John Douglas Herrick

John Douglas Herrick was born in Colchester in 1823 to the Reverend Joseph and Ann Herrick ( nee Douglas )

The 1841 census brings me no knowledge of him bar the fact that he wasn’t at home.  Written in the Ipswich Journal dated  Sat 29th November 1845  there was a fire at John’s warehouse at the back of his parents home.

Four engines , a good supply of water and a lack of breeze helped the firemen contain the fire to the Herrick properties. His father’s library estimated to be worth £1200  was damaged, but the paper was happy to report that it was fully insured.

In 1851 John  is registered as an out of business Grocer and his marriage to Mary Beckingsale of Cheltenham can only deduce his travelling manner ,and that her family were also Grocers.

n 1855 he was registered as a Grocer at North Hill Colchester. Between 1857 and 1861 he moved with his family to Birmingham, as in 1861 he is a cork sock maker, assuming he learnt these skills from his sister’s second husband , who was also of the same profession  and already in Birmingham, (they having moved from the Cheltenham  area.) John’s address at the time being Park Road Hockley and Balsall Heath Road until he retired.

GGGrandfather had the dreadful task of seeing 2 of his children buried. Sarah Ann in 1873 aged 19  (who was put in a 12 foot grave), and William Henry in 1877 aged 16.

John died in the district of Kings Norton and was buried with his children in plot F 95 in 1884 aged 61.

Mary his wife moved away from Birmingham after  this, and lived with her older daughter  Helena in Gloucester. Mary died  in 1891  aged 66 and plot F 95 was reopened again. 1895 saw the death  of a grandchild  they never knew, Edith May

who died at the tender age of 6 months , and Helena Maud, John’s daughter, was the last person to be interred at Plot F 95, in 1903, when her death was caused by a fall down the stairs.

As usual there is plenty more research to do, for example I still need all birth and death certificates, and many years to try and fill, to create a full life for this man.

Julie A.D. Herrick