Vital Statistics
Henry Pinsent: 1871 – 1939 GRO0404
- Elizabeth Phillis: 1872 – 1913
Married: Leicester, Leicestershire: 1890
Children by Elizabeth Phillis:
John Harry Pinsent: 1892 – xxxx
Vincent Horace Pinsent: 1893 – 1893
Arthur Ellis Pinsent: 1895 – 1895
Harry Pinsent: 1896 – 1957
Horace Pinsent: 1897 – 1898
Jack Pinsent: 1899 – 1899
Eliza Pinsent: 1900 – 1902
George Pinsent: 1901 – 1902
Florence Louisa Pinsent*: 1903 – 1930
*Hilda Pinsent: 1917 – 1927
2. Lydia Spriggs: 1873 – 1956
Married: Leicester, Leicestershire, 1914
Children by Lydia Spriggs:
Violet Wilkinson Pinsent: 1909 – xxxx
John Pinsent: 1911 – xxxx
Hilda Pinsent: 1914 – xxxx
Family Branch: Tiverton
PinsentID: GRO0404
Click here to view close family members.
Henry Pinsent (a.k.a. “Harry” Pinsent) was the fourth surviving son of John Pinsent by his wife Elizabeth (née Johnson). He was born in Leicester where he grew up with seven siblings. Harry was apprenticed to a “wheelwright” after leaving school and married the daughter of “coachsmith” in 1890. The following year’s census taken shows that his wife, Elizabeth Phillis, was a “shoe machinist”.
It does not seem to have been the happiest of marriages. Elizabeth felt obliged to apply to the courts for a maintenance order in 1896. She said that her husband had left her some time ago and although, for a while, he had sent her 5s a week; the payments had stopped coming. She denied that she drank too much or that she sort out the company of other men. Nevertheless, George Warrington, “deposed to having seen applicant at the club in the company of a man, being the worse for drink at the time. On one occasion applicant invited witness to accompany her home about one o’clock in morning, and on the way certain improper suggestions were made by her.” Despite this, the magistrates made an order for 5s a week (Leicester Daily Mercury: Friday 7th February 1896).
Presumably the two of them were reconciled as they had had nine children (seven boys and two girls) by 1903. Most were short-lived and only two, Harry Pinsent and Florence Louisa Pinsent definitely reached maturity. It is not clear what happened to John Harry Pinsent. Although some of the children died of infection or other predictably causes, two Arthur Ellis Pinsent and Horace Pinsent died by accident. Arthur Ellis had the misfortune of being suffocated after his mother rolled on top of him as he slept in the family bed. The Coroner thought that Elizabeth was not entirely blameless in this and, although the jury returned a verdict of “accidental death” he censured her for her carelessness (Leicester Chronicle: Saturday 7th September 1895). Elizabeth was back before the Coroner three years later, after her Horace died of improper feeding. Elizabeth explained that the child had been delicate from birth and she had brought it up on milk, oatmeal, arrowroot and arrowroot biscuit. Nevertheless, the doctor testified that the child died from convulsions brought about by improper feeding. Once again, Elizabeth was cautioned and instructed to take more care in the future (Leicester Chronicle: Saturday 26th February 1898).
Interestingly, Elizabeth told the coroner that she had had seven children but by then and that only one, Harry Pinsent, was still alive. I can only account for five of them! John Harry Pinsent may well have died young as well. Harry and Elizabeth had four more children; of whom three also died young. Jack Pinsent , died from diarrhea in 1899 when only four months old. Perhaps the Coroner’s message had not sunk in.
In September 1899, Harry was once again summoned for by his wife. Elizabeth complained that he struck her in the mouth and knocked her down. Harry’s lawyer claimed that he had been provoked.“His wife gave him no peace at home and on the day in question he went to a friend’s house for a little quietude. His wife went after him, told him to come out, and said she should fetch him out “by fair means or foul.” He meekly obeyed and at home she “pitched” into him again, and she was reinforced by her relatives— A witness stated that the husband wanted to get away from his wife, but she would stick to him. When he came out of the friend’s house, Mrs. Pinsent went to strike him”. The bench dismissed that case.
Harry was a patient himself in the “General Infirmary” at the time of the 1901 Census; why is not stated! His son, Harry, was living with his maternal grandparents in Providence Place and Elizabeth (née Phillis), was lodging next door to her parents. Elizabeth had had a troubled home life and she admitted to the Leicester Borough Bench that she had pawned some clothes stolen by her mother, her sister, and an accomplices from a shop in Wharf Street in early 1903 (Midland Free Press: 30th April 1903).
