Shep's Place Family Tree

In 1851 the Skitches lived at 40 Higherend in Marhamchurch. Humphrey now 43 and Elizabeth 42 had five children at home: Robert 15, an agricultural labourer; Mary ten, a scholar; Humphrey seven; Elizabeth five; and John one.

At Marhamchurch in 1861 the father Humphrey 52 is classified as a "cordwainer" rather than a shoemaker. A cordwainer does finer work than a shoemaker, so this is a higher station for Humphry. Elizabeth 51 yrs has four children at home: William 22, a carpenter; Humphry Jr, an apprentice cordwainer; Elizabeth 15, an apprentice cordwainer; and John eleven years, a scholar. All of the children were born in Marhamchurch.

In 1871 Humphry Senior and Elizabeth lived at 41 Higherend in Marhamchurch, while their son Humphry and his wife Mary lived next door at #42. John Skitch aged 21 and unmarried lived at home with his parents.

Humphry Jun. was 27 and a cordwainer like his father. Mary, his wife was 24 years and had four children under the age of six: Humphrey six, a scholar; Mary five; William three, and Elizabeth A. one year old.

In the street where they lived, some of the other occupations of residents were carpenter, grocer, ganger of highways, retired housekeeper and retired blacksmith.

Ten years later at the time of the 1881 census, Humphrey 37 and Mary 34 had six children at home: Elizabeth A. eleven, Frederick R. eight, Florence E. six, Edith five, Harriet three and John one. William aged 13 was working as a servant in Poundstock with the Thomas Marks family. I do not know what happened to Mary, but Humphrey at some stage went to Canada.