Person:Henry Lewis (51)

Henry Lewis was born on 5th July 1889 at 146 Chapel Street in Luton, Bedfordshire, son of a straw hat sewer named Susannah Priscilla Moss and Thomas Lewis, a rag and bone man. Henry appears to have been known as Harry.

Harry appears in the 1891 census living at 146 Chapel Street with his parents, siblings and his maternal grandparents. In 1901 they were at 148 Chapel Street. Some time between 1901 and 1908 they moved just around the corner to 29 South Road. In June 1908 Harry was involved in a scuffle with his next door neighbours in South Road which arose from a dispute about some money he owed them for a bicycle he had bought from them a few weeks earlier.

By the time of the 1911 census Harry was working as a basket maker. Later that year Harry was charged with drunkenness on a Monday lunchtime outside the Engine Hotel in Bute Street in the centre of Luton. He was fined ten shillings. It was said to be the first time he had been in trouble for drunkenness.

Harry's father Thomas died in 1916.

By the end of the Great War, Harry had moved to Harrogate in Yorkshire, where he worked as a postman. He married Annie Wood there on 20th August 1918. They did not have any children.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Harry and Annie were living at 16 Dragon View on Skipton Road in Harrogate. They had two civil servants living with them, who were presumably lodgers.

Back in Luton, Harry's mother died in 1950.

Harry and Annie stayed at 16 Dragon View for the rest of their lives. Annie died in 1973, aged 91. Harry outlived her by about eighteen months, dying on 15th November 1974, aged 85. He was buried alongside Annie at the Grove Road Cemetery in Harrogate.

1. ↑ Birth certificate, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   REGISTRATION DISTRICT REGISTRATION DISTRICT LUTON
   1889 BIRTH in the Sub-District of Luton in the Counties of Beds and Herts
   No.	When and where born	Name, if any	Sex	Name and surname of father	Name, surname and maiden name of mother	Occupation of father	Signature, description and residence of informant	When registered	Signature of registrar
   271	Fifth July 1889 146 Chapel Street Luton U.S.D.	Henry Lewis Moss	Boy	-	Susannah Priscilla Moss Straw Hat Sewer	-	X The Mark of Susannah Priscilla Moss Mother 146 Chapel Street, Luton	Twenty first August 1889	William Gardner, Deputy Registrar

   
2. ↑ 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 1274; Folio 59; Page 38, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 146 Chapel Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Five or more rooms occupied
   William Moss, head, married, male, 53 [1837/8], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Bertha Moss, wife, married, female, 55 [1835/6], employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Susanah Moss, daughter, single, female, 25 [1865/6], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Alice M. Moss, daughter, single, female, 21 [1869/70], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Ellen S. Moss, daughter, single, female, 20 [1870/1], Hat Sewer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Walter B. Moss, son, male, 18 [1872/3], General Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Prince L. Moss, son, male, 16 [1874/5], Agricultural Laborer, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   William A. Moss, son, male, 14 [1876/7], Errand Boy, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Bethia Moss, daughter, female, 12 [1878/9], Scholar, employed, b. Caddington, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, stepson, married, male, 34 [1856/7], Rag & Bone Collector, employed, b. Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, grandson, male, 5 [1885/6], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Arthur Lewis, grandson, male, 4 [1886/7], Scholar, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ethel Bert Lewis, grandson [sic], female, 3 [1887/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Harry Lewis, grandson, male, 1 [1889/90], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

3. ↑ 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 1514; Folio 82; Page 28, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 148 Chapel Street, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, head, married, male, 50 [1850/1], Marine Store Dealer, own account, working at home, b. Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   Suey Lewis, wife, married, female, 35 [1865/6], b. Aley Green, Bedfordshire
   Thomas Lewis, son, single, male, 15 [1885/6], Straw Hat Blocker, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Arthur Lewis, son, single, male, 14 [1886/7], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ethel Lewis, daughter, single, female, 13 [1887/8], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Lenny [sic] Lewis, son, single, male, 11 [1889/90], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Percy Lewis, son, single, male, 8 [1892/3], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Willie Lewis, son, single, male, 4 [1896/7], b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Suie Lewis, daughter, single, female, 1 [1899/1900], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