Harry and Elizabeth finally split up in 1906. In the “Borough Court,” Elizabeth claimed that they had been married for sixteen years and that they had had two children together. She made no mention of the infants who died. She said her husband deserted her around Christmas 1905 and that she was entitled to compensation under the “Married Women’s Act, 1896”. Henry, for his part, said that he had left home because of his wife’s drunkenness – and that she had pawned the household furniture. He felt he did not owe her anything as she had sold off all his household goods. Henry’s former employers (“Messrs. Vipan and Headly”, [a firm of ironmongers that catered to the local dairy industry] for whom he had worked for over seventeen years) submitted a brief on Harry’s behalf, stating that he was a steady, sober man. The Magistrates adjourned the case of a month to see if the parties could come to an amicable agreement (Leicester, Daily Post: Saturday 10th November 1906). However, it was not to be.
The 1911 Census takers found Harry, “a married wheelwright operating on his own account” living with his daughter Florence Louisa Pinsent (7) and a married housekeeper, Lydia Wilkinson (née Spriggs), who was a “hosiery mender” who worked from their home. The household included no less than six of Lydia’s children and a young daughter Violet Pinsent (2) who was, probably, John’s child by Lydia. They lived in a house on Birstall Road in Leicester. Henry and Lydia added a son, John Pinsent, in 1911.
Henry’s erstwhile wife, Elizabeth (née Phillis) had in the meantime moved to Melton Mowbray where she was a “wool sorter” in the local “Infirmary” when she died in December 1913. Her death (and that of Mr. Wilkinson sometime previously) freed Harry and Lydia up to marry – which they did in October 1914. They had another daughter, Hilda Pinsent in November that same year. Harry and Lydia were still living on Birstall Street in 1915 (Leicester Electoral Registers); however, they moved to Westbourne Street shortly thereafter. That was the address Henry gave at the inquest into the death of his “brother in law,” Walter York. Evidently, Walter had slipped while going down a hill drunk and he had died under anesthetic while having it fixed (Leicester Daily Mercury: Friday 15th September 1916).
The family was living on Westbourne Street when the time the census takers returned in 1921. Henry was still a “wheelwright.” He was employed by “John A. Howe, Wheelwright on Benford Street.” He was married to Lydia (nee Spriggs) and was the head of a large blended family. Lydia brought five children, Eveline (23), Ada (21), James (19), Edith (15) and Ivy (14) in from her first marriage and he brought one, Florence Louise (18) from his. They had two children of their own Violet (12) and Hilda (6). Eveline, Ada, James and Edith were out at work in the boot and shoe trade, their step-sister Florence was out of work and Ivy, Violet and Hilda were still at school.
Only two of Henry’s children from his first marriage seem to have survived. His son Harry Pinsent joined the army and later went on to have a family of his own in Southampton, which is on the South Coast of England. His life is discussed elsewhere. Henry’s daughter Florence Louisa Pinsent, also grew to adulthood. However, she does not seem to have married. She had a short-lived illegitimate daughter,Hilda Pinsent, in Leicester in 1927. Florence then moved to Southampton to join her brother and she died there in 1930. Henry’s two daughters by his second wife, Lydia (née Wilkinson), both married in Leicester. What became of their son John is less clear. Perhaps he will turn up masquerading as a “Wilkinson,” although there was a J. H. Pinsent who signed as a sapper with the Royal Engineers during the first world war [Chatham, Rochester and Brompton Observer: 9th June 1917]
Henry (“Harry”) Pinsent died “peacefully” in Leicester General Hospital in August 1939 (Leicester Daily Mercury: Saturday 12th August 1939). He was described as being “formerly a journeyman wheelwright.” Lydia stayed on in Leicester (1939 War-time Register) and died there in 1956. A Memorial notice posted in 1957 states: “Pinsent, Lydia – Memories of dear mam, who passed away March 6, 1956. Remembered always: – By Hilda, Jim, Val, Vi, Sid.” (Leicester Daily Mercury: Wednesday 6th March 1957).
Family Tree
GRANDPARENTS
Grandfather: Thomas Pinsent: 1795 – 1860
Grandmother: Hannah Johnson: 1800 – 1871
PARENTS
Father: John Pinsent: 1836 – 1899
Mother: Elizabeth Johnson: 1837 – 1909
FATHER’S SIBLINGS (AUNTS, UNCLES)
Fanny Pinsent: 1820 – 1880
William Pinsent: 1822 – xxxx
Thomas Pinsent: 1824 – 1831
Caroline Pinsent: 1825 – 1864
James Pinsent: 1831 – 1902
Elizabeth Pinsent: 1833 – 1833
Elizabeth Pinsent: 1833 – xxxx
John Pinsent: 1836 – 1899
Henry Pinsent: 1838 – 1846
George Pinsent: 1839 – 1857
Charles Pinsent: 1842 – 1882
MALE SIBLINGS (BROTHERS)
Thomas Johnson Pinsent: 1856 – 1925
John Henry Pinsent: 1858 – 1861
George Pinsent: 1861 – 1932
John Arthur Pinsent: 1869 – 1930
William Horace Pinsent: 1874 – 1876
Horace Pinsent: 1879 – 1949
Please use the above links to explore this branch of the family tree. The default “Next” and “Previous” links below may lead to other unrelated branches.