John William Hart

John Hart had moved to Deopham by 1891 and left for Suffolk sometime before 1911.
The 1901 Census describes John Hart as a self-employed “Farmer & Fowl Dealer”.

Given that John William Hart’s wedding took place in a Primitive Methodist chapel, one can assume that he was of that faith.

The following information was gleaned from the Gt Ellingham site:-

The edition of the Norfolk News dated January 20^th, 1877, reported that a marriage between William Hart and Emma Elizabeth Tufts had taken place at the Primitive Methodist Chapel in Rocklands on the 17^th January.   Both William and Emma were said to be of Great Ellingham.

Following their marriage, John William and Emma lived in Little Ellingham. The 1881 census captures 26-year-old poultry dealer, John W Hart, with his 26-year-old wife Emma E with children William 2, Ernest 1 and Percy aged two months living at Anchor Corner. By 1885, the family had moved to Deopham.

The census of 1891, reveals farmer John W Hart with his wife Emma and children William 12, Ernest 11, Percy 10, Florence 8, Gertrude 6, Sidney 4, Harriet 2 and Nellie aged 11 months at High Elm, Deopham.

10 years later, farmer and fowl dealer, John W Hart with his wife and eight children William 22, Ernest 21, Percy 20, Florence 18, Sidney 14, Harriet 12, Nellie 10 and Louis 8 are living at Hingham Road, Deopham.

By 1911, the Hart family moved from Deopham to Suffolk. The census of 1911 finds farmer John William Hart with his wife Emma Elizabeth (both said to be 56 years of age) with five of their children at an eleven roomed property College Farm, Denham. Unmarried children Ernest 30, Percy 28, Sidney 23, Nellie 21 and Louis 19 are working for their father on the farm.

Emma and John William had completed 33 years of marriage and had had twelve children – 8 of whom were still living.

John William Hart died in 1928. The death of a John W Hart aged 73 was registered in the Hartismere District of Suffolk between July and August of that year.

John Hart was a key combatant in problems between church and chapel in the late nineteenth century. This resulted in newspaper articles reporting in detail the views of John Hart and the vicar, the Rev. J.S. Treglown. There is much more on this argument on the page about the closure of the church school.