Henry Wilton Pryor and Ann Hockley

New Street at the junction of Great Dunmow High Street
cc-by-sa/2.0 - © David Howard - geograph.org.uk/p/5359570

Henry Wilton Pryor (b. 14 Nov 1827), son of John Pryor and Elizabeth Wilton married Ann Hockley (b. 1830), in Cambridge in 1849. It will need a copy of the marriage certificate to discover more about Ann's origins. She claimed to have been born in Bethnal Green, Hackney and Brixton Hill on different censuses, but there are no relevant records in those areas.

In 1841, there was an Ann Hockey (11) living at Park Corner, Great Dunmow in the household of Steel Lambert (65) and wife Elizabeth [formerly Willsher] (65). This Ann is of the right age, but what, if any, relation are the Lambert's? Steel and Elizabeth Lambert had a daughter, Ann Lambert (30), living with them. And Ann Lambert had been one of the witnesses at the marriage of HENRY HOCKLEY of the Parish of (Saint Andrew Undershaft in the County of Middlesex) and MARTHA LAMBERT of this Parish at St Mary the Virgin, Great Dunmow on 18 Aug 1825. This Henry Hockley was a Tailor. The other witness was Ebenezer Hockley (Draper & Tailor), son of Robert Hockley, Tailor and Draper. Although I cannot find a baptism for Martha, there was a newspaper announcement in the Essex & Herts Mercury of 23 Aug 1825, which read: "18th at Great Dunmow, Mr Hockley of London to Miss Martha Lambert of Mr S Lambert ..." Mr S Lambert could be Steel Lambert. Either way, we certainly have this marriage link between the Hockleys and the Lamberts. This still doesn't prove exactly how Ann Hockley was related, but from this, I'm sure this was her in 1841 and that the Lamberts were family. And Henry Hockley (53), in 1851, was living in Bethnal Green.

In 1841, Henry Wilton Pryor, listed as Henry Prior (14) Apprentice Tailor, had been living in the household of his Uncle Henry Wilton (his mother's brother) in High Street, Great Dunmow. It seems entirely possible, he may have been apprenticed to another Uncle, Joseph Wilton, who was a Tailor.

Henry Wilton and Ann Pryor had eleven children:

1. Harry Pryor b. 1850 S Quarter in CAMBRIDGE Volume 14 Page 2, bap. 29 Jul 1855 in Felsted, Essex
2. Lydia Ann Pryor b. 1852 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 312, bap. 29 Jul 1855 in Felsted, Essex. Died, aged 21, in 1873.
3. Elizabeth Pryor bap. 29 Jul 1855 in Felsted, Essex. Died, aged 20, in 1874 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 271
4. William John Pryor b. 1855 D Quarter in BURY SAINT EDMUND'S Volume 04A. Died, at 19, on 28 Mar 1875 M Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 309 and was buried on 1 Apr 1875
5. Alice Pryor b. 1858 S Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 04A Page 291. Died, aged 16, in 1875 M Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 04A Page 305
6. Charles Thomas Pryor b. 1860 J Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 333. Died, aged 16, in 1877 M Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 04A Page 268
7. Hubert Edwin Pryor b. 1862 J Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 357
8. George Joseph Pryor b. 1864 M Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 381
9. Fanny Pryor b. 1866 M Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 04A Page 386. Died, aged 14, in 1880 J Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 04A Page 270
10. Alfred Francis Pryor b. 1868 M Qtr in DUNMOW UNION Vol 04A Page 379. Died, aged 22, in 1890 J Qtr in FULHAM Vol 01A Page 144
11. Frederick Clarance Prior b. 1870 M Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 04A P414

All of the GRO birth registrations confirm the mother's maiden name as HOCKLEY. The 1855 baptisms list Henry Wilton Pryor as a Tailor.

