Person:Louisa Harry (1)

Watchers
Louisa Kate Harry
m. 17 Nov 1850
  1. Mary Ann Harry1851 - 1852
  2. Mary Ann Harry1853 - 1895
  3. Amelia Jane Harry1855 - 1909
  4. Louisa Kate Harry1857 - 1933
  5. William Richard Harry1859 - 1916
  6. Sarah Eleanor Harry1861 - 1862
  7. John Edwin Harry1863 - 1935
  8. Ellen Sarah Harry1866 - 1944
  9. Lilian Harry1868 - 1869
  10. Elizabeth Mary Harry1870 - 1878
  • HWilliam May1861 - 1911
  • WLouisa Kate Harry1857 - 1933
m. 24 Jun 1884
  1. William May1884 - 1884
  2. Winifred Kate May1885 - 1950
  3. Louisa May1887 - 1963
  4. Alice Maud Mary May1888 - 1938
  5. Frank May1889 - 1947
  6. Harry Hutchings May1890 - 1956
  7. William Richard May1891 - 1960
  8. Bertram Stanley May1895 - 1975
Facts and Events
Name Louisa Kate Harry
Gender Female
Birth[1] 10 Dec 1857 Dartmouth, Devon, EnglandCrowthers Hill
Census[2] 7 Apr 1861 Plymouth, Devon, England12 Claremont Street
Census[3] 2 Apr 1871 Plymouth, Devon, England25 Claremont Street
Census[4] 3 Apr 1881 Plymouth, Devon, England33 Sydney Street
Marriage 24 Jun 1884 Plymouth, Devon, EnglandRegister Office
to William May
Census[5] 5 Apr 1891 Devonport, Devon, England11 John Street
Census[6] 31 Mar 1901 Plymouth, Devon, EnglandPear Tree Cottage, 21 John Street
Census[7] 2 Apr 1911 Plymouth, Devon, England1 Pear Tree Cottages, 21 John Street
Residence[8] 1915 Plymouth, Devon, England1 Pear Tree Cottages
Death[9] 2 Feb 1933 Plymouth, Devon, EnglandPear Tree Cottage, 21 John Street

Childhood

Louisa Kate Harry was born on 10th December 1857 on Crowthers Hill in the town of Dartmouth, Devon. She was the fourth child of a charwoman named Jane Harry, formerly Drake, and her husband William Richard Harry, a shipwright. Her eldest sister had died as a baby, making Louisa effectively the third child.

The family was not from Dartmouth, and only lived briefly in the town around the time of Louisa's birth. Louisa's mother was from Bere Ferrers, whilst her father was from Saltash in Cornwall. They had married in Plymouth in 1850 but then spent most of the 1850s moving around ports on the south coast: Portsmouth, Dartmouth and Plymouth, as well as Jane's native Bere Ferrers. Presumably they moved to wherever William could find work as a shipwright. By the time Louisa was nineteen months old, when her brother William was born, the family had left Dartmouth and was living in Plymouth. From William's birth onwards the family appears to have stayed in Plymouth. Louisa's parents had five children after her, all born in Plymouth, but the youngest two died young, leaving six children who lived to adulthood (four girls and two boys).

The 1861 census finds Louisa living with her parents and siblings at 12 Claremont Street in Plymouth. Ten years later the family was still in Claremont Street but now at number 25. Louisa's father was out of work in 1871, with the only people in the house with occupations being 13 year old Louisa and her sister Mary who were both working as domestic servants.

Adulthood

By 1881 Louisa had left home and was working as a domestic servant for the family of a gas company's collector.

On 24th June 1884 Louisa was married at Plymouth Register Office to William May, a printer. He was three years younger than her; when they married she was 26 and he was 23. The fact that they married in a register office is unusual for the time. Shortly after her marriage, Louisa's father died.

Less than a month after her marriage, Louisa gave birth to a son named William May. Sadly he died as a small baby. Between 1885 and 1895 Louisa and William had another seven children, who all survived to adulthood. Louisa managed to give birth in five consecutive calendar years: 1887, 1888, 1889, 1890 and 1891. Louisa's first two children, William and Winifred, were born at 46 Claremont Street, which was the street where Louisa had grown up. By the time of the 1891 census the family was living at 11 John Street, which was the street where her husband William's family lived. His parents ran a grocery shop and beer house next door. Louisa was to live on John Street for the rest of her life, mostly at Pear Tree Cottages, a row of houses behind 21 John Street. Louisa's mother died in 1894.

Louisa's eldest daughter married in 1909, and Louisa's first grandchild was born in January 1911. The census later that year finds Louisa and William at 1 Pear Tree Cottages. William was no longer working, being described as an invalid. He died later that year, aged 50.

Louisa survived William by over 21 years. She died on 2nd February 1933 at 21 John Street, aged 75.

References
  1. Birth certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).
    REGISTRATION DISTRICT Totnes
    1857 BIRTH in the Sub-district of Dartmouth in the County of Devon
    No.When and where bornName, if anySexName and surname of fatherName, surname and maiden name of motherOccupation of fatherSignature, description and residence of informantWhen registeredSignature of registrar
    173Tenth December 1857
    Croters Hill
    Saint Saviours
    Dartmouth
    Louisa KateGirlWilliam HarryJane Harry
    formerly Drake
    ShipwrightWilliam Harry
    Father
    Croters Hill
    Dartmouth
    Eighteenth December 1857Percy Hockin
    Registrar
  2. England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
    Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
    The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
    Class RG9; Piece 1440; Folio 125; Page 16, 7 Apr 1861.

