The Fall and Rise of Mr Berry

The British Newspaper Archive is a fantastic resource. Every so often my research into our family's history uncovers something that really brings an individual to life. The edition of The Morning Post published on Thursday 19th January 1854 does just that. Page 7 carries details of a case that was heard at Marlborough Street Magistrates Court. The article reads:

 EXTENSIVE EMBEZZLEMENT - William Henry Berry, confidential clerk in the service of Mr William Ward, wine merchant, 27 Regent Street, was brought up for final examination charged with having embezzled money to a large amount, the property of his employer.
Mr Ward said the prisoner had been in his employ, as clerk and collector, for about 12 years - he left about three or four years ago, but came again into his service in October 1852. From that period the prisoner was authorised to receive money on his account, and to enter the money so received in the cash book, paying the same into his bankers, Messrs Prescott and Co. Prosecutor had discovered that the prisoner had received from Mr Howse the sums of 8l 16s, 4l 3s, and 5l 15s without making any entry in the cash book. On the 5th instant prosecutor received the following letter from the prisoner:-

"17 Green Walk, Jan 5, 1854

W.Ward Esq.
Sir, - Pardon the liberty I take in presuming to address you. It is not to palliate my conduct in having abused the confidence you placed in me, but to appeal to your pity on behalf of my innocent wife and children - if you could refrain from prosecuting me I should owe a lasting debt of gratitude, which a whole life can never repay, and I am anxious and willing to make every reparation and restitution in my power by endeavouring to repay my defalcations, and, if you require it, to point out in the books the items which I have appropriated to a use which I am heartily ashamed to name. Oh! the first false step, to what has it brought me. If I had only told my wife when I was a little involved, I should have been saved; but I thought to retrieve myself without her knowing it, and thus made bad worse. Oh! sir, pray have pity on them. You will say I myself ought to have done so. I ought; and if I only had to suffer I should deserve no pity. But the pangs of conscience I have felt for some time past, and now, is a dreadful punishment., and has unfitted me for business. But it will be a warning to me, never again to indulge in any kind of vice. The time was when your presence in the business was a pleasure to me; but latterly, a fearful discovery has made it a burthen, and it has been a relief to me when you have left. Twelve months ago no man had a happier mind or happier house than I; but now I have made my mind a wreck. I could bear it no longer and was almost mad. Should you determine to take extreme measures, I should give no trouble, but will plead guilty to all, and you can produce this letter against me. - With grateful thanks for past kindness, and sincere sorrow for my ingratitude to you, I am, your unhappy servant, W. H. Berry"

Prosecutor caused the prisoner to be apprehended on the 7th inst., on which occasion the prisoner begged for mercy on account of his wife and children.
Mr Howse proved the several payments to the prisoner.
The amount supposed to be embezzled was 300l.
Police-constable Stringer, C193, took the prisoner into custody. Heard him ask for mercy on account of his wife and family, and found the rough draft of the penitential letter upon him.
The prisoner made no defence, and was fully committed.

Mark the Dairyman

This blog article describes the life of my greatx2 grandfather, Mark Harris. Mark was the son of Daniel and Maria Harris and was born in the Gloucestershire village of Hanham in around 1836. Hanham is located six miles to the east of Bristol and stands on the River Avon. In those days, people in the village were either employed in agriculture or worked in one of the local coal mines. Mark’s father was agricultural labourer. Daniel and Maria had the baby Mark christened at the parish church in the nearby village of Oldland on 26^th February 1837. Later that same year, Queen Victoria ascended to the throne.

By the time of the first comprehensive census, taken on 6^th June 1841, the five-year-old Mark was living with his parents and siblings Mary (11), James (9), George (7), Ann (3) and Eliza (1). Mark’s father was still employed as an agricultural labourer and it must have been a financial struggle bringing up a young growing family.

For most children there was little or no school education and as Mark and the other boys grew up they would have been expected to work to contribute to the family coffers.  Indeed by the time Mark was 15, he was working as a labourer with his Dad. Mark’s older brother George was working next door as a servant at the house of a certain Moses Brain, a yeoman.

