Henry was born (according to different sources on 8th, 12th or 14th) April 1906 in Crediton, Devon, to Isaac 'Harry' Harwood Vernon (36), an agricultural labourer and farm carter, and Ellen Vernon (nee Tonkins) (30), a former domestic servant and now a housewife.
Henry was baptised on 1st August 1906 in Crediton. Though named at birth and then baptised 'Isaac Harry', likely after his father, on nearly all later records he seems to go by 'Henry'. In one of his brother Ernest's letters to my father in the 1990's, he too lists his brother as Henry.
Henry had four older half siblings (one half sister and three half brothers) - the children of his father Harry and his first wife Lucy James - :
- Edith Ellen 1891 - 1971 (79)
- Walter Charles 1892 - 1965 (73)
- William John 1894 - ???? (?)
- Frank 1896 - 19?? (?)
And nine full siblings (seven brothers and two sisters):
- Frederick 'Fred' (born Tonkins, later Vernon) 1897 - 1915 (18)
- Mabel Ellen 1898 - 1993 (94)
- George 1900 - 1900 (0 - 3 months)
- George Henry 1901 - 1973 (71)
- Ernest Isaac 1904 - 1997 (93)
- Isaac Harry (went by Henry) 1906 - 1964 (58)
- William Harwood 1908 - 1972 (64)
- Florence Emily 1911 - 1993 (82)
- Sidney 'Sid' 1913 - 2004 (91)
- Percy 1915 - 2002 (86)
Around the time Henry was born, his older siblings Fred, Mabel and George attended Sandford School. On their school record, their address is given as Priorton Mill (a mile north of Sandford). They stayed at the school until July 1907, when the family moved about three miles to Crediton.
Around February 1908, baby Henry and his family moved about nine miles south of Crediton to Dunsford. Henry's older siblings Fred, Mabel and George attended the primary school there until July 1908, when the family moved again - this time, five miles east, to Holcombe Burnell, where the older siblings again attended the local school.
Around 1909, Mabel, George, Ernest and young Henry too attended school in Longdown (only a mile west of Holcombe Burnell where they previously attended), before the family moved about ten miles to Hittisleigh - the children attended the school there from September 1910. At the time they lived at Beer or Beara Cottage, which was seemingly about half way between Hittisleigh and Cheriton Bishop.
The family were still there a year later at the time of the 1911 Census:
In November 1911, George, Ernest and Henry began attending Drewsteignton Primary School (Drewsteignton is only about four miles from their previous home in Cheriton Bishop). At the time, the family lived at Tenants Piece (or Tenantspiece) Cottage in Drewsteignton. They left the school in May 1912, when they moved to Whiddon Down, a hamlet just to the west of Drewsteignton.
Around 1912 to 1915, the family lived at Turnpike Gate or Toll Bar House in Whiddon Down. A toll-house, which often had a gate across the turnpike road, was a cottage on which the charges for the turnpike were often displayed.
Henry was eight, when the First World War began. His older half brother Walter and older brother Fred both served in the war. Whilst Walter, an experienced soldier, survived; teenage Fred was not so lucky. He was killed on Thursday 30th September 1915, during (or just after) the Battle of Loos, aged only eighteen. His name appears on the Men of Dunsford war memorial.
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1928, Henry (22) married Edith Mary Williams (18) in the district of Tiverton.
Henry and Edith's had nine children:
- Maurice H 1931 -
- Marguerite A 1934 -
- Kenneth H 1935 -
- David J 1937 -
- Rose M 1945 -
- Dennis J 1948 -
- Barry M 1949 -
- Pamela J 1950 -
- Julie A 1956 -
Henry was thirty-three, when the Second World War began. At the time, he was working as a machinist for a labels works, living with his wife and eldest four children in Tavistock. Though not a very young man, Henry would have been of the age to be called up to fight. I wonder if he was.
1939 Census:
Henry and Edith's first five children were born in Tavistock. The family may have moved to Exeter sometime between 1945 and 1948, for their sixth child Dennis was born there in 1948. It looks likely they soon moved again to Plymouth - their next two children Barry and Pamela were born there in 1949 and 1950 - before returning to Exeter by 1956 - their youngest child Julie was born in the city in 1956.
At some point in the late 1950's or early 1960's, Henry and Edith made the move from their native Devon over the border to Launceston in Cornwall.
There, Henry passed away, aged fifty-eight, in Oct/Nov/Dec 1964.
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