Henry James Dewsbury
(1850-1940)

Henry James Dewsbury was the eleventh of the twelve children of Robert Dewsbury and his wife Lydia Low (formerly Lydia Badcock), of Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire, England.

Henry started work as a labourer in agriculture, until his father's death, afterwhich he appears to have taken on his father's mill on the Barway riverbank.

In 1881, Henry is noted as a 'corn miller', a 'miller' in 1891, and 'Water Miller and Ferryman' by 1901. Henry takes on a pub by 1905, but by 1911, he is noted as a 'reed cutter/drainage labourer'.

In 1925, Henry and Mahala celebrated their 50th year of marriage, with the moment captured in the photograph above. It shows all of their children, aside from three - Mahala (who died in infancy), and sons Alfred and Arthur who were killed in the First World War.

Life Events

Born

• 1850 at Stretham, Cambridgeshire, England.

Married

• Mahalah Randall (1855-1948) on 29th September 1875 at St. Andrew's Church, Soham, Cambridgeshire, England.

Children

• Robert John Dewsbury (1877-1943) married Alice Chapman Cross (1883-1958)
• Ellen Dewsbury (1879-19??)
• Mahala Dewsbury (1880)
• Elizabeth Dewsbury (1882-19??)
• Ethel Dewsbury (1883-19??) married William Howard (1870-?)
• Laura Dewsbury (1885-1972) married Owen Yarrow (1882-1917)
• Alberta Dewsbury (1887-1947) married Walter Lionel Driver (1881-1963)
• Alfred Dewsbury (1892-1915)
• Elsie Dewsbury (1893-1957) married Walter Stephen Claydon (1880-1962)
• Arthur James Dewsbury (1895-1918)
• Ida Louisa Dewsbury (1898-1986) married Thomas Robert Cross (1894-19??)

Census and Residence

• 1851: 1yr, Thetford Shore Mill, Soham, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1861: 11yrs, Thetford Mill, Soham, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1871: 21yrs, Harrow Mere Mill, Soham, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1881: 31yrs, Barway Mill, Soham, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1891: 41yrs, Thetford Mill, Soham, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1901: 51yrs, Barway, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1911: 61yrs, Ivy Cottage, Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire, England.

Employment

• 1861: Agricultural Labourer
• 1881: Corn Miller
• 1891: Miller
• 1901: Water Miller and Ferryman
• 1905-1908: Publican at The Three Horseshoes (Public House) at Little Thetford
• 1911: Reed Cutter/Drainage Labourer

Death

• 31st August 1940 in Little Thetford, Cambridgeshire, England.

Burial

• Not yet known.