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Pritchett, Howard

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Gender: Male

Howard Pritchett sang All Jolly Fellows As Follows the Plough and The Jumper Song to Peter Duddridge in 1962 in Bibury.

Howard Pritchett’s family were originally from Oxfordshire. His great-grandfather, Benjamin Pritchett was born about 1795 in Deddington, Oxfordshire. He married Hannah Pitts on 8 April 1817 in the Northleach registration district. They were living in Deddington in 1826 with his eldest son, Benjamin, living next door. He was farming in New Street, Deddington in 1841 with his wife, Hannah and six other children: John (Howard Pritchett’s grandfather) baptised in Deddington on 23 May 1823, Sarah born about 1824, William born about 1827, Ann born about 1829, Elizabeth born about 1831 and James born about 1834. They also had a 15 year old female servant living with them. Benjamin Pritchett’s son, Benjamin junior, was still farming next door with his wife, Mary, and 4 month old daughter, Elizabeth.

By 1851 Benjamin had moved to Gloucestershire and taken over Barnsley Farm, employing 11 labourers. His son, Thomas, who was living at home, was also described as a farmer and his daughters Sarah, Ann and Eliza were also domestic assistants on the farm. James, Benjamin’s other son, was working as an agricultural labourer. Also living with them were two granddaughters, Eliza Pritchett and Sarah Elizabeth Parish, the daughter of Joseph and Harriet Parish, of Barford St John, Oxfordshire, presumably another daughter of Benjamin’s. Benjamin continued to farm at Poultmore Farm, Barnsley as of 1826 and his daughter, Ann, was married from there in 1854 to James Habgood, a miller, as was his daughter Hannah Eliza in 1857 to David Hall, a farmer from Oakridge. By 1861 Benjamin was a widower, still living in Barnsley as a farmer of 423 acres employing eight men and three boys. Two of his granddaughters, Eliza and Ellen Pritchett, were living with him as was his son, James, who was working on the farm. They also had two servants.

By 1851 John Pritchett, Howard’s grandfather, had married and was living in Arlington, Bibury, with his wife, Maria from Wigginton, Oxfordshire, and two daughters, Elizabeth born about 1844 and Ellen born about 1847. They had further children all born in Bibury (probably Arlington), Mary Jane born about 1853, Lydia born about 1857 and Louisa born about 1861. Howard Pritchett’s father, George Pritchett, was born to John and Maria in Bibury (probably Arlington) in 1858. By 1861 John was still living in Arlington and working as a carrier as he was also in 1871 when his son George was described as a carrier’s son. By then he and Maria had two more children, Oscar born about 1867 and Edith born about 1869. By 1881 George Pritchett was working as a carrier with his father, John. He and his brother, Oscar, and sister, Edith, were still living at home. John Pritchett died in 1890.

George Pritchett, Howard’s father, married Emily Priscilla Day in 1885 and their son, Howard John Pritchett, was born on 5 September 1894 and was baptised in Withington on 27 October 1895, when George was described as a farmer of Arlington. He also carried on being a general carrier, however, and was doing this in Arlington in 1901 by which time he and Emily had five other children, Emily P. Pritchett born about 1889, Frederick George Pritchett born 1889, Bessie Emily Pritchett born 1890, Mildred Maud Pritchett born 1892 and Hector Cecil Pritchett born 1898. Also living with them was George’s brother, Oscar who was a self-employed carpenter. By 1911 George was still working as a farmer and general carrier in Arlington. His son, Frederick George, was working with him in the carrier business and his son Howard John was working on the farm. Both were still living at home as were Hector and two further sons, Douglas Edwin born 1901and Aubrey Edwin born 20 August 1904. They also had a grandson living with them, Arthur Wiggins 10 months old and born in Wokingham Berkshire. At this time Howard’s parents had had ten children of whom eight were still living and two had died. George Pritchett died in 1942 in the Cirencester registration district which included Bibury.

Howard Pritchett did service in World War I as a private in both the Gloucestershire and Worcestershire Regiments. He married Florence Mary Manns of Littledean on 31 December 1916 and continued living in Arlington. He was at Glebe Farm, Arlington from at least 1939 until at least 1971. Howard’s brother, Fred Pritchett, was carrying on the carrier business in 1939 and his brother, Aubrey Pritchett, was then farming in Bibury with a large farm of over 150 acres. In 1922 Howard and Florence Mary had a son, Hector George Pritchett. Hector Pritchett married Mary Philomena Smith in Thornbury in 1946. Hector George Pritchett of Glebe Farm, Bibury died on 25 July 1950 at the Radcliffe Infirmary Oxford. After Hector’s death his widow remarried twice, firstly to Clifford R Jones in 1952 in Downham, Norfolk then to Arthur Musgrove in 1977 in the Wrekin. According to the Kaine Preitchett family tree on Ancestry.com Hector had one son who married and had one son and 2 daughters.

Howard Pritchett died and was buried in Bibury on 22 April 1972.

Notes by Carol Davies May 2015