In 1861, Henry Wilton Pryor (33) Master Tailor Employing 1 Man, from Royston, Hertfordshire was living in Great Dunmow, Essex, with Ann Pryor (31) birthplace listed as Bethnal Green, Middlesex; Harry Prior (10) birthplace St Andrew The Less, Cambridgeshire; Lydia A Pryor (9) and Elizabeth Pryor (7) both born in Felsted, Essex and William John Pryor (5) born in Bury St Edmunds, Suffolk. Obviously, the family had been moving around quite a bit in the previous decade before returning to Dunmow.

In 1871 and still in Great Dunmow were Henry W Pryor (43) Tailor; Ann Pryor (41) birthplace London; Elizabeth Pryor (17), Alice Pryor (13), Thomas Pryor [Charles Thomas] (11), Herbert Pryor [Hubert Edwin] (9), Joseph Pryor [George Joseph] (7), Fanny Pryor (5), Alfred Pryor (3) and Frederick Pryor (1).

If the level of loss in Joseph Wilton's family in the 1870's had been heart-breaking, in Henry Wilton Pryor's family, it was overwhelmingly cruel with the deaths of six of their children in a seven year period: Lydia Ann at 21 in 1873; Elizabeth at 20 in 1874; William John at 19 in 1875; Alice at 16 in 1875; Charles Thomas at 16 in 1877 and Fanny at 14 in 1880. Without seeing the death certificates, it's mere speculation, but for this pattern to be in both households it suggests an infectious agent and a close association. As the deaths are spaced over years, perhaps Smallpox or Tuberculosis.

Henry Wilton Pryor died, at 51, on 12 Oct 1879 D Quarter in DUNMOW UNION Volume 04A Page 277 and was buried on 17 Oct 1879. His burial is listed among "England, Essex Non-Conformist Church Records".

In 1881, Ann Pryor (51) Tailor's widow with birthplace this time listed as Hackney, Middlesex, Infirmity: Deaf was living in New Street, Great Dunmow with Alfred Pryor (13) and Frederick C Pryor (11). Harry Pryor (30) Drapers accountant was living in Hastings, Sussex; Herbert E Pryor (18) Draper's Assistant was at Messr Tarns Establishment, Newington, Southwark, London. The Elephant and Castle area became a thriving shopping area with its own department store, Tarns: "William Tarn and Co. were Linen drapers, silk mercers, boys' and ladies' outfitters, boot makers, carpet warehousemen, ironmongers, bedding, bedstead and general cabinet furniture manufacturers" of 165 to 173 Newington Causeway, London SE17. They were a kind of Department Store employing a large number of staff, of whom many were accommodated in a hostel or in dormitories provided by their employer. It housed 221 in total on 03 Apr 1881" [Source]

In 1891, Ann Pryor (61) Widowed, Living on own means was still living in New Street, Great Dunmow, with Frederick C Pryor (21) Solicitor's Clerk and Ann Trott (63) Widowed, Housekeeper Domestic Servant.

Ann Pryor died, at 61, in 1891 J Qtr in DUNMOW Vol 04A Page 390.

• Lydia Ann Pryor married Porter Gentry in Dunmow, Essex, in 1871. Lydia Ann Gentry died, at 21, in 1873 S Quarter in BRAINTREE Volume 04A Page 232. (Porter Gentry remarried in 1895.)
• George Joseph Pryor married Emma Selina Piper on 7 Nov 1886. George Joseph Pryor died at 77 in 1941 D Qtr in BRENTFORD Vol 03A Page 261 and was buried on 26 Nov 1941, according to Essex Monumental Inscriptions, in Takeley, Essex.
• Herbert Edwin Pryor married Annie Stark on 9 Apr 1887 at St John the Evangelist, Smith Square, Westminster. He and his wife did not appear to have any children. When Herbert (84) died on 30 Oct 1946, his beneficiaries were his nephews, sons of George Joseph.
• Harry Pryor married Elizabeth Corps in Hastings, in 1890. Harry Pryor (64) died on 18 Sep 1914 S Qtr in HASTINGS Vol 02B P32.
• Frederick Clarance Pryor married Alice Blake Pitts in Dunmow, in 1897. Frederick Clarence Pryor died at 62, in 1932 J Quarter in BROMLEY [Kent] Volume 02A Page 696.