4. ↑ 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 9012; Schedule 53, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: 29 South Road, Luton, Bedfordshire
   Five rooms occupied
   Tho[ma]s Lewis, head, male, 53 [1857/8], married, 12 children born alive, 10 children still living, Collector - Rags & Bones, own account, at home, b. Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   Suey Moss, female, 45 [1865/6], single, House worker, worker, b. Aley Green, Hertfordshire
   Arther Lewis Moss, male, 24 [1886/7], single, Labourer, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Ethel Lewis Moss, female, 23 [1887/8], single, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Harry Lewis Moss, male, 21 [1889/90], single, Basket Maker - Mat Baskets, employer, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Percy Lewis Moss, male, 19 [1891/2], single, Labourer - Iron Foundry, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   William Lewis Moss, male, 14 [1896/7], Straw Hat Trade - straw hat manufacturing, worker, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Suey Lewis Moss, female, 11 [1899/1900], School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Bethia Lewis Moss, female, 9 [1901/2], School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Reubin Lewis Moss, male, 7 [1903/4], School, b. Luton, Bedfordshire
   Alfe Lewis Moss, male, 4 [1906/7], b. Luton, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ General Register Office. 1939 Register
   Harrogate Municipal Borough, 29 Sep 1939.

   Address: 16 Dragon View, Skipton Road, Harrogate, West Riding of Yorkshire
   Lewis, Harry / male / 5 Jul 1889 / married / Postman
   Lewis, Annie / female / 15 Oct 1886 / married / unpaid Domestic Duties
   Martin, Archbald G. / male / 21 Oct 1895 / married / Civil Servant Higher clerical officer
   Stimpson, William A.N. / male / 4 May 1914 / singel / Civil Servant Clerical Officer

6. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Harry LEWIS, December Quarter 1974, Claro Registration District, Volume 2, page 2112, b. 5 Jul 1889

7. ↑ England. National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations),1858 onwards. (Ancestry.com).

   In the High Court of Justice
   Family Division
   The District Probate Registry at Leeds
   
   BE IT KNOWN that HARRY LEWIS of 16 Dragon View Harrogate North Yorkshire
   died on the 15th day of November 1974
   domiciled in England and Wales
   Intestate a widower without issue or parent or any other person entitled
   in priority to share in his estate by virtue of any enactment
   
   AND BE IT FURTHER KNOWN that at the date hereunder written Letters of Administration of all the estate which by law devolves to and vests in the personal representative of the said Intestate were granted by the High Court of Justice at the said District Probate Registry thereof
   
   to ALFRED LEWIS of 64 Drayton Road Water Eaton Bletchley Buckinghamshire
   
   the lawful brother of the whole blood
   
   and one of the persons entitled to share in the estate of the said intestate
   
   And it is hereby certified that an Inland Revenue affidavit has been delivered wherein it is shown that the gross value of the said estate in the United Kingdom (exclusive of what the said deceased may have been possessed of or entitled to as a trustee and not beneficially) amounts to £5365.02 and that the net value of the estate amounts to £5365.02
   
