occupation

Poultry farmer

dates

Born: 1875

Married: 25 Dec 1907, Hilda Elizabeth COPPOCK, at St. Mary’s Church, Thame, Oxon

Died: 1929

residence

Thame, Oxon

submitted by

Roy Harmes (grandson)

Background information

Harry WEST married Hilda Elizabeth COPPOCK on 25 December 1907 at St Mary’s Church, Thame. At the time of their marriage, records show that Harry was 32 years of age, a poultry farmer residing at 12, Upper High Street, Thame; his father, James WEST (deceased) was formerly a coachman. Hilda was 28 years of age and resided at 114, High Street, Thame; her father being John Henry COPPOCK (deceased) who was a brick merchant.

After Harry and Hilda’s marriage, Harry’s sister Sally’s husband, William WELLS, built the house for them at 77, Lower High Street, Thame for the sum of £700. Harry and Hilda had six children; Hilda May born 18 March 1908, Daisy, Gladys, Emily Maud (my mother) born 5 May 1915, Rose born and Harry Reginald.

Harry died in 1929 aged 54, after a long illness with asthma and Hilda struggled for ten years to provide for the family before she herself died in 1939 at the age of 60.

The COPPOCK family were once wealthy and lived at Headington Manor before John Henry drank away all the wealth. Hilda May WEST, has related the tale that he used to come to Thame on his horse, get so drunk that he would then tell the horse to take him home; off the horse would go with him sitting on its back in a drunken stupor.

Rose WEST has recalled that she can remember all the children going with their mother in a horse and trap to Headington to collect the rents from the properties she owned (possibly around Headington Quarry, as there are numerous references there to the COPPOCK family). When this was completed they would then proceed into Oxford for shopping and would leave the pony and trap in a stable somewhere at The Plain and then walk up to the covered market in Oxford. She can remember, on the way home, the pony’s trotting getting slower and slower as it tackled Headington Hill and her mother would give him a touch with the whip and he would immediately increase his speed, and the girls would say, “Oh, don’t hit him Mum!”