ditton lies approximately 3.5 miles south of Newmarket, close to the Suffolk border. The parish extends into the Cambridgeshire part of Newmarket, south of the Newmarket to Cambridge railway line, and includes the hamlet of Saxon Street, 1.5 miles to the north-east of the main village centre of Ditton Green. The total population of the parish (more than 1300 adults) is largely made up by about 840 residents in the Cambridgeshire part of Newmarket town, while Wood Ditton village (including Little Ditton) has a mere 239 adults and Saxon Street 241."

At the 1871 census Henry was a Labourer, aged 30, living in the parish of St George the Martyr, Southwark, and recorded his place of birth as Standwell, Suffolk, England. His wife Margaret was 37 and was born in the parish of St Marylebone. Both sons (Henry and Joseph) were born in Westminster.

At the 1881 census the family still lived in Southwark, at 3 Devonshire St. His occupation was Brewers Servant and place of birth was Nor Ditton, Suffolk. Four childrem, i.e. Joseph, Henry, Margaret and Rose, live with them, ages 13, 12, 9 and 6. Joseph is a warehouse boy and the others are scholars.

Henry's death certificate records that he died on 31 Jan 1888 at 113 Chrisp Street, Poplar, East London. He was a Miller, and the cause of death was "Phthsis, Asphyxia". His son, J Purkis, was a witness and present at the death.