Grandparents

The paternal grandparents were John and Sarah Dodd. John was born about 1804 in North Stoke, Oxfordshire. He became a surgeon and in 1841 they lived in Marylebone with their 4 children, Mary, 7, Caroline Eliza, 4, Henry Russell (Henry Perry’s father), 2, and Charles, 10 months. Two further children were Edward Sutton, born about 1844, and Alexander Russell, born about 1851. By 1861 Sarah had died and John lived at 27 Queen’s Terrace, Paddington with 4 of the children, including Henry. John died in 1861 and was buried in June at Tower Hamlets.

The maternal grandparents were George J Perry and his wife Augusta. George was born in Henbury about 1814 and became a general practitioner. Augusta was born in Portsmouth about 1816. In 1851 they lived in Reynoldston, Glamorgan, and in 1861 in Droxford, Hampshire. They had 4 children, including Augusta Jane Ayscough (Henry Perry’s mother), born about 1841, Harriet, born about 1846, and Edith Mary, born about 1850.

Parents

Henry Russell Dodd was born in Marylebone on 10 February 1838. He attended Mr Glover’s School in Plumstead, Kent. He was admitted to Trinity College, Cambridge, on 10 June 1857, at which time his father’s address was 31 Kensington Park Gardens, Notting Hill. He received his BA degree in 1861 and was ordained deacon on Sunday 22 December 1861 by the Lord Bishop of London at the Chapel Royal, Whitehall. He was ordained priest in 1862 and became curate of St James’ church, Paddington. He was Assistant Master of Charterhouse School from 1861 to 1866. He received an MA in 1864 and on 24 August 1864 he married Augusta Jane Ayscough Perry at the parish church, Droxford. The service was taken by Augusta’s brother, Rev George Booth Perry. From 1866 to 1867 Henry was curate of Warrington and in 1867 he became vicar of Stretton, Cheshire, after a brief time at St Thomas’ church, Douglas, Isle of Man. On 20 November 1880 he became a canon of Chester Cathedral.

The family lived at Stretton Vicarage until 1896. They had 7 children, Ruth, born about 1867, who died aged 13 in 1879, Hugh Cross Chichester, born about 1869, Geoffrey Howard, born about 1870, Katherine Mary, born about 1872, Helen Augusta, born about 1875, Harriet Augusta, born about 1877, and Henry Perry, born in 1879. In 1896 Henry Russell was found guilty of inappropriate behaviour. An appeal on grounds of mental health issues was dismissed and he lost the vicarage and benefices. However, from 1901 until 1910 he was curate at St Mary’s church, Plaistow, and from 1910 until 1916 he was vicar of All Saints church, Soulbury, Leighton Buzzard, Buckinghamshire. He married Rebecca Fitch at St Michael’s church, Wood Green, on 13 July 1905. At the time of the marriage he lived at 82 Terrace Rd, Plaistow, and she lived at 8 Braemar Villas, Wood Green. They lived at Soulbury at the time of the 1911 census. Henry later lived in Croydon where he died on 21 March 1918, aged 79. The Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette for Saturday 5 June 1926 lists visitors to the Grand Pump Room Hotel and among them is a Mrs Henry Russell Dodd of Croydon. In 1901 Augusta was living at 9 Cawdor Rd, Didsbury, with Katherine, a milliner, Harriet, and Henry Perry. She later moved to 4 Rosy Bank Cottages, Burbage, Derbyshire, where she died. She was buried on 2 August 1901 in Burbage.

Henry Perry

Henry was born in Stretton on 5 December 1879. He was baptised there on 1 February 1880. By 1901 he was living with his mother in Didsbury and was a warehouseman. About 1903 he married Amy Drinkwater.

Amy was the daughter of John and Agnes Drinkwater who lived at 10 Garratt St, Newton, North Manchester. John was a reed maker in the textile industry. John was born in Manchester about 1861 and Agnes Brakell in Manchester about 1860. They had 4 children, Amy, born on 18 January 1884, (she was baptised on 17 February 1884 at St Andrew’s church, Ancoats), Edith, born about 1894, Harold, born about 1898, and Hilda, born in 1901. In 1901, aged 17, Amy was a compiler for Kelly’s Directory. In 1911 Henry and Amy lived at 3 Disley Avenue. They had 2 children, Dorothy Mary, born on 31 May 1903, and Helen Agnes Rebecca, born on 12 February 1909. In the war, Henry served as a gunner with the Royal Field Artillery, service number 188785. He returned from the war but died on 7 July 1919 in Manchester Royal Infirmary, the cause of death being carcinoma of the colon (16 months). He is buried to the north side of the church in Stretton.

The 1939 Register documents Amy Dodd living at 9 Marlow Drive. She was described as a widow doing unpaid domestic duties. With her were Dorothy, a textile designer, and Helen, a shorthand typist for the Inland Revenue.