Henry James Humphrey Swendell (1830 - 1896) is my great, great grandfather and the ancestor I’ve spent most time researching.
Henry James Humphrey Swendell was born on the 19th of April 1830 in Hackney, London. Henry’s mother was Catherine Swendell (nee Curtis). Catherine was Henry’s father’s second wife. Henry ended up having nine siblings and five half siblings.
Henry served in the Rifle Brigade. He fought in the Crimean War and was posted to Canada in 1861. While in Canada a set of portraits was taken of the serjeants’ mess. I’ve spent considerable time on trying to identify which of the portraits is Henry. Henry married my great, great grandmother Ann Saxon on the 22nd of March 1865 in Saint George’s Anglican Church in Montréal.
In total Henry and Ann had 5 sons and 5 daughters.
He briefly joined the Cinque Port Rifle Volunteers in 1871. Upon leaving the army in 1873 he became a sergeant in the East Kent Militia.
By 1891 he had moved to Buttershaw, West Yorkshire where he lived with his wife, four daughters and youngest son.
Henry died in 1896 and is buried at Saint Paul’s church, Buttershaw.