The Out-Pension Records of the Royal Hospital Chelsea show his father was born in the parish of St. Catherine's [sic?], London [c.1793]
Mary Ann was later [1841 Census] said to be 5 years older, so born c.1788. [PB: No - the 1841 Census rounded ages to nearest 5 years. So look at subsequent censuses and re-compute. Also, a later census says she was born in St Giles, Middlesex, not Surrey. Needs more investigation.]
[PB: V hard to read but Ancestry appears to have a record of "UK, Royal Hospital Chelsea Pensioner Registers of Soldiers Who Served in Canada, 1743-1882" for "Abraham Henry, 11th Dragoons, Residence Date: 12 Sep 1838, Residence: "SW London" [?], S London 28.6 [Eliz? illeg] 46." Did he he serve in Canada?
There is also a record here: Date: 12 September 1838 [?] Name: "Abm Henry", Rate per Day: "1.7 and a half" [presumably 1 shilling 7 and a half pence].
Notice a John Bambrick a few names up. A relative of the Bambricks in this archive? Follow this up.]
[PB, December 2013: The Bevan Family Tree states that Abraham Henry [father] was born 24 Mar 1794 in St Catherine's, London, England, and died, aged 52, 28 June 1846 in 8 Pleasant Place, Kensington [presumably Kennington] Lane, Lambeth, London, England. The address is plausible, but what is the evidence?
This Family Tree further asserts that both Abraham Henry's father, also called Abraham, and mother, Lucy, were both born c. 1770 in Derbyshire. Can this be so? Is there any evidence? ]
St Catherine? There are 3 St Katharines in and around the City of London, but none initial "C".
For London parishes, see http://homepages.gold.ac.uk/genuki/LND/parishes.html. And http://www.londonlives.org/static/Parishes.jsp.
- St Katherine by the Tower
- St Katherine Coleman
- St Katherine Creechurch
http://www.sjfisher.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/Def-London(Surrey)-Registration-Districts.htm
However, looking at 19C maps of London [e.g. Darton's map of 1817], the area immediately to the east of the Tower is called St Catherine's, initial C.
The 1841 Census says that both Abraham and his wife Mary Ann were born in the county in which they were currently living, i.e. "Surrey", which at that time included all London south of the Thames. But the 1861 Census says Mary Ann was born in St Giles', Middlesex.
[What does 1851 say?]
PB's wild speculation. Was Nathan Henry named after the well-known "Nathan Henry" who established the first synagogue in South London around 1800 in the yard of his home in 2 Market Street, Newington Causeway?
This ran from about 1800 to 1853, and from which the Prospect Place congregation seceded in 1823 (Prospect Place, St George's Road, Southwark (1823 to 1867)).
See e.g. http://www.jewishgen.org/jcr-uk/london/borough/index.htm
There is a detailed discussion in ? Rosenbaum's History of the Borough Synagogue [pdf in hand].
About the year 1799 a Air. Nathan Henry, the son of Henry Abrahams, a connection of the well-known family of Hebrew printers and booksellers, permitted a room in his house to be used as a Synagogue. He resided at 2 Market Street (now Dantzic Street) a street leading out from Newington Causeway and running parallel with London Road at its junction with London Street. Nathan Henry was born in 1764 or 1765, and as a lad of fifteen had heard Lord George Gordon, who afterwards became a proselyte to Judaism, addressing meetings in St. George's Fields, which were facing his parents' house.
[Curiously, Nathan Henry's ? wife will live in or close to Dantzic Street in ?]
Some years later he roofed in the whole of the yard at the rear of his house and shop, fitted the enclosure as a Synagogue, defraying all the expenses thus incurred. He himself officiated at the services, being assisted only on the High Festivals. Amongst those who, at different periods, read the Festival Prayers was Nathaniel Jessel, uncle of the famous Master of the Rolls.
Entrance to the Synagogue was gained by the shop, which was an old-iron store, and thence through the "shop parlour' and the ladies had to ascend the stairs leading from this room to a bedroom above, through which they passed into the tiny gallery, which contained but two rows of seats. It was a modest building, which served its purpose for many years. In 1845 it was substantially repaired, and then provided accommodation for 100 persons, being described as "extremely small."
...There seems to be no doubt but that the worshippers at this small Synagogue contributed towards the expenses entailed by its upkeep. Nathan Henry, however, always styled himself the "proprietor" of the Synagogue, claiming the right of appointing its Wardens, since he had erected it at his own cost.
