Introduction
Richard Inkerman Purchase was the son of a publican and became a groom at Hardington Rectory, where he worked for the Vassall family. After the death of William Vassall, Richard and his family moved to Hampshire, where he continued to work in domestic service. Richard may have had a mischievous side, as he once caused trouble by telling a misleading story, defaced a cellar wall with graffiti and hesitated to marry his wife. At the age of 41, he suffered a severe head injury after falling from a tram. From his fifties onward, he performed less skilled work, becoming a carter and eventually a general labourer.
Childhood
Richard was born on 15 June 1856 at Hardington, the seventh of nine children born to William Purchase and his second wife, Sarah Partridge.[1] His baptism entry for 7 July 1856 records his name as Richard Inkerman Purchase, with “Inkerman” referring to the battle of that name, which took place on 5 November 1854. The reason for its inclusion remains unclear.
His father, William Purchase, was a sleighmaker who kept the White Horse beer house at the foot of Pig Hill. William’s first wife, Charlotte Parsons, died on 17 January 1843 from inflammation of the brain, leaving him two sons.[2] William himself died on 21 October 1859 from an abscess of the prostate gland when Richard was just three years old.[3]
After William’s death, his widow continued to run the beer house for several years, but by April 1871, she had moved to a house in the High Street. She died on 1 May 1877 from heart disease, having never remarried.[4]
“The Extraordinary Duck Case”
While living at the beer house, the nine-year-old Richard played a pivotal role in “the Extraordinary Duck Case.” He told his neighbour, John Yeandle, that he had seen Hugh Cox on Coker Ridge carrying Yeandle’s three missing ducks. When the case was brought to court, Richard changed his testimony, saying he had only seen Cox with one duck. By then, however, his initial claim had already caused considerable mischief. Whether Richard’s actions were malicious or stemmed from a childish desire to be helpful is uncertain.
Early occupation
Richard’s brother, James, became a servant at the rectory in 1864.[5] By April 1871, James was the groom, while Richard held the position of the under-groom. The 1881 census described James as a coachman and Richard as a groom.
On 12 July 1883, Richard Purchase and Arthur Bartlett washed out the cellar of Hardington Rectory, leaving graffiti on the walls to record their work. Arthur Bartlett, who was then only 18, later moved to Derbyshire, eventually becoming an estate steward.
Marriage
In 1874, the Rector called the banns for Richard to marry Edith Purchase. However, the marriage did not take place until 1880, by which time Edith had already given birth to two children, with a third on the way, the father presumably being Richard. The reasons for the delay in their marriage remain unclear.
In April 1881, Richard, Edith, and their children were living in Barry Lane. Their fourth child, Jane, was born on 10 August 1881.[6]
A crisis year
On 4 May 1883, Richard’s employer, Reverend William Vassall, died. Around the same time, Richard and Edith’s eldest son, Arthur Edward, fell ill with bronchitis, which soon progressed to adenitis, or inflammation of the lymph nodes. Sadly, Arthur died on 18 May 1883, aged just six years old.[7]
Vassall’s successor, Reverend H. H. T. Cleife, was admitted to the rectory in October 1883. It is possible that Richard left the village before Cleife’s arrival, either due to redundancy or a desire for change.
Move to Hampshire
Richard and his family moved near Southampton. By 26 May 1887, they were living at South Stonham, where their daughter, Elizabeth, was born.[8] The 1891 census recorded them living in a lodge in West End Road, South Stoneham, next to Townhill House, with Richard working as a domestic coachman. Two more daughters followed over the next three years.
Another crisis
Three days before Christmas 1897, Richard sustained a life-threatening injury. After driving his employer, Mrs. Wallace, to Southampton, he took a tram to Portswood. As he neared his destination, he slipped off the tram and fell heavily onto the roadway. A doctor examined him and recommended his transfer to the Royal South Hampshire Infirmary, suspecting he may have fractured his skull.[9]
Later life
Richard recovered, and by April 1901, he was a coachman living at Midanbury House Lodge, with only his three youngest daughters still at home.
At some point during the next decade, Richard left domestic service and moved to Chandlers Ford, where he found work as a carter, residing at 1 Melbourne Terrace, Fryern Hill.
By June 1921, Richard and Edith lived at the same address, with Richard employed by Hampshire County Council as a general labourer. Their youngest daughter and her husband also lived with them.
Death
Richard died in 1925 at the age of 68, and Edith died in 1934 at the age of 81.
Children
Richard and Edith had two sons and five daughters whose lives have been traced. The 1911 census refers to an eighth child who had died by that time, probably in infancy.
References
[1] Birth certificate of Richard Purchase.
[2] Death certificate of Charlotte Purchase.
[3] Death certificate of William Purchase.
[4] Death certificate of Sarah Purchase.
[5] Memorial inscription on the grave of James Purchase at Hardington.
[6] 1939 Register.
[7] Death certificate of Arthur Edward Purchase.
[8] 1939 Register.
[9] Hampshire Advertiser, 25 December 1897, p.5.
