Cemeteries and graveyards, full of love, betrayal, tragic deaths, murder, and suicide. What will you find?

Tuesday, 1 January 2013

George Lapper and His Wife Harriet Lapper, Inn Keepers of The Bell, Hurst, Wargrave



Monument to George and Harriet Lapper, All Saints Churchyard, Boyn Hill, Maidenhead Berkshire.

"In loving memory of George Lapper died Jany 21st 1912 aged 73 years,

Also

Harriet Lapper his wife died Sept 4th 1912 aged 72 years. ~ God is our refuge and our strength ~"


George Lapper was born in Kemble Wiltshire in 1838 to William Lapper, an agricultural labourer, and his wife Elizabeth Lewis.

On the 1841 Census, three-year-old George is living in Kemble Wiltshire with his parents and nine siblings.  1851 George is still living with his parents in Kemble but is now listed as an agricultural labourer.  George remains with his family in Kemble until his marriage to Harriet Titchener in 1863.

Harriet Lapper was born Harriet Titchener on 10th May 1840 in Bishopstone Wiltshire to Charles Titchener, an agricultural labourer, and his wife Mary Smith.

Harriet first appears on the 1841 Census, aged one, living with her parents in East Brook, Bishopstone, Wiltshire. On the 1851 Census, Harriet can be found aged ten, living with her parents and four siblings.  Their address is simply given as, near the school, Bishopston, Wiltshire.

In 1861 Harriet is working as a domestic cook for Joseph Smith, a bank manager, and his family at The County Bank (now Lloyds Bank), 14 Castle Street, Cirencester, Gloucestershire.

In 1868 Harriet married Goerge Lapper in Highworth, Wiltshire.

1871, George and Harriet are now living in Duntisbourne Abbots, part of the Cotswolds, Gloucestershire.  They're now running the Old Inn, now known as Five Mile House, as well as raising their children, Sarah aged seven, Emma aged four, and two-year-old John. Boarding with the family are Henry and Ann Hiller, retired publicans.


Old Inn (Five Mile House)
Duntisbourne Abbots

In 1881 the family has moved again, this time to The Bell Inn, High Street, Hurst, Wargrave in Berkshire.  Their eldest child Sarah has since gone into domestic service and is living and working at Highfield House, Bath Road, Reading Berkshire.  George and Harriet have welcomed a daughter, Ann, and a son Arthur to their family.  1891 sees the family still running The Bell Inn in Hurst High Street.  Emma Lapper had left the family to work as a Telegraphist in West Thurrock, Essex.

In 1901 only George and Harriet remain at The Bell Inn.  John married Annie Louisa Lailey in 1892 before moving to Binfield where he worked as a fish monger.  Arthur, now a mechanical engineer is boarding with the Simpson family at 5 Southend Road, Basingstoke, Hampshire.  Anne had married Walter Robert Hatfield, a publican in 1895 and was now living in Turville Buckinghamshire. Unfortunately, Ann was to pass away in 1904.

George and Harriet continued to run The Bell Inn until 1907.

In 1911 George and Harriet can be found living at 49 Portlock Road in Maidenhead Berkshire.  George is now listed as a retired publican.  Both George and Harriet were to die a year later in 1912 and within eight months of each other.


6 comments:

  1. I love this blog. I have only one grumble.
    "Taphophilia is a passion for and enjoyment of cemeteries. The singular term is a taphoph

    Taphoplilias is surely also a singular term - one passion, not plural passions?
    Don't you mean that the term for the individual enthusiast is taphophile?

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Merely quoting the definition availble via Google.

      Delete
  2. Kia Ora
    I am a descendent of Charles Titchener and Mary Smith (so Harriet is my multiple-great aunt). I would be very interested if you have any extra information on her as I don't know much about her at all.

    Thank you very much
    Robbie

    ReplyDelete
    Replies
    1. Beneath Thy Feet14 May 2016 at 07:27

      Hello Robbie, unfortunately the above is the only information I have on Harriet Titchener.

      Delete
  3. Hi. I've done a bit more research myself and it looks as though Harriet is NOT the daughter of Charles and Mary SMITH. Instead it seems she is the daughter of Charles and Mary Ann BEECHEY - esp as her parents are both 20 when she was born (which fits the latter pair, whereas the former pair were well into their 40s by that point).

    So it looks as though Harriet is still related to me, just not so directly.

    ReplyDelete

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