Several regular worshippers who favoured a more democratic rule seceded from this congregation, and in 1823 they rented a building at the beginning of St. George's Road, near the "Elephant and Castle." This portion of the road was then known as Prospect Place, and the Synagogue was situated at the end of a short court between the buildings numbered 91 and 92 Prospect Place. It is probable that they had a meeting-place in the same locality a few years earlier than 1823.
...Nathan Henry had died on Eyar 4, 5613 (May 12, 1853), at the age of 88, and the little Synagogue in his garden ceased to be used within a couple of months of his death. For some years previously much difficulty had been experienced in collecting a congregation on Sabbaths, besides his own family only two or three residents attending regularly. His death merely hastened the inevitable closing of his Synagogue, most of its members joining the Prospect Place Synagogue,
The relations between the two congregations were always of a cordial character. There must have been some transactions between Nathan Henry and the Prospect Place Synagogue at its very inception, for the first two entries in the account book of the latter are records of small sums paid to him in November and December, 1823. What these were for it is now impossible to ascertain. Nathan Henry himself was on friendly terms with the leaders of the other Synagogue, but it is said that he never set foot within their place of worship.
Although the newer congregation was certainly the larger, the Market Street Synagogue alone received the official recognition of the Ecclesiastical Authorities. Thus, when Dr. Nathan M. Adler, some few months after entering upon his duties as Chief Rabbi, visited the Borough, on November 30, 1845, it was the Market Street Synagogue that he honoured. In an address on that occasion, the Chief Rabbi said : " This minor temple has been erected nearly half a century. . . . Those who frequent this, are all of them, more or less, subscribing members to either the one or the other Synagogues in London and its vicinities. . . . The founder of this Synagogue
...did devote a portion of his habitation to the service of God so that his co-religionists might not be without a House of Prayer." Nathan Henry was then eighty years of age, and was regarded as the head of the Jews in the Borough, and it was, perhaps, due to the respect in which he was held, as well as to the influence of his nephew, the Rev. H. A. Henry, of the'Western Synagogue, St. Alban's Place, Haymarket, that his Synagogue was considered to be the official Synagogue in the South of London. At the time of this visit the Wardens were Mr. D. Daniels and Mr. L. Goldsmid, and the Treasurer Mr. J. H. Lyons. So far as is known, the Chief Rabbi never visited the Prospect Place Synagogue during the whole forty-four years of its existence
Abraham Henry enlisted into the 11th Light Dragoons at London as No. 205 on the 4th of August 1815 at the age of 22 years. He was 5' 6" in height, with a fresh complexion, grey eyes and brown hair. His trade was given as Ironmonger. [He is also described as such in the 1841 Census.]
His marriage is noted in the Cawnpore Registers:
"Private Abraham Henry, 11th Light Dragoons, and Mary Ann Henry, were married at Cawnpore on the 12th of June 1820 by the Revd. James Ditton, Chaplain. N.B. The parties having been married previously according to the rituals of the Jewish faith have, at their own request, been re-married by me according to our ritual, they having become members of our Church."
PB: I have yet to find any record of their original Jewish marriage, and cannot discover her maiden surname. A number of correspondents on different genealogy websites have also expressed their frustration in this regard. Somebody on Ancestry.co.uk suggests she was "Mary Ann (Miriam) Nathan, 1791-1870", hence presumably the source of Nathan's forename. (Who? On what evidence?)]
For the voyage out on the Indiaman Atlas, and others such as the Kauntzes and Wooden on board ship, see Passenger list for the Indiaman "Atlas" departing Gravesend 7th of February 1819, on which Abraham and Mary Anne are listed.
[According to http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/25247003/family?cfpid=1631516533 (accessed June 2013), Abraham Henry:
5th August 1815 - Enlisted in 11th Light Dragoons as a Private.
5th July 1832 - Corporal.
7th Dec 1836 - Serjeant.
12 Sep 1838 - Discharged due to disability contracted within service "without being attributable to neglect, design, vice or intemperance." "This man is no longer equal to active duty from length of service and climate and not attributable to misconduct." "He is likely to be permanently incapacitated for civilian duty having difficulty of breathing." His conduct and character are very good.
He served in India from 12 July 1819 to 8th June 1838 and was stationed at Cawnpore and Meerut. He was present at the Siege of Bhurtpore in 1825.]
mardadixon added (11.11.10):
"He was 5ft 6 3/4 inches tall, had grey hair, light eyes and a fresh complexion. According to his discharge papers."
Thomas Henry, "an infant", was buried in the Cantonment Cemetery at Meerut on the 21st of October 1823.
Thomas was born at Meerut on the 7th of December 1824.
