1853 – 1927 – John Harvey Henderson

John Harvey Hendersonwas born on May 4, 1853, in Bedlington, Northumberland. His father, John Henderson, was 35 and his mother, Eve (Harvey), was 37.

He was living in Bedlington when he was 8 and was in Benwell when 18 in 1871

On 29th December 1872 my grandfather, George William Potts was born in Delaval to Mary Ann Potts. No father was recorded. Mary’s father was the manager of a coal mine in Delaval.

I have so far decided, subject to any contradictory evidence being unearthed that Thomas Potts, Mary’s father, wouldn’t allow the marriage until John Harvey was 21 and able to support his daughter. This is almost certainly wishful thinking and as likely as the view offered by my ex-wife Valerie that it was probably the presence of one of the Spanish miners working in Newcastle in the 1870’s who had smooth talked their manager’s daughter into a dalliance.

22 months later, October 5, 1874, John Harvey Henderson married Mary Ann Potts in Benwell, Northumberland. when he was 21 years old. His Marriage Certificate was witnessed by his brother William Edward

From then on my grandfather was known as George William Henderson

They had six more children in 14 years. Harvey 1875, Tom John 1876, Arthur 1883, Ethel Mary 1884, Emily May 1886 and John Edward 1887.

I have not traced the family in the 1881 Census but in 1891 they were in Wisbech St Peter in Cambridgeshire. At this time John Harvey at 38 was a Foreman in a Timber Saw Mill. How and why John Harvey took his family from Newcastle to Norfolk is of course unclear. However it was a nicer area of the country in those times and presumably it was a better job.

They were still there in 1901.

In 1911 Census he was at 60 Trewhitt Road in Newcastle. John Harvey was with Mary and also there was John Edward their 23 year old son who earlier I had lost. John Harvey was now a Traveller for Gresham Publishing Co – a far cry from an Engineer but at 58 he was still working

John Harvey died on April 8, 1927, at the age of 73 in London. below is a copy of his funeral costs and the cemetery costs.