Henry Barham Johnson (1848-1917)

 

Henry Barham Johnson 

Rowing and the Church

 
Henry Barham Johnson was born on 12 April 1848 at Welborne[1][2] where his father, John Barham Johnson, was rector.  His mother was Anna Morse. Henry was baptised privately by his father on 17 May[3] and accepted into the church on 10 September[4]. The family was recorded to be resident at Welborne in both the 1851[5] and 1861[6] censuses and by 1860 Henry was at school at Tittleshall, Norfolk[7].

 

Catherine Mary Johnson (Great Aunt Mary or GAM) has extracted snippets about many family members from various diaries (including Henry’s) and letters. It appears that Henry collected crests, mounting them into an album (a hobby preceding stamp collecting)[8]. In 1863 he was ill with scarlet fever[9] and other instances of illness pepper GAM’s accounts[10][11]. She also notes that he could be of such a nervous disposition that this would make him ill[12][13].By 1864 he was being schooled at Repton[14] but he had left by 1866 and was being coached for entrance to Cambridge by a Mr Jamieson of Coton Rectory, Cambridgeshire[15]. He also spent some time back at Welborne occupying himself shooting, cutting down trees, painting, taking night school twice a week for his father whose throat was troubling him and riding with the new curate, a Mr Joyce[16].

 

He went up to Corpus Christi College in the Michaelmas term of that year[17] where he took up rowing[18]. I have a pencil case mounted with a small plaque commemorating one particular victory. It would appear that his social life rather caused his academic work to suffer and his diary records him failing his “Little Gos” in November 1867[19][20]. It is evident that he failed again in March 1868[21] and a further attempt in March 1869 also seems to have ended in failure although in this case he had the excuse that his sister Alice had died two days previously of consumption[22].

 

GAM reports that his diary for 1870 records him returning to Cambridge to work but is thereafter more concerned with rowing and other social activities[23].  The 1871 census records him as visiting his brother in lodgings in London and notes his occupation as still Cambridge University student[24]. However, later that year he did finally get through the Little Go and went on to graduate with a 2^nd class BA[25][26]. In January 1782 he went to Gloucester Theological College[27]. After just 2 terms at Gloucester the curate at Cirencester, who had previously been curate at Welborne, recommended him for the vacant position of 2^nd curate[28]. The resulting duties and his need to study for his divinity exams do not appear to have reduced his capacity for enjoying leisure activities[29]. He was ordained deacon that year[30][31].

 

The end of 1872 and the early part of 1873 saw him returning on several occasions to Welborne where his brother, John Hamilton, was dying of enteric fever contracted in Egypt[32]. In September he took and passed his exams for the priesthood and was duly ordained a priest[33][34]. In 1874 he applied for and was offered the curacy of Aynhoe, Oxfordhire but turned it down when offered the senior curacy at Cirencester[35].

 

At the end of 1875 he embarked upon an extensive tour of Egypt and Palestine with his uncle, Herbert Morse, which lasted until May 1876[36]. Upon his return he heard of a vacant curacy at St Giles, Reading which he took[37]. The 1881 census records his as boarding at 58 London Street[38].

In 1883 Henry’s father retired as rector of Welborne and appointed Henry in his place[39].

 

Henry’s grandfather John Johnson had married Catharine Donne. The two families retained strong ties from that time frequently socialising together and early in 1888 Henry proposed to his 2^nd cousin once removed, Catharine Bodham Donne, and was accepted[40]. They married in Faversham on 10 April 1888[41] and went to Paris of their honeymoon[42].

 

In 1890 their first son, John Barham (Jack), was born[43] and Henry was offered the living of Lullington and Orchardleigh in Somerset, which he accepted[44]. He is recorded there in the 1891 census, but Catharine and Jack were absent[45]. By 1893 he had become somewhat restive, particularly because of the interference of Mrs Duckworth, the wife of the man who had the gift of the living, in church affairs. Later that year he took up a curateship at Reading[46], but not before his second son, Geoffrey Barham, was born at Lullington[47].

 

In 1895 his daughter, Mary, was born[48] and Canon Winter, who had been officiating at Welborne, died. Although many efforts were made to find a new incumbent in the end Henry reluctantly decided that he must return[49]. He stayed for some 12 years. The family, minus Jack who was by now a St George’s chorister, was recorded as being there in the 1901 census[50].