Mark must have grown tired of the rural life and dreamed of broadening his horizons. The construction of the Great Western Railway connected Bristol and the rest of the West Country to London. Mark took advantage of the growing railway network and decided to seek his fortune in London. He ended up in Bermondsey which was an overcrowded working class area. It was known as the larder of London thanks to the many food related industries. 

Whilst living in Bermondsey, Mark met a young woman named Elizabeth Walden, who was originally from near Guildford in Surrey. Mark and Elizabeth got married on 25^th December 1857 at St Paul’s parish church. Their first child, a daughter whom they named Ann Elizabeth Harris, was born at their home, 1 Parker’s Buildings in Bermondsey, on 4^th October 1858. They had a son two years later in the autumn whom they named William Harris. The census taken in the spring of 1861 showed the family were living at Guildford Place in Bermondsey. They shared the property with five members of the Nook family so it must have felt rather overcrowded. Mark was working as a dairyman’s labourer at this stage in his life.

In the early 1860s, Mark and his family moved to the nearby area of Horsleydown. At this time the area was a hardworking community whose livelihood depended on the wharves and docks of the Pool of London. At the steps leading down to the Thames there were ferrymen who earned a living rowing people across to the north bank of the river or taking sailors to their vessels. Every summer there was a regatta at Horsleydown. This was quite an event and the streets were decorated with flags and bunting. The watermen competed for a new skiff and prizes varying from 30s to £5 would be given. This would have provided an enjoyable day out for the Harris family.

During the 1860s Mark and Elizabeth had four more children: Louisa (b1862), Alice (b1866), Florence Louisa (b1867) and Henry (b1868). The constant cycle of pregnancy and childbirth must have taken its toll on Elizabeth’s health as in the early months of 1870 she developed cancer of the uterus. As her illness worsened, her sister moved in with the family at 11 Goat Street to help look after her and the children. Mark apparently had to work to support the family and could not care for her. Sadly, Elizabeth died on 28^th August 1870 and she was buried at Nunhead cemetery. She was just 37 years old. The census taken during the spring of the following year shows that Mark and his children were still living at 11 Goat Street in Horsleydown. They shared the address with Mark’s two sisters-in-law; Sarah Walden and Annie Walden; Annie’s two month old baby son, Frederick and a fifteen year old servant by the name of John Rilly. By this time Mark was working as a dairyman.

Mark and his sister-in-law, Sarah, had grown close following his wife’s death and their relationship developed. They had 6 children together:  Marie (b1872), Grace Helena (b1873), Minnie (b1874), Edward (b1875), Emily (b1877), Ethel (b1879) and finally Nellie in 1881. Mark’s eldest daughter, Ann Elizabeth Harris, was married in 1879 to Edward Pettit. At the time of the wedding, the Harris family were living at Blackman Street, Newington.

In the census of spring 1881, Mark described Sarah Walden as his wife, even though they had never actually got married. By this time Mark and Sarah were living at 63 Queen Elizabeth Street with eleven of the children. Mark was still working as a dairyman and his eldest son, William, was apparently working with him. The post office directory of 1882 describes a chandlers shop at 63 Queen Elizabeth Street, so it is reasonable to assume they were living above the shop.

Once again tragedy struck the family. Sarah died of tuberculosis, on 16^th February 1884. Sarah was buried alongside her sister in Nunhead cemetery. She was just 45 years old at the time of her death. Mark had to somehow feed and care for his family on his own. He did not have to wait too long for help to arrive and developed a close friendship with a widow named Rose Anderson. They married on 16^th December 1884, exactly 10 months after Sarah’s death.

In 1886 construction began on a project which would have a profound effect on the future of Horsleydown. There were five major contractors involved: Sir John Jackson (foundations), Baron Armstrong (hydraulics), William Webster, Sir H. H. Bartlett and Sir William Arrol and Co. The construction site employed 432 workers. Two massive piers containing 70,000 tons of concrete were sunk into the bed of the Thames to support the new structure. Over 11,000 tons of steel provided the framework for the towers and walkways. This was then clad with Cornish granite and Portland stone, both to protect the underlying steelwork and to give a pleasing appearance. Tower Bridge was officially opened on 30^th June 1894 by the Prince of Wales (the future King Edward VII) and his wife, Alexandra of Denmark, to much fanfare. This would have been quite a spectacle for Mark and his family. A new southern approach road to the bridge was constructed. Tower Bridge Road was 60ft wide and cut a swathe through the middle of Horsleydown. The construction of the road displaced homes and businesses.

