Henry Wallis - Inn Keeper of the Old Gate
  
A little echo from many years ago when Withernwick would have been a rather different place to live.
The Falcon would still have been three separate cottages, not a pub. The village pub  would have been the Old Gate on High Street.
In the 1860's the inn keeper was Henry Wallis, sadly the only 'hard' evidence of him is this memoriam card.
  

 
Henry had been born in Cheshunt Common in Hertfordshire in 1820 (baptised on 14th July 1820).
So he had certainly come quite a way to end up as an inn keeper in Withernwick.
He must have been a reasonably prosperous man as he is on an electoral register dated 1868, as time when the right
Click here to see the 1868 electoral register (it will open in a new window).
to vote depended on wealth. The memoriam card suggests that he was well know and regarded, we can perhaps guess
there was a service in St Alban's church followed by burial in the churchyard.
    
Below is the 1861 census record for the Old Gate
  

  
A bit difficult to read so here is a transcript.
    
Name Year of Birth Place of Birth Profession/Relationship to Hnery
Henry Wallis 1820 Cheshunt Common Inn Keeper
Susanna Wallis 1813 Withernwick Wife
Francis Wallis 1847 Withernwick Daughter
George Wallis 1854 Withernwick Son
John Wallis 1837 Withernwick Son - Tailor
Francis Ellen Lawson 1850 Sproatley Niece
William McArthur 1830 Ceylon (Sri Lanka) Photographic Artist
Henry Morley 1826 Radcliffe on Trent, Nottinghamhsire Lodger
George Mumby 1827 Lincolnshire Lodger

  
Some interesting points.
John is called Henry's son but Henry would have only been 17 when John was born, it is possible. If correct it does indicate that the
family had lived in Withernwick since about 1835.
It is unlikely we will ever see a photo of Henry, cameras were no common in his lifetime, however William Mc Arthur sounds like an
interesting character. Born in Ceylon (how did he come to be in Withernwick?) and a photographic artist. So maybe we can imagine Henry
and his family being photographed by William, that would be a remarkable image from 1861.
The Old Gate was obviously also being used as a lodging house. We can easily imagine that Henry Morley and George Mumby were itinterant farm
workers, men did seem to often travel some distance in search of work.
There is a bit of a problem with the 1841 census. There is a Henry Wallis born in 1820, but with a different wife named Mary, a daughter named Jane and
no son called John. It is possible that Henry could have been married previously, Mary and Jane could have both died. Henry could have then
married Susanna who had a son John by a previous marriage. There is no sign of them on the 1851 census which might give us
more information on this. 

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