In March 1851, Harriet Galpin, aged 49, was a schoolmistress living near Hardington Parsonage.

Childhood

 Harriet was born at Upwey on 15 January 1798, the daughter of a yeoman named William Read and his wife, Jane. William was born in Yetminster.

Married life

On 4 June 1823, Harriet married her cousin, William Galpin of Yetminster, by licence at Upwey. He was a chandler for the first few years of their marriage and later a farmer. They lived at Yetminster until 1830 when they moved to the hamlet of Woodrow in the parish of Haselbury Bryan. By August 1835, they lived at Leigh, where William was a shopkeeper. In 1838, following the death of her mother, Harriet inherited £150 under the terms of her father’s will.[1]

Between 1836 and June 1841, her husband was admitted as a patient to Forston Asylum, Charminster, where he died in April 1842, aged 44.

In June 1841, Harriet was a shopkeeper at Leigh with five children.

Life at Hardington

In March 1851, Harriet and her daughter (also called Harriet) were both teachers at Hardington. Her son, Henry, aged 14, also lived with her. Her daughter died in February 1854, aged about 28.[2]

Life at Beaminster

By April 1861, Harriet senior was a baker at Beaminster, employing two boys. Her daughter, Catherine, and son, Henry, were with her in the business. Her son, Parmenas, was an ironmonger and grocer in the same town. Harriet died on 27 July 1866, aged 68.

References

[1] The will of William Read, dated 21 May 1827, proved at London on 11 March 1831.

[2] The Hardington Burial register gives her age as 25 but she was older.