Henry Boxall (buried 1929)

At a glance

At a glance
Surname: 
Boxall
First name: 
Henry
Other Christian names: 
Gender: 
Male
Children: 
Unknown
Burial number: 
1421
Born: 
0/0/1866
Died: 
24/11/1929
Buried: 
27/11/1929
Occupation: 
Agricultural Labourer; Groom; Fruit Grower; Domestic Gardener;
Heene Hallmark: 
No
Commonwealth War Grave: 
No

The Grave

The grave
Cemetery area: 
EB
Cemetery row: 
4
Cemetery plot: 
16
what3words location: 
https://what3words.com/payer.piles.fats
Burial remains: 
Unknown
The headstone
Headstone inscription: 
In loving memory of Annie Boxall died 13th March 1929 aged 62. also of Henry her husband died 24 Nov. 1929 aged 64 "Resting"

Warning: this record has been marked as potentially upsetting

The information published on this website will include research obtained from the public domain. It may sometimes include things you might find upsetting, such as the details of their death or any misdemeanours that might have happened in their life. We feel it is important however to tell their full story.

Life story

Life story

Henry Boxall was born in Fittleworth, Sussex, in 1866, to Noah Boxall, 38yrs, Woodsman, and Sarah nee Lawrence, 34yrs. He was the fifth of six children. By the age of 15years, Henry had left home and was employed as an agricultural labourer in Wisborough Green. He went on to be a groom on the Worth Park Estate when he was 25yrs, and in 1894, aged 28yrs, he married Anne Warren, 27yrs, on 21st April at St. Albans, Hertfordshire.

They set up home in West Tarring, and by 1911 they had had 6 children, Minnie 16, Dorothy 14, Ivy 10, Henry Warren 8, Montague 6 and Gladys 2. Henry worked as a fruit grower before becoming a domestic gardener. He was known as Harry later in life, and at the outbreak of war in 1914, he enrolled in the Territorial Army.

Henry was widowed in March 1929 and suffered physical and mental illness, he was cared for by a daughter who lived with him but became increasingly delusional, and on 24th November that year, he was found drowned, an inquest returned the verdict suicide by drowning while of unsound mind. He was 63yrs old, and at the time of his death he was living at 12, London St. W. Worthing.

Probate was granted to his son, Henry Warren Boxall, Gardener, effects, £136 16s 4d. Value 2019 - £8.5K.

Burial researcher: 
Unknown

Further information

Birth
Date born: 
00/00/1866
Marriage
Marriage 1
Spouse one first names: 
Anne
Spouse one last name: 
Warren
Marriage one date: 
21/04/1894
Marriage one address: 
St Albans, Hertfordshire, England

Death

Death (details)
Date of death: 
24/11/1929
Age (at time of death): 
64
Cause of death: 
Suicide by drowning
Address at time of death: 
12 London Street, Worthing, Sussex, England
Personal effects
Executors: 
Harry Warren Boxall status: Gardener
Probate pounds: 
£136

Census and miscellaneous information

Census information
1871 census: 

Living at Hogshurst, Fittleworth, Sussex. Noah Boxall, 43yrs, Woodsman, wife, Sarah, 39yrs, 6 children, Frederick 16, Agricultural Labourer, Mary Ann 12, Emma 10, John 8, Henry 5, and George 3.

1881 census: 

Lving at Collins Marsh, Wisborough Green, Sussex. Frederick Puttick, 60yrs, Shopkeeper and Farmer, wife, Jane, 50yrs, Henry Boxall, 15yrs, Agricultural Labourer, visitor, Mary Boxall, 40yrs, plus 1 domestic servant.

1891 census: 

Living at the Worth Park Estate, East Grinstead - Henry Boxall, 25 yrs. is a Groom.

1901 census: 

Living at Snow Cottage, South Street, West Tarring. Henry Boxall, 35yrs, Fruit Grower, wife, Annie, 3 children, Minnie 6, Dorothy 4, Ivy 1, boarder, Ernest Perham, 19yrs, Nursery Gardener.

1911 census: 

Living at Madehurst, Tarring Road, Worthing. Harry Boxall, 44yrs, Domestic Gardener, wife, Annie, 43yrs, 6 children, Minnie 16, Dorothy 14, both described as servants in the home, Ivy 10, Harry Warren Boxall, 8, Montague 6 and Gladys 2.

1921 census: 

Living at Kirkby, Ripley Road, Worthing, Sussex.

Harry Boxall Head Male 1867 54 Fittleworth, Sussex, England Gardener Market
Annie Boxall Wife Female 1877 44 St Pancras, London, England Home Duties -
Minnie Lattimore Boxall Daughter Female 1897 24 Worthing, Sussex, England Grocer Assistant -
Dorothy Boxall Daughter Female 1897 23 Worthing, Sussex, England Nursemaid -
Mary Boxall Daughter Female 1900 21 Worthing, Sussex, England General Servant -
Harry Boxall Son Male 1901 19 Worthing, Sussex, England Gardening -
Mary Tagwe Boxall Son Male 1903 17 Worthing, Sussex, England Gardening At Home Mkt
Miscellaneous information

West Sussex Gazette 28 Nov.1929

DEAD IN A DITCH - How the body of a man with over £27 in his pockets was found in a ditch at Durrington, was told at an inquest on Henry Boxall, 64yrs. of 18, Ripley Road, West Worthing, on Tuesday, held by the Coroner for West Sussex. Harry W. Boxall, the dead man's son, of London Street, a gardener, said the deceased had been suffering from neurasthenia , and had frequently said, "I won't be here tomorrow". Dr. Hayden, West Tarring, who had been attending him, and Dr. Goode, as well as witnesses and his sister, had advised him to go into the infirmary, but he refused. Last week he was delirious and had delusions. Miss Boxall, who lived with her father, said he was a widower and had always been very nervy. He complained of his head and said there was gas in the house, or - "We shall be in total darkness" - and made other statements while in delirium, and he suffered from delusions. He went out to get a shave on Saturday morning and as he did not return, she told her Uncle who tried to find him. When they failed in their search they told the police. Sidney H. Woods, Limbrick Lane, Goring, a tractor driver, said that at 8.10 on Sunday morning he was going to Nell Wood to feed pigs when he saw a coat, neatly folded, and placed on the stump of a tree, with a cap by it's side on the bank of a ditch. On the way back, still seeing the coat there, he looked into the ditch and saw something he thought might be the body of a man. He told the police and eventually helped PC Beaker get the body out of the ditch. PC Beaker (Durrington) said he saw the body lying face downwards covered by mud and water. On the body was £36.10s in notes, and in the trouser pockets, 10s in silver and 3s in copper. A watch in deceased's waistcoat was still going. Among letters on the body was one containing a 5s post order. The ditch was 3ft. below the level of the field and the water in it was 2ft.6ins. The ditch was 7ft. wide. Dr. G. E. Hayden said he had attended deceased for gastritis and abdominal trouble. A post-mortem examination showed that death was due to suffocation, partly by drowning and partly by blockage caused by mud. The Coroner returned a verdict of "Suicide by drowning while of unsound mind."