The Family of May Azzaro (Nee Pettit):Information about Mark Harris
Mark Harris (b. 1836, d. April 12, 1904)
Notes for Mark Harris:
1.I have a copy of his marriage certificate.Profession could be 'Labourer'.Address given as 'St. Pauls' which is simply the name of the parish in which they were married.This gives his father's name as Daniel Harris.
2.I have a copy of the birth certificate of his daughter Ann Elizabeth.His address is 1 Parkers Buildings, Bermondsey, and his professionappears to be 'Dairymans Labourer'.
3.I have a copy of the marriage certificate of his daughter Ann in 1879 at which time his address is Blackman Street, Newington and his profession is Dairyman.
4.In the 1881 Census the only obvious candidate is Mark Harris, Dairyman, age 45.He lives at 63, Queen Elizabeth St. Horselydown and was born in Bristol.Is this the same guy ?The big problemis that his wife's name is Sarah - but see note 5 below, which seems confirm that everything is ok.Note that the 1881 census describes Sarah as his wife, whereas she was buried as Sarah Walden - so presumably they never actually married.
5.Confirmation of the 1881 Census entry comes from a grave in Nunhead Cemetery in which Mark Harris and 4 others of his family are buried.The location is Grave No. 11056,Square 66.According to the cemetery records these 5 burials were
Elizabeth Harris(date not known)
Sarah Walden buried 1884
Mark Harris buried April 19, 1904
Louisa Maria Harris buried June 6, 1913
Annie Elizabeth Pettit buried April 4, 1933 aged 74 years
The last of these appears to confirm that this really is the right family, since this is Uncle Frank's grandmother, and he knows that she was buried at Nunhead in 1933.(The only discrepancy is that Frank believed that the grave was a 'family vault' built to hold 26, and that Annie Pettit was the 13th to go in !Presumably this is a story which has grown over the years.)
The entries for Sarah and Louisa then look like good confirmation that the 1881 Census entry is the right one.
6.The grave in Nunhead Cemetery can still be found (March 2002) although it is somewhat overgrown.The secret is to look for the tomb of Charles Fox, Engineer on the main path in Square 67 (on the left as you go up the hill, 20 yards before the path forks).There is a footpath leading inwards immediately behind Charles Fox's tomb - take this path and count approximately 14 rows in.The Harris/Pettit grave is about 4 places to the left of this footpath.
The inscription is as follows (The '/' character indicates line breaks) :
The Memory of / Elizabeth Harris / who died August 28th 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 16th 1884 / in her 45th year
Also of Mark Harris / who died April 12th 1904 / aged 68 years
Eternal rest grant to his soul oh lord
Also of Louisa Maria / daughter of the above / who died June 2nd 1913 / aged 50 years
Also of Ann Elizabeth Pettit / daughter of the above Mark Harris
Who died March 28th 1933 / aged 74 years
Gone but not forgotten
7.There is an IGI record of the christening of a Mark Harris in Oldland near Bristol, the son of a Daniel + Maria, on February 26, 1837.But note that his two siblings James and Mary were christened on the same day.Were they triplets, or were they a job lot, all done together ?
This IGI record is on a funny 'Patron sheet' - not a proper Parish Record batch number.
8.If we accept the IGI records of the christening of Mark, James and May in 1837, then it is fairly easy to link them to the family of a Daniel and Maria Harris in Hanham, near Bristol, in the 1851 census, although James is missing from the list of children.(Hanham is right next door to Oldland.)The Mark in this family, aged 15 and a Labourer, is the only Mark Harris in Gloucestershire in the 1851 census within 8 years of the right age (BUT NOTE : the census I am looking at does not include Bristol itself).
9.When Mark Harris bought the burial rights to the Nunhead grave his address was 11 Goat Street, Horsleydown.By the 1881 Census, he had moved to 63 Queen Elizabeth St. but his eldest daugher Annie was living at 11 Goat Street (ie. with Edward Pettit and her family).By 1892 Edward and Annie had moved to 65 Queen Elizabeth Street where there son Victor Ernest was born.
10.I have a photograph which Mum has marked as being of 'Henry Mark Harris'.Was he really a Henry ?Who else could she have meant ?Unfortunately, the same guy (or someone very similar) seems to turn up in the Pettit/Carter family photograph of 1913.Since Mark Harris died in 1904 it can't have been him !
11.In the 1891 census Mark and his family are still living at 63 Quuen Elizabeth Street.His wife is Rose E Harris.He still has 8 of his children living with him - they are Louisa M and Henry M from his first marriage, together with all 6 of Sarah Walden's children.His profession is given as 'Dairyman and Provisions' with the word 'Milk' added above.Of the children 5 are down as 'Assistant in Shop', with the word 'Milk' added for Louisa and the word 'Provs' added for Grace, Minnie, Edward and Emily.Somehow this suggests to me that they are all working in his own shop and the distinction between the two parts of the shop was added as an afterthought ???
12.The 1901 census shows Mark Harris, aged 66, Dairyman, living at 19, Marine Street, Bermondsey.His 'Employment status' is given as 'Employer working at home'.He is living with his third wife Rose E Harris and a daughter Louisa M Harris.Unfortunately this 'daughter' is aged 26, so either the age is very wrong, or she is not the Lousia Maria Harris in the 1881 census.In 1901 Mark Harris is more specific about his birthplace which he gives as Hanham, Gloucestershire, so it seems that the 1851 census entry in note 8 is probably right.
13.The entry in the 1905 National Probate Index is "Mark Harris of 5e Peabody Buildings East Lane Bermondsey Surrey died 12 April 1904.Probate London 27 April 1905 to Rose Elizabeth Harris, widow.Effects £5.(Oh dear - and I was beginning to think that he was quite a substantial citizen.But it took a year for probate to be granted - maybe his affairs weren't as simple as all that ?)
More About Mark Harris:
Burial: April 19, 1904, Nunhead Cemetary.
Christening: February 26, 1837, Oldland, Gloucester.
More About Mark Harris and Elizabeth Walden:
Marriage: December 25, 1857, St. Pauls church, Bermondsey.
Children of Mark Harris and Sarah Walden are:
- Minnie Harris, b. 1872, Horselydown, London, d. date unknown.
- Grace Harris, b. 1873, Horselydown, London, d. date unknown.
- Edward Harris, b. 1875, Horselydown, London, d. date unknown.
- Emily Harris, b. 1877, Horselydown, London, d. date unknown.
- Ethel Harris, b. 1879, Horselydown, London, d. date unknown.
- Nelly Harris, b. 1880, Horselydown, London, d. date unknown.
Children of Mark Harris and Elizabeth Walden are:
- +Ann Elizabeth Harris, b. October 4, 1858, 1 Parkers Buildings, Bermondsey, d. March 28, 1933, Wolverhampton.
- William Harris, b. 1861, d. date unknown.
- Louisa Maria Harris, b. 1863, Horselydown, London, d. June 2, 1913.
- Alice Harris, b. 1866, d. date unknown.
- Jane Harris, b. 1867, d. date unknown.
- Henry Harris, b. 1868, Horselydown, London, d. date unknown.