 As the bridge was being constructed, Mark continued his work as a dairyman. In 1891 Mark, his wife Rose and 8 of his children were still living at 63 Queen Elizabeth Street. There is some evidence that his chandlery business was doing well, probably due to all the construction workers in the area. His daughter Louisa is listed in the census as working as an assistant in the milk shop. His son Henry was working as a telegraphist and his children Grace, Minnie, Edward and Emily, were all working as assistants in the shop. The two youngest children, Ethel and Nelly were at school.

By 1895, Mark’s business had moved the short distance to 18a and 25 Queen Elizabeth Street, possibly due to the construction of Tower Bridge Road. Four years later and by then in his sixties, Mark had scaled back his business and was trading as a dairyman out of 18 Queen Elizabeth Street. A further two years later and Mark had moved to 19 Marine Street, Bermondsey with his wife and daughter Louisa. Louisa was working as an assistant in the milk shop while he was still heading up the business. T


Three years later Mark was living at 5e Peabody Buildings on East Lane in Bermondsey. The Peabody Buildings were blocks of Improved Model Dwellings for the “respectable working class”, which replaced the slummiest homes with neat, weatherproof, clean, much sought after small flats. The living accommodation was self-contained, though kitchen areas tended to be communal for all but the most basic cooking, and sanitary provision was also in sets. All they lacked were bathrooms (nobody but the extremely rich had them). The tenants were carefully selected, and were generally in steady work and not (therefore) the poorest folk. The Estates were carefully managed and supervised and there were rules about conduct, as well as the use and abuse of the property: no wallpaper [might harbour vermin], no nails on the walls, no drunkenness. There was a resident superintendent at each estate. Rents varied from 2s 6d for a single room to 5s for three, but most families would have had just 2 rooms, with a communal W.C. and sink on the landing, shared with 1/2 other families. The Bermondsey Estate, which had been built in 1875, comprised 6 blocks, A-F and only had 3 floors. In total it accommodated 71 families, plus superintendent's accommodation.  (Lyonsfamily.co.uk, date unknown)

Mark died of pneumonia at his flat in Peabody Buildings on 12^th April 1904. From humble beginnings in the West Country, he had become a dairyman and built up his own business. He was by no means wealthy but managed to earn enough money to support his thirteen children. His personal life had been marked by tragedy, losing two wives to illness. Perhaps it was his work that helped him to overcome the grief caused by their deaths and ultimately his greatest triumph was ensuring that his family avoided the depths of poverty. Mark was buried in the family tomb in Nunhead cemetery on 19^th April 1904 alongside his two earlier wives. The inscription on the headstone reads:

The Memory of Elizabeth Harris who died August 28^th 1870 aged 37 years. We laid her in the hallowed grave with hope in him who died to save. Also of Sarah Walden who died February 16^th 1884 in her 45^th year. Also of Mark Harris who died on April12^th 1904 aged 68 years. Eternal rest grant to his soul oh lord. Also of Louisa Maria daughter of the above who died June 2^nd 1913 aged 50 years. Also of Ann Elizabeth Pettit daughter of the above Mark Harris who died March 28^th 1933 aged 74 years gone but not forgotten.

So, two of his daughters were interred with him as well. As a post-script to this story, probate for Mark’s death was not granted to his widow Rose until 27^th April 1905. The fact it took over a year to sort out his affairs suggests there was some wrangling. After all that, poor Rose only received £5 in the will, which is equivalent to £57 in today’s money. 