   Dated the 13th day of January 1975
   
   [signed]
   District Registrar
   
   Extracted by Render & Williamson Solicitors Harrogate

8.   Luton Times and Advertiser, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 7, 19 Jun 1908.

   Luton Borough Sessions.
   SATURDAY, JUNE 13th.
   TUG OF WAR FOR A BICYCLE
   FREDK. SHORTLAND, 27, South-road, was summoned for assaulting Harry Lewis, also of South-road, on Sunday June 7th.
   There was a cross-summons in which Lewis was charged with assaulting Emily Shortland, the other defendant's mother, at the same time and place.
   The offences were denied on both sides.
   Mr. H.W. Lathom (for Lewis) stated that the two young men lived next door to each other. It appeared that on May 13th Lewis bought a bicycle of Shortland for £2 10s., paying £1 down, the balance to be paid by instalments of 2s. per week. The arrangement seemed to have been altered to 2s. a month. On the afternoon of the Sunday in question Lewis was going out on the bicycle when the entire family next door came out and stopped him. The Shortlands declared that complainant should not go out on the bicycle again until he had paid the balance. Defendant and his mother and sister succeeded in taking the machine from Lewis by force. In doing so Shortland struck Lewis several times round the bicycle, and then ran away.
   Lewis stated that the scuffle took place about 2 o'clock in the afternoon, as he was just going out for a ride. Mrs. Shortland, defendant's mother, and sister came out, and the former kept saying to the defendant: "Hit him Fred and run away." Fred did hit him several times. The sister and the mother hung on to the machine with all their might and succeeded in getting it away from witness in a somewhat damaged condition. Witness emphatically denied that he struck defendant or his mother - he hadn't an opportunity of doing so.
   Alfred Toyer, a young man, said he was going out for a cycle ride with Lewis. Defendant struck complainant several times round the bicycle, and then all the Shortlands joined in the "scrimmage." Lewis never had a chance to hit defendant or his mother.
   Shortland, the defendant, then went in the box. He admitted he told Lewis that he should not go out on the bicycle again until the arrears, amounting to 8s. had been paid. There was not alteration made in regard to the mode of payment. It was Lewis who struck first, and complainant also struck Mrs. Shortland because she reproved him for using bad language. - Cross-examined: Mrs. Shortland eventually got the bicycle away, and the family went off with it in triumph. It was true that in the struggle he hit Lewis twice in the face. Subsequently he (defendant) sent his father to tell Lewis he could have the machine, and that if he did not issue a summons Mrs. Shortland would not issue one.
   A man named Barrett, a neighbour, declared that it was Lewis and his family who were the aggressors. Mrs. Shortland was a quiet, in-offensive woman. - Cross-examined: He had known the police to visit the Shortland family several times for creating disturbances, but they were "mere nothings" - small family matters.
   Mrs. Shortland declared that Lewis struck her on the arm and on the chest. - Cross-examined: It was true the police had been to their house a few times; "but that had nothing to do with this 'ere case."
   Lewis and Shortland were each bound over to keep the peace in the sum of £5 for the next six months, and to pay the costs - Lewis 8s. 6d. and Shortland 9s. 6d. The summons issued by Mrs. Shortland was dismissed.

9.   Luton Reports, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 3, 18 Dec 1911.

   DINNER TIME SCENE IN BUTE STREET.- About one o'clock on Monday, Sergt. Janes had his attention attracted by a large crowd of people opposite the Engine Hotel in Bute-street, and, proceeding there he found a young man, named Harry Lewis, of 29, South-road, with his coat off, wanting to fight a man who was endeavouring to prevent him entering the licensed premises. Lewis was drunk, and the Sergeant helped him on with his coat and advised him to go away. He went a few yards, and then returned, swearing and insisting on trying to get into the house. As a result, he was taken into custody, and was brought before the Borough Magistrates, on Wednesday, on a charge of having been drunk and disorderly. Very cheerily he expressed his sorrow, and promised to see this sort of thing should not occur again, and he promptly paid an inclusive fine of 10s. It was stated that he was bound over in June 1908, on an assault charge, but he had never before been up for drunkenness.

10.   Grove Road Cemetery, Harrogate: Monumental Inscription:
    IN LOVING MEMORY OF
    ANNIE
    BELOVED WIFE OF HARRY LEWIS
    WHO DIED 7TH MAY 1973
    NOT GONE FROM MEMORY NOR FROM LOVE
    BUT GONE TO OUR FATHER'S HOME ABOVE
    ALSO HARRY LEWIS
    DIED 15TH NOV. 1974
    RE-UNITED