Henry Harris

Sapper Henry Harris – Royal Engineers, Inland Water Transport

Early Life

Henry Harris was born in 1848 in Barnstaple, Devon, the youngest son of Joseph Harris, an agricultural labourer, and Betty Harris, a lace mender.

1851 Census

At the time of the 1851 Census, the Harris family lived at 94 Gafdon Street, Barnstaple. Joseph and Betty, both 36, were raising three children: Richard, 7; Margaret, 5; and Henry, 3. All three attended school. Also in the household were three lodgers, including Grace Westacell, 73, described as a pauper, and Jane Royles, 26, with her infant daughter.

By the 1861 Census, Henry, aged 12, was already employed as a servant with the Dowing family.

In 1867, Henry married Jessey Hill, beginning a family of his own.

Family Life

1871 Census

The 1871 Census records Henry, 22, and Jessy, 25, living at 38 Boden’s Row, Barnstaple, with their three young children: Thirza, 3; Sarah Ann, 1; and baby Henry, just 2 months old.

1881 Census

By the 1881 Census, the family had moved to Swansea, residing at 4 Rock Street. Henry, now 33, was a general labourer. Jessy was 34, and their children were Thirza, 13; Sarah Ann, 11; Henry, 10; and William, 8.

1891 Census

A decade later, the 1891 Census places the Harris family at 183 Lynn Street, Swansea. Henry, 47, was employed as a Gas Stoker. Jessy, now 46, managed a household that had grown to include William, 18; Albert, 16; and Thomas, 12, all working as cart hauliers. Their younger children were Eliza, 9; Gladys, 7; James, 4; and baby Daisy, 9 months.

1901 Census

By the 1901 Census, Henry appears as Joseph H. Harris, aged 53, still working as a general labourer. He and Jessy, also 53, were now living at 15 Rock Street, Swansea. Their children present were Thomas, 24, a coal carter; James R., 16, a cart driver; Gladys J., 14; and Jessie Violet, 6.

1911 Census

At the time of the 1911 Census, Henry, 62, and Jessy, 63, remained at 15 Rock Street. Henry was still employed as a general labourer. Their daughters Gladys Irene Pritchard, 25, a fuse worker, and Jessie Violet, 17, a charwoman, were also in the household, along with a lodger, Edith Danter, 25, and her baby, Beatrice M.

Military Service

Despite his age, Henry enlisted during the First World War, serving with the Royal Engineers, Inland Water Transport, where he held the rank of Sapper. Inland Water Transport units were vital in maintaining supplies, operating barges, and managing waterways in Britain and overseas.

Death

Herald of Wales

10^th April 1917, Henry Harris tragically drowned while serving in North Wales. His death was reported in the Herald of Wales, which noted the remarkable fact that this Swansea man, well into his sixties, had still taken up military service during wartime.

Burial

Henry’s body was brought home to Swansea, where he was laid to rest in Danygraig Cemetery. His funeral was conducted with dignity, attended by family, fellow servicemen, and residents who came to honour one of Swansea’s oldest soldiers.

Henry Harris
Danygraig Cemetery
credit - findagrave

His coffin, draped in the Union Jack, was carried to the graveside, where prayers were read. The service reflected both the tragedy of his sudden death and the admiration felt for a man of such advanced years who had still answered his country’s call. Floral tributes adorned the grave, left by family members and comrades, a quiet but touching testament to the esteem in which he was held.

The presence of a military escort underscored his place among Swansea’s wartime dead. At the close of the service, the silence of the cemetery was broken by the sounding of the “Last Post,” marking the end of a remarkable life of service, resilience, and duty.

Legacy

Henry Harris could well have been one of the oldest men from Swansea to serve in the First World War. His story demonstrates not only the breadth of Britain’s wartime mobilisation but also the personal courage of men who, despite age and hardship, volunteered for service.

His grave at Danygraig stands as a reminder that the war touched all generations — from teenagers like John William Kneath, dead at just 15, to men like Henry Harris, still serving in their sixties. Together, they reflect the true human breadth of Swansea’s sacrifice during the Great War.