In 1907 he was offered the living of Ashill partly, according to GAM, because her mother had been badly upset by a recent local murder[51]. Whatever the motivation, Henry accepted. In the 1911 census he is recorded as living at the Rectory there[52]. At first he energetically set about making the 40 acres of land on which the Rectory stood pay for itself. He planted some 100 Bramley apple trees and sold apples and honey to the Army and Navy Stores in London. One of the bailiff’s daughters was trained as a dairy maid and surplus butter and cheese also sold. Two tennis courts were established and later a rifle range and cricket pitch[53]. However, in the following years he became ill and less mobile[54], purchasing a car and hiring a driver when he could no longer manage a pony cart[55].

On 23 November 1915 is younger son, Geoffrey, was killed in action in France[56].

In 1917 he suffered a fall in which he hurt his leg, resulting in phlebitis. He resigned his living and moved to a house in the Close, Norwich.   At Christmas time after going out without a coat he caught a chill which progressed into pneumonia from which he died on 27 December[57][58]. For probate Henry’s estate was valued at a very substantial £16192[59].

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[1] Birth registration GRO reference 1848 Jun Forhoe 13 134.

[2] A significant amount of genealogical information is given in Howard JJ and Crisp FA “Visitation of England and Wales”, vol 3, 1895, p17 available at https://archive.org/details/visitationofengl03howa accessed 28 March 2018, and in vol 5, 1897, p110 available at https://archive.org/details/visitationengla01armsgoog accessed 28 March 2018.

[3] Welborne parish baptism register 1848 p34.

[4] Welborne parish baptism register 1848 p35.

[5] 1851 England and Wales census HO107/1817/116/1.

[6] 1861 England and Wales census RG9/1221/85/17.

[7] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 2, p445.

[8] Ibid p452.

[9] Ibid p451.

[10] Ibid vol 3, p594.

[11] Ibid p613.

[12] Ibid vol 2, p466.

[13] Ibid vol3, p583.

[14] Ibid vol 2, p460.

[15] Ibid p463.

[16] Ibid.

[17] Cambridge University Alumni 1261-1900, available at ancestry.co.uk accessed 5 December 2017.

[18] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 2, p468.

[19] Ibid p472.

[20] Little Go was the name given to one set of exams required for graduation, see https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Responsions accessed 5 December 2017.

[21] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 2, p474.

[22] Ibid vol 3, p540.

[23] Ibid p571.

[24] 1871 England and Wales census RG10/673/32/4.

[25] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p580.

[26] Cambridge University Alumni 1261-1900, available at ancestry.co.uk accessed 5 December 2017.

[27] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p580.

[28] Ibid. p581.

[29] Ibid.

[30] Ibid.

[31] Cambridge University Alumni 1261-1900, available at ancestry.co.uk accessed 5 December 2017.

[32] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p582-3.

[33] Ibid p584.

[34] Cambridge University Alumni 1261-1900, available at ancestry.co.uk accessed 5 December 2017.

[35] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p592.

[36] Ibid p603-8.

[37] Ibid p609

[38] 1881 England and Wales census RG11/1306/32/6.

[39] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p617-8.

[40] Ibid p626.

[41] Marriage registration GRO reference 1888 Jun Faversham 2A 1267.

[42] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p632.

[43] Birth registration GRO reference 1890 Jun Forehoe 4B 185 (given names not recorded).

[44] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p635.

[45] 1891 England and Wales census RG12/1908/48/2.

[46] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p651, 653.

[47] Birth registration GRO reference 1893 Sep Frome 5C 453 (given names not recorded).

[48] Birth registration GRO reference 1895 Sep Reading 2C 381 (given names not recorded).

[49] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p657.

[50] 1901 England and Wales census RG13/1849/71/4.

[51] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p685.

[52] 1911 England and Wales census RG14/12816/273/3/6/193.

[53] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p688.

[54] Ibid p703.

[55] Ibid p706.

[56] Commonwealth War Graves Commission web site https://www.cwgc.org/search-results?term=geoffrey%20barham%20johnson&name=geoffrey%20barham%20johnson&fullname=geoffrey%20barham%20johnson accessed 19 December 2017.

[57] Catherine Mary Johnson “Letters and Diaries of the Norfolk Families Donne & Johnson”, vol 3, p714.

[58] Death registration GRO reference 1917 Dec Norwich 4B 141.

[59] England and Wales National Probate Calendar 1918 343.