Henry Richard Darby

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Henry Richard Darby was born circa 1834 at Walkern, Hertfordshire.¹ He was the son of Richard Darby and Letitia White.¹ The village lies off the main road in the valley of the Beane on the road to Watton. It is fairly large and somewhat straggling, the church, rectory and school, and Walkern Place, a 17th-century farm-house of timber and plaster lying at the north end. Nearby is a small castle of the mount and bailey type, thrown up possibly by Hamo de St. Clare in the reign of Stephen.²

Henry Richard Darby was baptised at St. Mary the Virgin on Sunday, 4 May 1834 at Walkern, Hertfordshire. He was baptised as Richard Henry Darby.³ The church of St. Mary The Virgin stands to the north-east of the village on the east bank of the River Beane. It is built of flint rubble with dressings of Barnack stone and clunch. The original church consisted probably of a chancel and nave. The former has been wholly rebuilt, and the earliest part of the existing church is the nave, which dates from the 11th century and is probably part of the pre-Conquest church.²



He was recorded as living with his parents and older sisters. Elizabeth and Eliza in the 1841 census at Holmes Farm, Walkern, Hertfordshire. He was recorded as being 7 years old. His name is recorded as being Richard.⁴ Henry Richard Darby was also known as Henry in later life.³

In Richard Darby's will on 30 September 1850 Henry Richard Darby, Elizabeth Darby and Eliza Darby were named as heirs. The estate consisted of 'farming stock goods chattels and personal estate' and a small amount of cash; overall, it was valued at less than three hundred pounds.. Henry Richard (as he is called here) was granted a legacy sum of twenty pounds. Richard's widow Letitia and Thomas Playl were granted all of Richard's estate (except for twenty pounds bequeathed to his son Henry Richard) for the purposes of carrying on the running of the farm as long as they thought it viable. When it was no longer thought viable, it was to be sold and a third given to Letitia and the other two-thirds divided between his three surviving children..⁵ Henry Richard Darby was a farmer's son in March 1851.¹

He was recorded as living with his mother and three servants in the 1851 census at Walkern Hall, Walkern, Hertfordshire. He was recorded as being 16 years old.¹ A man was accused of stealing an oak pole from Letita Darby that had been prepared by her son Henry, and Henry gave evidence. However, the case was lost.⁶ He was a farmer in November 1857.³ Henry lived in November 1857 at Judd Street, St. Pancras, London.³

Henry Richard Darby married Eliza Ann Baron, daughter of Thomas Copeland and Elizabeth Fenson Baron, at St. Pancras on Monday, 9 November 1857 at St. Pancras, London.³ Henry Richard Darby was a greengrocer in October 1863.³ Henry lived in October 1863 at 18 Elliots Court, London.³ He was a fishmonger in March 1871.⁷ Henry lived in March 1871 at St. Marks Hospital, Finsbury, London.⁷

Henry died circa December 1873 at Greenwich Registration District.³