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Bill the Clerk

William Pedro Hand was born on 25^th September 1877 at 14 Woollacott Street in Oldham, Lancashire. Though he was born in the North of England he was not a northerner. Indeed, by April 1881 his family comprising his parents and older sister Marian Eliza Jane (known as "Jinnie"), had moved south to East Dulwich and were living 34 Constance Road. During the summer of that year, the family grew with the addition of a baby girl named Alice. This was followed by the arrival of two more sisters - Daisy in the autumn of 1883 and finally Mary in the spring of 1890. The family were catholic, yet his parents saw fit to have young Bill baptised on 12^th November 1882 in St John the Evangelist, East Dulwich, which was Church of England . In the years following his baptism the family moved and by the time of the next census on 5^th April 1891, they were living at 1 Lansdowne Place in Peckham and he was attending a local school. 

If the early years of his life seemed fairly uneventful, the years that followed were difficult and upsetting. It is likely that family life was adversely affected by the deterioration of his father’s mental health. As the only son, the onus would have been on him to earn as much money as possible once he left school in the summer of 1892. His older sister Jinnie was working as a domestic servant and would have also contributed to the family’s income. It is possible that with this money the family could have survived with only a minimum of financial help from the Poor Law authorities, however it would have been impossible for them to work and care for their father, especially as his illness worsened. 

Bill's father was admitted to the workhouse in the spring of 1899. Whilst there it would still have been possible for Bill and the rest of the family to visit him. However, it would not have been so easy once he had been transferred to Banstead Asylum for treatment. It was quite a distance to travel in those days. His father’s death from pneumonia on 31^st May 1899 would have been a terrible shock and at the age of just twenty one Bill became the man of the house.

The following year, the electoral records show the family had moved to 133 Peckham Park Road. They did not remain there for long and by the census on 31^st March 1901, Bill was living with his mother and three younger sisters at 53 Barkworth Road in South Bermondsey. The family were sharing the house with a second family which suggests they were struggling to make ends meet even though Bill, Alice and Daisy were working. At this time Bill was employed as a shorthand clerk, although it isn’t clear what industry he was working in. Both Alice and Daisy were employed as packers at a local baking powder factory which may have been Pearce Duff and Company located in Spa Road. The family had moved again by the following year and were residing at 21 Drummond Road, Bermondsey. They remained at this address until 1904. His youngest sister Mary died in August of that year and was laid to rest in Nunhead Cemetery in south east London.

Meeting Nellie Elizabeth Harris was the next big milestone in Bill’s life. Nellie, a domestic servant, was three years his junior and lived just around the corner from him. Just prior to their wedding, Nellie was living at 369 Rotherhithe New Road whereas Bill was at 42 Ilderton Road. They were married in a Roman Catholic ceremony at the Church of Our Lady of Seven Dolours, Lower Park Road, Peckham on 17^th June 1905. At the time of the wedding Bill was still employed as a clerk.

Our Lady of Sorrows formally the Capuchin Franciscan Church of Our Lady of Seven Dolours. Photo taken in 2014.

Two years after they were married their first child was born. Doris Ethel Hand was born on 23rd March 1907. This was followed by the birth of a son three year’s later. William Phillip Hand was born on 13^th June 1910. Having a family of his own would have eased the pain when his mother died at St Thomas's Hospital on 19^th February 1910. She was interred with his sister in Nunhead Cemetery on 24th February.

As 1910 became 1911 it seems that Bill’s career improved and by 2^nd April he was living with his wife and young family in the more prosperous environs of Twickenham. According to the census they were living at 14 Mary’s Terrace close to the railway station. He was still working as a clerk/shorthand typist and the proximity to the station suggests he was commuting to his workplace somewhere in central London. By 1913 the noise of the railway had become too much and they moved to a new address at 11 Prospect Crescent in the nearby village of Whitton. During Bill and Nellie’s time living in Whitton they had more children. Frederick was born during the hot summer of 1914, but sadly died in early 1917 of meningitis. Their youngest child, Charles, was born on 21^st August 1918.

