CFHS code : PL482
Parish : St Paul
Inscription : In Loving Memory of MARY ANN PERRY d Feb 21 1924 aged 82 also of ALICE aged 18 and FLORENCE aged 21 daughters of the above
Monument : Headstone (fallen)/Kerb stones
Above information from Cambridge Family History Society Survey
Monument
Inscription
Mary Ann Perry (née Bailey) (c.1841 – 21 February 1924)
Mary was born in Sprowston, Norwich and was the daughter of thatcher Anthony Bailey and Mary Ann. She married James Vincent (1835-1866) on Christmas Day 1860 at St. Mary’s Church, Sprowston and they had one daughter: Alice Louisa (1864-1883). James was a brickmaker, and they lived with Mary’s parents in Sprowston when they first married. However they moved to live at Queens Street, Cambridge by at least 1864 when James went to work on the railway as a pointsman. He died in a ‘melancholy and fatal accident’ at Cambridge station in January 1866, when he crossed the tracks and was crushed between two cattle trucks. The subsequent inquest returned a verdict of accidental death and no blame ‘was attached to any of the men with whom the deceased was working’. He was buried in the St Paul’s area of Mill Road Cemetery on 9 January 1866, but his grave has not yet been identified.
Mary then married John Perry on 12 September 1867 at St. Paul’s Church, Cambridge. John was a police constable and they had six children: Nellie (1868-1960), Frank Alfred (1870-1871), Kate (1872-1943), Florence (1876-1898), Edith Mary (1879-1947) and one more child who died as an infant. The family lived at 18 Queen Street from 1871 to at least 1891. By 1901 John Vincent had retired and was a police pensioner ; he and Mary Ann lived at 11a Princes Street (at least 1898-1911) and later at 18a Covent Garden. Mary died at home ‘after a long and painful illness, patiently borne’ and was buried at Mill road Cemetery on 26 February. The funeral service was held at the Mill Road Baptist Church, and the coffin was carried to the grave by members of the Police Force. John Perry left a wreath at the graveside which read ‘in ever-loving memory of my dear wife, from her heart-broken husband, John ‘until the day breaks’.’
Alice Louisa Vincent (1864 – April 1883)
Alice was born in Cambridge and baptised at St. Paul’s Church on 25 September 1864. Her father died when she was just over a year old and she was raised by her mother and step father John Perry. She worked as a kitchen maid in Histon for solicitor William Peed (1881) and died in London aged 18 years old. She was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 23 April 1883.
Florence Perry (1876 – 9 July 1898)
Florence was the daughter of John and Mary Ann. Aged 15 (1891) she was working as a domestic servant to widow Mary Feast at 3 St Anthony’s Almshouses, at St Anthony’s Walk. She died aged 21 years old at her parents home at 11 Princes Street and her funeral was held on 14 July.
John Perry was also buried in the St. Paul’s area of Mill Road Cemetery and is thought to have been buried with his wife
John Perry (1846 – April 1937)
John was born in Bodmin, Cornwall the fourth son of Francis and Sarah Perry, and was baptised there on 15 December 1847. His father was a railway porter, and later worked as a station master and the family lived in Stow Bardolph, Norfolk (1851) and West Walton, Norfolk (1861). He married the widowed Mary Vincent when he was c.21 years old. John worked as a police constable in Cambridge for over 27 years.
In December 1869 John Perry arrested ‘a sanguinary ruffian’ – Walter Newman for being drunk and disorderly in Fitzroy Street. Walter used obscene language, and threatened to ‘knife’ the officer whilst being taken into custody. The Mayor said ‘that this was a very serious case and prisoner must go to gaol for three months with hard labour’. In July 1887 he arrested William Halock, and charged him with being drunk, using bad language and resisting arrest. William pleased guilt and was sentenced to fourteen days imprisonment with hard labour. In the dock the prisoner said ‘I am very sorry. I hope the next time I come, it will be with a bit o’ rope round my neck’. In April 1893 he was bitten on the arm by prisoner Jane Elsden. Jane had been arrested for being drunk and disorderly and claimed he had only pushed John Perry away from her when he attempted to search her. Whilst the Magistrates expressed that they thought female prisoners should be searched by females, they nevertheless sentenced her to 14 days imprisonment for being drunk, and a further 14 days for the bite.
After he was widowed John went to live with his daughter Nelly and son in law Robert Bainbridge at 41 Coleridge Road. His other daughter Kate lived next door at 39 Coleridge Road. He died at home aged 91 years old and was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 7 April 1937.
John and Mary’s infant son Frank was also buried in the St. Paul’s area of Mill Road Cemetery. The sexton’s records give the grave location as adjacent to this grave, but it has not yet been identified.
Frank Alfred Perry (1871- March 1871)
Frank was baptised at St.Paul’s Church on 17 March 1871 and died a few days later aged 9 months old. He was buried at Mill Road Cemetery on 23 March 1871
Sources:
Ancestry
Newspaper archives
by Claire Martinsen
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