    Address: 12 Claremont Street, Plymouth, Devon
    William Harry, head, married, male, 34 [1826/7], Shipwright, b. Saltash, Cornwall
    Jane Harry, wife, married, female, 39 [1821/2], b. Beerferris, Devon
    Maryann Harry, daughter, female, 8 [1852/3], Scholar, b. Dartmouth, Devon
    Amelia Jane Harry, daughter, female, 6 [1854/5], Scholar, b. Beerferris, Devon
    Louisa Kate Harry, daughter, female, 3 [1857/8], Scholar, b. Dartmouth, Devon
    W[illia]m R[ichar]d Harry, son, male, 1 [1859/60], b. Plymouth, Devon

  3. England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
    Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
    The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
    Class RG10; Piece 2118; Folio 109; Page 5, 2 Apr 1871.

    Address: 25 Claremont Street, Plymouth, Devon
    William R. Harry, head, married, male, 44 [1826/7], Shipwright (out of employ), b. Saltash, Cornwall
    Jane Harry, wife, married, female, 37 [1823/4], b. Parish of Beer Ferris, Devon
    Mary A. Harry, daughter, unmarried, female, 17 [1853/4], Domestic Serv[an]t, b. Portsmouth, Hampshire
    Louisa K. Harry, daughter, female, 13 [1857/8], Domestic Serv[an]t, b. Dartmouth, Devon
    William R. Harry, son, male, 11 [1859/60], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
    John E. Harry, son, male, 7 [1863/4], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Ellen S. Harry, daughter, female, 4 [1864/5], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Elisabeth M. Harry, daughter, female, 1 [1869/70], b. Plymouth, Devon

  4. England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
    Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
    The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
    Class RG11; Piece 2196; Folio 84; Page 19, 3 Apr 1881.

    Address: 33 Sydney Street, Plymouth, Devon
    Thomas Gibbons, head, married, male, 30 [1850/1], Gas Co's Collector, b. Edinburgh, Scotland
    Mary Ann Gibbons, wife, married, female, 26 [1854/5], b. Plymouth, Devon
    Frederic B. Gibbons, son, male, 3 [1877/8], b. Plympton, Devon
    Helen Mary Gibbons, daughter, female, 1 [1879/80], b. Plymouth, Devon
    H[enr]y Reginald Clarke, boarder, unmarried, male, 21 [1859/60], Ironmonger's Ass[istan]t, b. London
    Louisa Harry, servant, unmarried, female, 23 [1857/8], Domestic Serv[an]t, b. Dartmouth, Devon

  5. England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
    Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
    The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
    Class RG12; Piece 1726; Folio 14; Page 21, 5 Apr 1891.

    Address: 11 John Street, Plymouth, Devon
    3 rooms occupied
    William May, head, married, male, 30 [1860/1], Printers Compositor, employed, b. Devonport, Devon
    Louisa May, wife, married, female, 33 [1857/8], b. Dartmouth, Devon
    Winnifred May, daughter, single, 6 [1884/5], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Louisa May, daughter, single, female, 4 [1886/7], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Alice May, daughter, single, female, 3 [1887/8], Scholar, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Frank May, son, single, male, 2 [1888/9], b. Plymouth, Devon
    Harry May, son, single, male, 1 [1889/90], b. Plymouth, Devon

  6. England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
    The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
    Class RG13; Piece 2103; Folio 11; Page 13, 31 Mar 1901.

    Address: Pear Tree Cott[age], 21 John Street, Plymouth, Devon
    4 rooms occupied
    William May, head, married, male, 40 [1860/1], Letterpress Printer, worker, b. Devonport, Devon
    Louisa May, wife, married, female, 43 [1857/8], Dartmouth, Devon
    Winifred May, daughter, female, 15 [1885/6], General Servant (Domestic), worker, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Louisa May, daughter, female, 14 [1886/7], General Servant Domestic, worker, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Frank May, son, male, 11 [1889/90], b. Plymouth, Devon
    Alice May, daughter, female, 13 [1887/8], b. Plymouth, Devon
    Harry May, son, male, 10 [1890/1], b. Plymouth, Devon
    William May, son, male, 9 [1891/2], b. Plymouth, Devon
    Bertram May, son, male, 6 [1894/5], b. Plymouth, Devon

  7. England. 1911 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom: The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
    Class RG14; Piece 13001; Schedule 450, 2 Apr 1911.

    Address: 1 Pear Tree Cottages, 21 John Street, Plymouth, Devon
    4 rooms occupied
    William May, head, male, 50 [1860/1], married, Invalid, b. Devonport, Devon
    Louisa May, wife, female, 53 [1857/8], married 27 years, 8 children born to marriage, 7 children still living, b. Dartmouth, Devon
    Louisa Rimmer, daughter, female, 24 [1886/7], married 1 year, 0 children, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Alice May, daughter, female, 23 [1887/8], single, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Harry May, son, male, 20 [1890/1], single, Domestic R.N., worker, b. Plymouth, Devon
    Bertram May, son, male, 16 [1894/5], single, Errand Boy (Printer's), worker, b. Plymouth, Devon

  8. The Post Office Directory of Plymouth and District, 1915-16, accessed 24 Feb 2012
    1915.

    May, Mrs. L., 1 Pear Tree cotts., P[lymouth]

  9. Death certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).
    Registration District Plymouth
    1933 DEATH in the Sub-district of Plymouth South West in the County of Plymouth C.B.
    No.When and where diedName and surnameSexAgeOccupationCause of deathSignature, description and residence of informantWhen registeredSignature of registrar
    52Second February 1933
    21 John Street U.D.
    Louisa Kate MayFemale75 yearsWidow of William May a Printer's CompositorI(a) Cerebral Haemorrhage
    (b) Arterio Sclerosis
    No P.M.
    Certified by F.W. Perry L.R.C.P.
    B.S. May
    Son
    Present at the death
    7 Longfield Place
    Plymouth
    Third February 1933R.C. Davy
    Registrar