Henry and Leah Hapgood of Lymington

Henry and Leah were one of several Hapgood families living in Lymington in the second half of the nineteenth century. They married at Sopley, a few miles outside Lymington, on 26 July 1852 at the ages of 42 (Henry) and 26 (Leah) respectively. Over the following 13 years they had five children as shown in the family tree below.

Henry died in 1890 and Leah followed in 1906. They are both buried in the churchyard at Lymington Parish Church.

Links to information on their children

• Henry James Hapgood
• Edward Hapgood

Occupation

Henry was involved in a number of clerical jobs.

• In particular he was Registrar of Births and Deaths for the Lymington district from the inception of general registration on 1 July (tbc) 1837 until his retirement in 1887. His son Edward then took over that position and continued in post until 1932. Thus father and son held this position for a remarkable span of 95 years. However, it's worth noting that Henry took first took on this position when it was new and he was a young man of 27. Henry married late and was already 55 years old when Edward was born. He passed the position to Edward when the latter was only 21 or 22 years old and then Edward held it until he was an old man. It is this combination of factors that allowed them to hold the position for so long.
• It appears that Henry later developed a role as an agent for the railway. In Kelly's Directory for 1848 he is shown only as Registar of Births and Deaths. But in later directories he appears as a railway agent. For example, Kelly's Directory for 1859 shows him as an agent for the SW (South-Western) railway company and based in the High Street. This was around the time that the railway reached Lymington and thus he may have started this role at that time. He is shown as a railway agent in later directories, e.g. Kelly 1867, Mercer and Crocker 1871. It seems that he kept this job for the rest of his life as he was described as a railway delivery agent when his will was proved a couple of months after his death.
• Henry may have branched out into other clerical jobs. For example, Kelly 1859 shows him as Secretary to the Solent Steam Packet Company and also as an insurance agent.

Antecedants

• Henry was the son of James and Ann Hapgood.
• Leah's maiden name was Barrow. Her parents' given names are not known.

Will

Henry left an estate valued at 683 pounds 15 shillings and 6 pence. The will was proved at the Principal Registry on 30 October 1890 by the executors - namely his widow, Leah Hapgood, of 19 High Street, Lymington and his son, Henry James Hapgood of 28 Upper-Coombe Street, Croydon, Surrey. Henry James was shown as a Clerk in the Civil Service. Henry senior was described as a Railway Delivery Agent.

Last updated 08 May 2005