Harriet French of Gargrave

     Harriet French was born on 25th July 1876 in Gargrave, North Yorkshire, the second daughter of John French and Sarah Ann Abbott [1] . She joined her two-year-old sister Mary Jane Abbott to whom she was very close [2] . By the time she was two years old her baby brother George had joined her [3] . When she was nearly five years old her brother David had joined the family in March 1881 [4] .

Early Life

     Harriet and her family lived at 41 River Place, Gargrave in 1881 with her parents and siblings [5] . Although the house had four rooms, it would have been a little crowded with four children and two adults. In 1881, Mary Jane Abbott, aged six, and Harriet French, aged four, were at School in the villages born [6] .Their younger brother George, aged two, and David, aged one month at the time of the Census, remained at home with their mother who did not work. However, in July of the same year two-year-old George took ill and was buried on 3 July, just three weeks before Harriet’s fifth birthday [7] . Her birthday celebrations that year cannot have been very festive.

     Harriet’s father John French, aged thirty-three, in 1881, was a cotton spinner, probably working the Cotton Mill owned by Bracewell Brothers [8] . Cotton Spinners may have earned sufficient to support the family. In 1870, a Warper, working at Mills in Bradford and Leeds, earned between 15 and 20 shillings a week [9] . This was a substantial wage. It is highly probable that John would have been earning a similar wage in Gargrave. John French needed to be earning as in 1883 Harriet’s youngest sister Maude was born [10] . With four children under nine John needed to keep bringing home the wages. However, young baby Maud was buried on 31 July 1885 aged only eighteen months [11] . Only six days after Harriet’s eleventh birthday, once again she might have found her birthday very subdued. By this time Harriet may have found herself working in the local cotton factories as a doffer. A doffer would have started work at the age of nine and would have moved the cotton bobbins when they were full. This could be a dangerous job.

     Harriet and her older sister Mary Jane may also have found that they were taking on more work at home in 1889. Their mother may have been very ill that year. Sarah French was buried on Christmas day 1889, leaving her eight-year-old son David, and her two daughters Harriet, aged thirteen, and Mary Jane aged fifteen [12] . In 1891, Harriet French still lived at 41 River Place, with her father, her siblings Mary Jane and David [13] . John French was a widower, still working as a cotton spinner at the age of forty-three. Mary Jane aged sixteen, Harriet aged fourteen and David, aged ten all worked as cotton spinners. John may have taken his children into the factory to enable him to keep an eye on them initially [14] .

     By 1897 Harriet had found herself a young man, but was left to give birth to her son Archibald alone in 1898 [15] . Deserted by the father of her young child Harriet must have found life at the age of twenty-three to be less than perfect. She continued to live at home with her father and siblings and had great family support to bring her young son up. By June 1900, when her son Archibald was only two-years old, Harriet had found another beau, George Horner of Skipton.

Marriage to George Horner

     George Horner was eight years older than Harriet and was working as a stone mason when they met [16] . George Horner was living with his married sister Elizabeth Geldard and her family, at 13 Duckett Street, Skipton [17] . George may have worked for Bold Venture Quarries that were opened in 1866 in Skipton. In 1900 when Harriet and George met George was still living at 61 Duckett Street with his sister Elizabeth and her family [18] . George was unemployed in April 1901 and life cannot have been easy for the Geldards with one more mouth to feed. He may have helped his brother-in–law in his work as a carpenter, as did his fifteen-year-old nephew John.

     Harriet gave birth to her second son George Leonard French in February 1901, but this time was not totally deserted by the father of her child [19] . George Horner was unemployed in April 1901 and it may have been difficult for the two to set up home together. In April 1901 Harriet was living at 41 River Place with her two young sons, Archibald, aged 2 and George Leonard, aged one month [20] . Harriet and her sons lived with her brother David, aged 20 who worked as a cotton piecer, and her sister Mary Jane Abbott, 26, who along with her father John French worked as Cotton Spinners. Harriet was recorded as the housekeeper and probably looked after her two children, and the home.

     George Horner finally married Harriet French on the 12th April 1902 in St Andrews Parish Church in Gargrave. George aged thirty-three was a Labourer and was probably still a Mason’s Labourer in 1902. Although resident in Skipton at the time of his marriage George soon moved to Gargrave to set up home with his new wife [21] . George may not have been on good terms with his family in Skipton as both of the witnesses to his marriage are his bride Harriet’s siblings, David French and Mary Jane Abbott.

     Archibald and George Leonard French did not share the family home when Harriet married George Horner. They lived with her sister Mary Jane Abbott who helped to care for them and raised them. Mary Jane lived to see both these boys married [22] .

     After their marriage, Harriet and George had three more children, two girls and one boy. Lillian, born about 1904, and Mary Elizabeth, born about 1906 [23] . Mary Elizabeth was named after George Horner’s sister Elizabeth Geldard, nee Harrison which shows that they were very close [24] . In 1911 Harriet’s father John French was buried and she may have found this hard [25] . Two years later, the last member of George Horner’s family arrived at Trees Terrace in Gargrave on 9th February 1913, John Stanley Horner [26] .

     Harriet’s brother David remained in the family home at 41 River Place until 1920 when he married his next door neighbour Ann Elizabeth Gregson, a widow [27] . He moved to Skipton by 1848 when he was buried aged sixty-seven [28] .

Later Life in Gargrave

     In 1911 Harriet and George were living in Water Street in Gargrave, with their children George Leonard, aged ten, Lillian aged seven and Mary Elizabeth aged five [29] . They also had a lodger Luther Bishop [30] . Harriet's eldest son Archibald, aged twelve, still lived with his aunt Mary Jane Abbott and his uncle David French at 41, River Place, Gargrave [31] . Harriet and George lived to see the marriages of all their children and the birth of their youngest grandchild Maureen Horner in 1942. Harriet died in the summer of 1943 in Gargrave and was buried on 30 June 1943, at 65 years of age [32] . George died in the winter of 1948 when he was living at 22 Water Street Skipton with his daughter Mary. He was buried on 31 January 1948 in Gargrave, at 78 years of age [33] .

     Harriet’s eldest son Archibald French married Margaret Graham, whilst her youngest daughter Mary Elizabeth Horner married George Graham, brother to Archibald’s wife Margaret [34] . Mary’s husband George Graham died in December 1976 in Skipton. Mary Graham died in February 1994 in Gargrave, at 88 years of age. George and Harriet Horner’s oldest son, George Leonard French, later married Beatrice Hartley [35] . They had two children, Dennis and Keith French [36] . Leonard died February 1979 in Gargrave, aged 77. Lillian Horner married Walter Hutchins [37] . Walter died August 1974 in Skipton. Lillian died 1972 in Skipton, aged 68. Lillian had a daughter Iris who died young, and Lillian and Walter adopted Stuart Hutchins.

     The youngest of George and Harriet Horner’s children, John Stanley Horner, was born in Gargrave, on 9 February 1913. He married Janet Holmes Dorn in Gargrave, on 4 June 1937. Janet was born in Houghton-le-Spring, County Durham on 17 February 1907, the daughter of William Holmes and Elizabeth Dorn. Janet and Stanley had one daughter Maureen Horner who was born on 19 February 1942 in Skipton. Janet Horner died on 26 February 1984 in Gargrave, aged 77. Stanley died in April 1991 in Gargrave, aged 78.