#52Ancestors: James PERRY, 1875-1966, England

Continuing the #52Ancestors year-long challenge by genealogist Amy Johnson Crow, here is my son-in-law's great-grandfather, James PERRY, born in Hartshill, Warwickshire, England.  The photo is apparently of James' father, John PERRY, jr.  

James, born in 1875 in Hartshill, Warwick, was the youngest of the 9 children of his parents, John PERRY jr & Sarah WHITE. His father worked as a hand-looming ribbon-weaver according to the 1841 Census, as did many others on the Census pages for Hartshill, a small hamlet. This was a fading occupation as mechanized looms began to take over the piece-work done on home looms. 

On Aug 2, 1898, James married Martha Jane DONAGHY, in Glasgow, Scotland. The certificate states both are working, James as a Coachman, Martha as a Restaurant Hostess.  Scottish marriage certificates are wonderfully detailed with names of both parents, their occupations, and mother's maiden name.  See below: 

The 1901 Census in Glasgow shows James working as an Iron Foundry Labourer, living in the parish of Townhead, with a number of other workers from Ireland. Here we see their first daughter, Lillian, 2 yrs old. I suspect the Foundry paid fairly well - and there were pages of Foundries listed in the Glasgow city Directory!! 

James and Martha had the following 5 known children:

   1.  Lillian Martha, b. Mar 23, 1899, Glasgow

   2.  John Robert, b. May 13, 1901, Glasgow

   3.  James Edward [ancestor], b. abt 1904, Hartshill, Warwick;
          m. Oct 6, 1928 Alberta Canada to Margaret Alice
          ATHERTON; 7 children

   4.  Ralph, b. Oct 1907, Hartshill, Warwick, d. Mar 1990
           Warwickshire

   5.  Edwin, b. Oct 1909, Warwickshire

As can be seen above, before 1904 James and Martha moved down to the hamlet of Hartshill in Warwickshire where his parents and some of his siblings were living. On the 1911 Census, James states his occupation as Inn Keeper - see image below of the Bowling Green Inn on Coventry Rd in Southam. Here in this photo one can also see that it is still open for business.

I do wonder how James came to be an Innkeeper, having worked in various servant or labouring jobs until this time. Southam is south of the large city of Coventry; Hartshill where he and his younger three children were born, is just north of Southam, a total of almost 25 miles between the two places. Perhaps there's a family story about his new opportunity, between 1909 and 1911.  

I have yet to do significant research on James' children other than for his namesake, James Edward PERRY. Clearly some research could be done by his descendants-?  

At the age of 91 years, James died April 1st 1966, in Nuneaton, Warwickshire, and is apparently buried there. His wife, Martha, died 2 years later aged 93 years, on May 11, 1968, in Staffordshire.  There have been several trips to England, and perhaps one of the great-grandchildren have photos of their gravestones. 

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If these are your ancestors, I am happy to share what little I have on these ancestors. And if there are errors, please do let me know, via calewis at telus dot net, or in the Comments below and I will get back to you either by email or in the Comments. I appreciate the opportunity to correct any issues in these family trees.

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