War broke out in August 1914 and the following spring Bill enlisted with the army. His army medical took place in nearby Hounslow on 26th March 1915 and perhaps due to his age (he was 37 years old) and his diminutive stature (he was just over 5 foot tall), he was not given front line duties. Instead, he served in the Army Pay Corps and spent the duration of the war working as a clerk eventually attaining the rank of Lance Corporal. He was discharged shortly after the armistice on medical grounds due to chronic asthma.

Bill was a member of the Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffaloes. Known colloquially as "the Buffs", they are an organisation that raises money for charitable causes including, at this time, to supply ambulances to bring back wounded soldiers from the front. Bill was a Primo at the Whitton lodge and at a meeting held at the South Western Hotel on the evening of Tuesday 14th November 1916, he was awarded the Buffalo Knighthood for his long service with the lodge. The event was covered by the Middlesex Chronicle newspaper which was published the following Saturday.

Several years after the war ended Bill’s career took him north of the border and by 1924 he  and his family were living in Edinburgh at 41a Northfield Broadway close to Portobello and the beach. At the time of his daughter’s wedding to George Highley on 15th June 1932, they had moved the short distance to 9 Northfield Road and by the mid-thirties they had moved on to 35a Mountcastle Crescent on the same estate. He worked in Scotland right up until his retirement in 1937 when the family took the decision to move back down south. 

By 1938 the family were back in Whitton and were living at 38 Evelyn Road. He would have been present at the wedding when William married Constance Upson at St Peter & St Paul church in Ilford on 3^rd June 1939. Sadly, by 29th September 1939 his life had taken a turn for the worse. Bill's wife, Nellie, had been admitted to Springfield Mental Hospital in Wandsworth, perhaps bringing to the surface painful memories of his own father. He moved in with his sister Alice and her husband Jasper at 14 Sheridan Road in Bexleyheath, Kent along with his older sister Jinnie, who would have provided him with much-needed support.

The outbreak of war caused further ramifications for Bill and his family. His son Charles was called up and was posted to the Far East in 1941/42. Bill remained with his sister at at the same address implying that his wife was still undergoing treatment for her mental illness  In February 1942 Bill would have heard of Singapore’s surrender to the Japanese on the wireless and the news must have filled him with concern for his son. In May he received a postcard from him confirming the dreadful news that he had been taken as a prisoner of war.

If that wasn’t bad enough, his other son, who had been suffering from Crohn's disease, died on 10^th November leaving Connie a widow and a single mother of her 2 year old daughter, Maureen. Just 6 weeks later, on 28th December, his sister Alice died. Bill now found himself homeless, and with one son now dead and the other in captivity on the other side of the world, 1942 was a truly dreadful year.

Bill must have felt low. The loss of William was a cruel blow and he could do nothing to help Charles. He didn’t know where he was or even whether he was still alive. His catholic faith must have helped him through those dark days and given him the strength to carry on. He channelled his energies into helping his daughter-in-law and granddaughter and in 1943 Bill moved in with them at 40 Belmont Road, Ilford.

39-45 Belmont Road, Ilford taken in 1973

When his surviving son returned from the Far East in the autumn of 1945 it must have been an enormous relief. Charles’s return to England was to provide a neat solution to Connie and Maureen’s situation. It isn’t clear whether it was Bill’s, Charles’s or Connie’s idea for them to get together or whether Charles and Connie simply fell in love. What is certain is that on 29th March 1947 they were married in St Peter and St Paul church in Ilford and Charles became Maureen’s step father as well as her uncle.

After the wedding he moved in with Charles and Connie at their new address, 57 Benhurst Gardens, Selsden, Surrey. The electoral register shows he remained there for around 2 years. The most likely explanation for this extended stay is that his wife was still in Springfield Mental Hospital. She does not appear in the records again until 1951 when the electoral register shows them living together at 67 Hackford Road in Stockwell. 

By this time Bill was suffering from high blood pressure, which was no surprise given the stress the war years had brought and in early 1951 Bill suffered a brain haemorrhage and was rushed to St Thomas’s Hospital. Sadly he died on 19^th February. Probate was granted a month later and Charles received £327 14s from his late father's estate equating to roughly £10,500 in today's money.

Photo of my mum's baptism in 1948. Bill is second from the right.