It’s an unusual picture – possibly a colour-tinted photograph – portraying Harry in his Sunday best.
I think Harry was born around 1860 and, according the census returns of 1891 and 1901, his listed occupation is that of ‘Railway Policeman’. Although my fellow researcher suspects this had something to do with railway signalling rather than upholding the law.
Information is scant but, sometime beyond 1901, he became the caretaker of Springfield Hall, Lambeth in London (later, known as Springfield Methodist Church).
One of Harry’s daughters, Alice, was married in Springfield Methodist Church in 1911. Sadly, she died three days after childbirth. An all too familiar tale in those days.
Apparently, the family continued to worship at Springfield for many years which, presumably, means that Harry and his family made the move from the sleepy little hamlet, just two miles from we live at present, to the ‘big smoke’. I’ve yet to discover whether his career with the railway led him away from his roots, or, given his role at Springfield, perhaps it was a higher calling.
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© 2010, copyright Martin T. Hodges