Thread: Harris in Ipswich

Harris in Ipswich
This is my brick wall, and any suggestions at all would be very welcome. I have a marriage certificate for my husband's great grandparents and census records for 1901 and 1911 but cannot get any further back for his great grandfather as I suspect that the information he gave on the marriage certificate and census was not strictly correct in respect of name/age/place of birth/father's name. This is what I have:
Marrige certificate between Joseph Christopher Harris and Agnes Maud Higham, 20th September 1896, Parish of St Matthew, Ipswich. Joseph gives his age as 24, occupation Shoe-maker, father Christopher Harris, Shoe-finisher. Witnesses Henry and Ellen Sayer.
1901 census RG13/1778 shows him as Joseph C Harris age 28, Boot and shoe Finisher living at 6 Rope Walk Place with his wife Agnes and son Christopher John Harris aged 4.
In 1911 he is in the Ipswich Union Workhouse and his age is given as 39. After that I can find no trace of him. His wife in 1911 is living at an address near to Rope Walk Place as a 'housekeeper' to a James Otto, by whom she later had several children, so it is safe to say that Joseph did not return to her from the workhouse. His son Christopher and younger son Edward were also in the Workhouse school in 1911.
I would love to go further back on the Harris line and if anybody can find Joseph's birth I would be very grateful.
Many thanks,
Gill Harris

hi Gill,
I am Gerald and I live in Ipswich which may help as your searching
in Ipswich. I'll do a little search for you and let you know

Gerald

That is most kind of you to offer help to Gill

elsabels

Hi Gerald,
I am very grateful to you for giving up your time for me. It's so frustrating not to be able to get any further back and I have exhausted all the avenues I can think of. Thank you so much.

Gill

hi Gill,
I can see the problem you are having,
so far I have got info on Agnes Higham
1881 England Census
about Agnes Higham Name: Agnes Higham
Age: 3
Estimated Birth Year: abt 1878
Relation: Daughter
Father's Name: John Higham
Mother's Name: Agnes Higham
Gender: Female
Where born: Ipswich, Suffolk, England

Civil parish: Ipswich St Margaret
County/Island: Suffolk
Country: England

Street Address: No 1 Osbornes Yard
Education:

Employment status: View image
Occupation: Scholar

Registration district: Ipswich
Sub-registration district: St Margaret
ED, institution, or vessel: 13
Neighbors: View others on page
Household Members: Name Age
John Higham 25
Agnes Higham 23
Alice Higham 5
Agnes Higham 3
Charles Higham 1
Maria Higham

I think this is the same Agnes Higham as yours,
as for Joseph Christopher Harris, Harris is a common name
and we did have Harris bacon factory here in Ipswich
but I'll work on it
..gerald.........

Gerald,

I didn't know about the Harris bacon factory! That is really something to use against my husband when I think he's being 'rasher' than usual! Thanks for the information on Agnes. From the information we have about Joseph and the boys ending up in the workhouse and Agnes moving in with another man I suspect they were not exactly the perfect family.

Many thanks,

Gill

hi Jill
I am slowly reaching the point that Joseph Christopher Harris moved into ipswich from else where as
there is no record of him born 1872 in ipswich, but there is lots born 1872 in other parts of england
but which one? I'll keep in touch.....gerald.......

Gerald,
I did wonder whether he left a family behind somewhere and moved to Ipswich to start another life and was trying to cover his tracks? If so, this may be a complete dead end if he did lie about his name/age etc. It's very unfair of these ancestors to make completing our family trees so difficult! Many thanks for your continued effotrs.

Regards,
Gill