James Higgins (1840 - 1924)

Born 27 May 1840 in Mudford, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Ancestors

Husband of Eliza (Penny) Higgins — married 22 Jun 1865 in Mudford, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

Husband of Eliza (Card) Higgins — married 4 Jan 1892 in Mudford, Somerset, England

Descendants

Died 1 Aug 1924 at age 84 in Mudford, Somerset, England, United Kingdom

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Biography

The master version of this biography is maintained at http://dorneyfamilyhistory.net/famtree_web/History_tricia.pdf

James was born 27 May 1840 in Mudford. His parents were John Higgins, a labourer, and Sarah Appelbe. He was the eldest of five siblings.

By the time of the 1851 Census, James was already working as a farm labourer. It’s probable that he had spent two or three years at school.

James was married to Eliza Penny on 22 June 1865 in Mudford. Eliza was living in Mudford, but was from nearby Ashington. They continued to live in Mudford, and in fact I don’t think James ever lived anywhere else.

John and Eliza’s first daughter, Ann Jane was born in 1865, with her birth registered in the third quarter. This means Eliza was at least six, and more likely seven months pregnant when they married. Marriages hastened by pregnancy were not uncommon, but were usually closer to the conception, when everyone could pretend the bride was just a little thick in the waist. Another possibility is that they had an earlier non-conformist marriage (that is one not held by the Church of England), but I’m not certain that this applies in this period.

James and Eliza had eight more children after Ann, Mary Ellen (1867), Bessie (1868), John Henry (1871), William James (1873), Arthur (1875), Charles Edward (1878), Benjamin (1880) and Margaret Ada (1883).

He was involved in the Wesleyan church, at least in the 1880s, if not for longer. Several of his children performed at various Wesleyan ‘entertainments’ during this period.

In 1887 Eliza was pregnant with their tenth child, but she and the baby died in childbirth. I’ve covered this in detail in her chapter.

His profession was recorded as agricultural labourer in every Census through to 1901, except for 1881, where his profession was given as coachman.

James remarried in 1892, on 4 January to Eliza Card. Eliza Card was a 51 year old glovemaker, and was from Mudford. She had never been married and lived with her elderly parents.

In the 1901 and 1911 Census James and Eliza Card were living alone together. James’ profession was given as Hawker in 1911. Their dwelling had four rooms.

James died on 1 August 1924 of cystitis (urinary infection) and senile decay and buried in the Mudford cemetery. He was 84 years old.

Sources

• Birth, Marriage and Death: GRO UK Certificates (all attached)

• 1851 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1851," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:SGGR-LK2 : 23 October 2017), James Higgins in household of Sarah Higgins, Mudford, Somerset, England; citing Mudford, Somerset, England, p. 19, from "1851 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO HO 107, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
• 1861 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1861," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:M7XZ-MBS : 12 December 2017), James Higgins in household of John Higgins, Mudford, Somersetshire, England; from "1861 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 9, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
• 1871 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1871", database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:VFJL-1FH : 11 December 2017), James Higgins, 1871.
• 1881 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1881," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:Q276-H8NY : 13 December 2017), James Higgins, Mudford, Somerset, England; from "1881 England, Scotland and Wales Census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing p. 8, Piece/Folio 2393/86, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey; FHL microfilm 101,774,723.
• 1891 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1891," database with images, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:WPYM-LW2 : 10 December 2017), James Higgins, Mudford, Somerset, England; from "1891 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 12, Somerset county, subdistrict, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.
• 1901 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1901," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:XS8D-4HJ : 8 April 2016), James Higgins, Mudford, Somersetshire, England; from "1901 England, Scotland and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing Yeovil subdistrict, PRO RG 13, The National Archives, Kew, Surrey.
• 1911 Census: "England and Wales Census, 1911," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:X7RD-4Y2 : 2 August 2017), James Higgins, Mudford, Mudford Yeovil, Somersetshire, England; from "1911 England and Wales census," database and images, findmypast (http://www.findmypast.com : n.d.); citing PRO RG 14, The National Archives of the UK, Kew, Surrey.