J - Jeweller

Henry Davys was the youngest son of Thomas Davys and Marianne nee Norman, and was a first cousin of my great grandfather Francis. He was baptised at St Michael's Church in the parish of Raddington, Somerset 160 years ago on 11 August 1861. St Michael's was a short walk up Church Hill from his childhood home Kingston Farm.

Henry had five older sisters, two older brothers and one younger sister. As the youngest son, carrying on running the farm was most likely not an option he ever considered. Besides the lease for three lifetimes was coming to an end. Both of his elder brothers died, one aged eight years and the other as a young man.

In 1871, when his family were recorded on the census living in Bedminster he was still at school. His eldest sister and brother were employed as Draper's Assistants and two other sisters were Draper's Apprentices. It is unclear when the family returned to Raddington or whether they all returned for a time. But at the next census in 1881 Henry was in Bristol and his sister Mary Ann was living in Westbury-on-Trym, to the north of Bristol working as a Draper's Assistant.

Henry was living at 22 High Street, Bristol, on the north side of the River just across the bridge. He was living with John Hooper, a Jeweller. Henry was a Jeweller's Assistant. Their immediate neighbours on High Street were Confectioners, Watchmakers, Accountants, Tailors and Outfitters, Draper's Assistants and another Jeweller.

Ten years later at the 1891 census, Henry was lodging with Edward Wyatt and was still working as Jeweller's Assistant but it is unknown who he was employed by. On the 2nd of September 1896 he married Mary Liddiard in Knowle, Somerset, which is now a suburb of Bristol. Interestingly although they were married in Bristol, Henry gave his residence as the parish of St Paul, Truro, Cornwall and his occupation was Watchmaker.

He had obviously relocated to Truro at some point between 1891 and 1896 and this was where he would spend the rest of his life. In 1901 he is recorded on the cenus at 10 & 11 Cathedral Lane in Truro. A lease document found indexed at National Archives, undigitised and held at the Archives and Cornish Studies Service reveals that a 14 year lease was signed in June or September 1896 (tricky when you haven't seen the actual document) for this address and included Henry Davys, jeweller and Theophilus Lutey Dorrington, watchmaker and jeweller. They were to keep in repair the shop and shutters, and paint two coats of paint on the exterior every four years and the interior every seven years, They were not permitted to make structural alterations.

Theophilus had been a watchmaker in Church Lane since the 1860s. Perhaps he  had advertised for an Assistant and that was how Henry came to move there. They formed a partnership - Dorrington and Davys which operated at least until the death of Theophilus in 1911. He was a member of the United Grand Lodge of England and perhaps it was this lodge which Henry also became a member of.

Henry and Mary only had one son. At the 1911 census the family were living at 22 Lemon Lane and Henry's sister Emma was visiting or living with them. Mary died in 1912 and Henry in 1916. A great account of Henry's funeral and information about his life appeared in The West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser on 28 December 1916.

Theophilus and Henry provided cups, and trophies to many local events documented in the newspapers through the years, and advertised a wide range of jewellery, watches and spectacles.

Christmas Supplement to The West Briton and Cornwall Advertiser 18 December 1902

A 19th century wall clock with painted circular dial by Dorrington & Davys of Truro sold by Truro Auction Centre in 2015.