Henry Hedges

This page used to be called My Brick Wall. My family tree brick wall used to be my paternal grandfather, Henry Hedges. In August 2008, I finally broke this wall down, positively identifying Henry Hedges and his parents.

What I know:

Name: Henry Hedges

Born: 17th February 1897 [1], Marylebone, London [7].

Married: Lillian Mary Furnival 1st April 1934 at Long Marston Church, Long Marston, Bucks [2].

Died: 4th November 1939, Freetown, Sierra Leone, West Africa [1][3].

Occupation: worked for colonial administration in Nigeria and Sierra Leone. In 1935 as Superintendant of Government Press 3 in Kaduna, Northern Nigeria and in 1939 as Government Printer in Sierra Leone [1].

Related to this, I now have some information on his trips to Nigeria [4]:

  • 11th October 1922. Travelled on ship Elmina of the African Steam Ship Co. under master David Evans from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was 68 Walton Street, London. He was age 25 and his occupation was a Proof Reader.
  • 18th June 1924. Travelled on ship Zaria of the British African S.N. Co. under master A. Beith from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was 68 Walton Street, London. He was age 27 and his occupation was a reader.
  • 14th July 1926. Travelled on ship Zaria of the British African S.N. Co. under master A. Beith from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was 68 Walton Street, London. He was age 29 and his occupation was a reader.
  • 8th August 1928. Travelled on ship Appam of the Elder Dempster Lines under master A. Beith from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was 41 Rosavelle Road Fulham, London. He was age 31 and his occupation was a Proof Reader.
  • 13th August 1930. Travelled on ship MV Apapa of the Elder Dempster Lines under master Hughes from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was 24 Lewis Road, Sheatham SW16. He was age 33 and his occupation was a proof reader.
  • 6th April 1932. Travelled on ship MV Accra of the Elder Dempster Lines under master J.C. Shooter from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was 243 Giston Lane, Aston W4. He was age 34 and his occupation was a printer.
  • 4th April 1934. Travelled on ship MV Accra of the Elder Dempster Lines under master J.C. Shooter from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was Long Marston, Tring. He was age 37 and his occupation was a printer. He is travelling this time with Lillian age 26. This must be their honeymoon as they were married on the 1st April.
  • 3rd June 1936. Travelled on ship MV Apapa of the Elder Dempster Lines under master J.H. Lawson from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was Queen’s Head, Long Marston, Tring, Herts. He was age 17 (hmm that can’t be right – should be 39) and his occupation was a printer.
  • 18th May 1938. Travelled on ship MV Apapa of the Elder Dempster Lines under master J.H. Lawson from Liverpool to Lagos, Nigeria. He travelled 1st Class. His address in the United Kingdom was Queen’s Head, Long Marston, Tring, Herts. He was age 41 and his occupation was a printer.

The only known photo of him was lost when Lillian’s house was cleared following her death in 1972.

Father: Henry Hedges [2][7]

Died: Before 1st April 1934 [2]

Occupation: Engineer [2]

Mother: Louisa Hedges formerly Copp [7]

Died: after 29th January 1936 [5]

Supposed facts:

In the 1901 Census, when Henry would have been about 4, there are 3 Henrys of the right age with fathers named Henry. One is from a family in Berkshire that has long been shopkeepers (Grocer/Baker/Draper). One is in London and is a Boot shop manager. The other is in Marylebone, London and is a Railway Carriage Gasman [6][7]. The last is my best guess to be described as an engineer in Henry’s marriage certificate. It just remains to prove a link. This link has now been found following the information I wrote about in My Brick Wall is crumbling.

Lines of investigation:

Obtain death certificate from Overseas Dept of GRO – no trace in Consular Registrations 1936 -1945 or Forces registrations 1936-1948

Obtain death certificate from Chief Registrar of Births and Deaths, Ministry of Health, Freetown, Sierra Leone. – to do

Obtain birth certificate from GRO – applied 13th August 2008 – Henry’s Birth Certificate arrived 20th August 2008

Sources:

[1] Index card at Department for International Development, Pensions Department – see my post My Brick Wall is crumbling

[2] Mariage certificate of Henry Hedges and Lillian Mary Furnival

[3] National Probate Index via Sue Hedges [6]

[4] From Outbound Passenger Lists at Findmypast

[5] from Henry Hedges’ will

[6] Sue Hedges – The Hedges-Study

[7] Henry Hedges’ birth certificate

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