HARRY PRINCE

SARAH ANN DAVIDSON PRINCE

Sacred

to the memory of

Harry Prince

who departed this life

June 2nd 1870 aged 47 years.

--

In the midst of life

we are in death.

--

Also of

Sarah Ann Davidson Prince

his widow

who died March 3rd 1880 (1886?)

aged 50 years​​

Henry Prince 

Harry was born to James (a labourer) and Frances (nee Morey) in 1824, the 5th of their 8 children. The family were living at Hartford Cottage, Beaulieu at the time. Henry was baptised at Beaulieu church on 12th June 1824 by the Rev Henry Adams.

​​At 15 Harry was in service at Colchester House, Dibden, working for Thomas and Sarah Southouse. By 1851, he was working as a groom and had moved to Netley Lodge, with their son, the Rev. George Southouse (curate of Hound parish). In 1853 George became the incumbent vicar at St John's church, Shanklin and Harry moved there as part of his household. This medieval church was to undergo extensive alteration and extension guided by its new vicar and there was a shift from its role as a manorial chapel to that of a parish church in 1853.

In the census of 1861, Harry, aged 35, is living in Shanklin with his 71 year old mother Fanny and is working as a farmer.

​

​Sarah Ann Davison Bates 

Sarah Ann was born in Ridge (close to Barnet), in 1836 to James Davison Bates and Ann (nee Bull). In 1861 Sarah Ann was working as a parlour maid for Rev George and Arabella Southouse in Shanklin. 

​

Harry and Sarah Ann and were married by George in December 1861 at St John's church (now dedicated to St. Blasius). By the time of their son Harry's birth in September 1864 Sarah and Harry had moved back to the mainland and were living in Dibden with Harry working as a farmer.

Harry died in 1870 and was buried at East Boldre Baptist Chapel on 6th June 1870 by Rev John Bartlett Burt. The chapel burial record and death register both give Harry's age at death as 46 (rather than the 47 on his gravestone). 

The 1871 census shows Sarah Ann took over the running of the 80-acre Home Farm in Dibden with the help of her 23-year-old nephew George Prince, sister Mary Ann Bates and employed 2 men and a boy. ​By 1881, their 16-year-old son Harry is helping to run the now 60-acre farm along with two employed men. Sarah Ann died in early 1886 aged 50.

The year of death on her gravestone appears to read 1880 rather than 1886 as in the civil registration death index. Sarah Ann’s entry is also missing from the chapel's burial register for either year. The timing in 1886 is just a few months before Revd Burt’s death. It coincides with a change in handwriting in the records and no burials are recorded between September 1885 and May 1886, so maybe is symptomatic of a decline in Revd Burt’s health prior to his death.