Person:Jonathan Perry (16)

Jonathan Perry claimed to have been born around 1780 at Harpenden in Hertfordshire. No baptism record has yet been found for him, but he seems to have been the son of Ann Perry, formerly Alce, and her husband John Perry, on the basis that in later life Jonathan lived with their son George (presumed to be Jonathan's brother), and there is otherwise a large gap between John and Ann's known children Thomas (baptised in 1777 in Harpenden) and James (baptised in 1783 at Eversholt). If Jonathan was born in Harpenden therefore, he did not stay there long, as the family moved to Eversholt before 1783, when he was still small.

In 1802, Jonathan was married to Mary Higham. They married at Tingrith, a neighbouring parish to Eversholt. They had two sons baptised there: Ambrose Higham in 1804 and John in 1809. Mary died in 1812, after less than ten years of marriage. Jonathan remarried later that year to a widow called Elizabeth Timms. She has yet to be traced after their marriage.

Both Jonathan's sons died as young men. Ambrose died in 1826 aged 22. John did marry in 1831 and have at least one child, called Jonathan, but John died in 1836, aged 27.

Jonathan therefore outlived his wife and both his sons. The 1841 census finds him living back in Eversholt with his younger brother George at Berry End, and described as a labourer. He was still in Eversholt in 1851, living at Water End with a seemingly unrelated Goodman family. He was described on this occasion as a pauper.

Jonathan died in 1860. He was said to be eighty years old.

1. ↑ England. 1841 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 HO107; Piece 5; Book 12; Folio 3; Page 1, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Berry End, Eversholt, Bedfordshire
   George Perry, male, 40 [1796-1801], Gardener, born in county
   Sarah Perry, female, 45 [1791-6], born in county
   John Perry, male, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Jonathan Perry, male, 60 [1776-81], Lab[ourer], not born in county

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1755; Folio 236; Page 17, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Water End, Eversholt, Bedfordshire
   George Goodman, head, married, male, 63 [1787/8], Farm Lab[ourer], b. Wavendon, Buckinghamshire
   Martha Goodman, wife, married, female, 53 [1797/8], b. Drayton, Buckinghamshire
   Geo[rg]e Goodman Jun[io]r, son, unmarried, male, 18 [1832/3], Farm Lab[ourer], b. Eversholt, Bedfordshire
   Jonathan Perry, lodger, widower, male, 71 [1779/80], Pauper formerly Lab[ourer], b. Harpenden, Hertfordshire

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

   d. Jonathan PERRY, June Quarter 1860, Woburn Registration District, Volume 3b, page 260, aged 80 [1779/80]