Mary at Meerut on the 23rd of September 1832 [sic? 1821?].
[PB: For suggestions about other siblings, see below.]
Abraham Henry became a Corporal on the 5th of July 1832 and Sergeant on the 7th of December 1836.
He was discharged on the 12th of September 1838, at the age of 47 years (says 46). His discharge was due to the "Reduction of the Regiment and the effects of climate. Has difficulty in breathing."
He had a total service to count towards pension of 32 years 8 months, having served 17 years as a Private, 4 years 5 months as a Corporal, and 1 year 10 months as a Sergeant. His conduct and character were "very good".
He is also shown as having been present at the battle of Bhurtpore in 1826, but his name cannot be found on the Army of India roll [?], so he may have died before 1850.
Abraham Henry died at Lambeth, London, on the 28th of June 1846. He was then in receipt of a pension of 1/7d. per day.
Death registration
Abraham Henry, April Quarter 1846, Lambeth [no age given].
[PB: According to "Shannon's Tree", on the Ancestry website (http://trees.ancestry.co.uk/tree/25247003/family?cfpid=12038951509&selnode=1 (acessed 2.7.2013)):
- Abraham Henry was born 24th of March 1794, in Surrey, Prince Edward Island, Canada, the son of Abraham Henry and Lucy Henry [no further information. This is almost certainly not them - "Lucy"?]
- Mary Ann Henry was born 1791 in St Giles in the Fields, Middlesex, and died in 1870 in Montpelier Place, Knightsbridge [PB: a short distance from Harrod's]. [PB: I believe this part at least is true, but check.]
There were 8 children, she says:
1. Thomas Henry, born Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, no date, died 1823.
2. Mary Ann Henry, born Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, c. 1821, is said to have married George Batt in 1807 [surely not - she wasn't born until c.1821 ! Was she the firstborn? ]. She died 30 July 1895. They had 2 children:
Henry James Batt, born Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, India, died London June 1869. (> 1 son)
Lydia Marles Batt, born Hanover Square abt 1854 d. December 1895 London. (> 6 daughters) [ PB: for evidence she is Mary Batt's daughter, see Mary Ann Henry's [mother] household in Marylebone 1861 Census. ]
3. Thomas Daniel Henry [note: his first name is the same as his brother, who died in 1823], born 7 December 1824, East Indies, Hendostan [sic?], British Subject, married Eleanor Martin in London (> 3 daughters, 1 son)
[PB: Check what follows about Jailer / Tailor Thomas Henry.
Check 1841 Census records for Thomas Henry, jail warder. But surely he would have been too young in 1841? I can't find him in 1841, so think this should be 1851.
There is a marriage certificate for him and Eleanor Martin. 20/8/1849, St Giles, Cripplegate, London [i.e. St George without Cripplegate, now in the Barbican. ]. Both were of "full" age [he would have been 24, she about 19 if she was indeed 21 in 1851 - i.e. not of full age.].
The marriage cert says TH was a "Warder in House of Correction [which?]" living at 19 White Hart Yard [there was and is a White Hart Yard near St Thomas Street on the south side of the Thames close to London Bridge. But why St George, if they were living south of the river?] and that his father Abraham Henry was also a warder. [A warder? AH, an Ironmonger, died in 1846. This doesn't make any sense. Surely another family.]
She was living at 17 White Hart Yard. Her father, George Martin, was a Printer.
1851 Census
13 Newcastle Street, St Clement Danes, Westminster.
Thomas Henry, 26, Tailor [looks like Tailor, not Jailer, as someone has suggested], born Hindostan, East Indies, British Subject.
Eleanor Henry, 21, born Middlesex.
4. John Henry, born 1827, Bangalore, Karnataka, India [source?].
In the 1851 Census he was a Drummer, 38th Regiment, living at Chester Castle Barracks, Cheshire (born East Indies, Bangalore).
5. Nathan Henry, born 1829.
m. 1 Joyce Ann Warwick b. 1826 Little Hadham Herts d. Brighton 1868.
Children of 1st marriage: Drusilla Mary, Fanny E, Joyce Ann, Isabella M, William T.
m. 2 Mary E Domaine [presumably Domine] b 1849 Brighton [no further info shown].
No children shown for second marriage.
6. Elizabeth S Henry, b 1831 Cawnpore, d 1876. m. Thomas Best. (> 4 sons + 4 daughters)
7. Catherine I Henry, b Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, 1832, d. Hendon 1903. Married Charles Feldon. (> 6 daughters, 7 sons)
8. William Henry, b Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, 1833.