Henry Poulter

Henry Poulter was born in 1833 to Daniel Poulter and Mary Poulter (Lovelock) near the village of Eweshot, Hampshire, England and baptised at the All Saints church in Crondall on the 8th December 1833. Henry cannot be found in the in 1851, 1861 or 1871 census in Hampshire or other census records throughout England. All other Henry Poulter's born this year are in other Poulter families. I deduce from this that Henry arrived in South Africa with his older sister, Anne Poulter who had married Jonas Stevens in 1846 and together with Henry arrived in Mossel Bay in 1849. He would have been 16 at the time and so probably not allowed to make the journey on his own. Henry married Caroline Barnes at St Pauls Church in George on the 6th of September 1859 when he was 26 she was 17. The wedding was witnessed by Jonas Stevens and at the time Henry's occupation was a labourerer. The marriage was to last 13 years when she died though at the age of 30 on the 14th August 1872 without them having any children. Henry remarried the following year to Harriet Whatley on the 23rd September 1873 at St Martins Church in George, Cape Province. His occupation by now was a farmer and by now Henry is 40 years old and his new bride Harriet is 19 but she has a daughter, Annie(Johanna Louisa) Whatley who is 4 months old. We don't know who the father is but it may well be Henry when his wife Caroline may have been ill before she died and Harriet was their servant. It may be that Henry being a widow took Harriet as his wife as a matter of convenience for the family of Harriet as she was a single mother with a baby. This is all conjecture and we will never know for sure however DNA tests on the descendants of Annie and the other children may prove that the descendants they have the same father thus supporting my theory that Henry is the father. Henry and Harriet then had eight children together after marriage:
  • Henry Daniel Poulter
  • Harriette Eleanor Poulter
  • Frederick Alfred Poulter
  • Mildred Millicent Poulter
  • Ellen Blanche ‘Elaine’ Poulter
  • Thomas Lanch Poulter
  • Lillie Maria Poulter
  • Louis John Poulter

    • He bought two plots in Market Street in George on the 4th May 1883 but by 1893 the family have moved out of George to Cradock where their son Louis was born. The family moved sometime after this to Port Elizabeth and Henry died on the 26th July 1912 at the age of 78 in Walmer, Port Elizabeth, Eastern Cape. The cause of death and the duration is noted as Senile Decay for "several years" which today we would diagnose as Alzheimer's disease. At the time of his death his occupation was Gardener and he was living in Prospect Road, Walmer. He was buried in St John's Church Cemetry, Walmer.

    Baptism

    Baptism record from the All Saints Church where Henry was baptised. Henry's entry is the last record on the page.

    Marriage Entry

    Marriage record from the Church where Henry and Harriet were married

    Funeral Notice

    This funeral notice was placed in the Eastern Province Herald on the 27th July 1912.

    Death Notice