Biography of Joseph Spurgeon

Born June 1842 at Little Ellingham, Norfolk, Joseph lived with his parents Robert & Harriet at Goose Common, Little Ellingham during his childhood. In the 1851 census his father was a cordwainer (shoemaker), his mother an infant school mistress, he's 8 years old, living with his sisters Matilda (13) & Harriet (6), brother Jacob (4), and a 'lodger' Mary Ann Hall (1 month old).

In the 1861 census he's 18, left home, living & working as a yardman for Mr & Mrs Houchin at White Hart Street, Rockland All Saints.

He married Frances Office on 3 January 1864 at the Parish church of Little Ellingham. They had 3 children, but the first 2 died only a few weeks after birth (Aurthur 15 weeks, Frances 6 weeks), and the third child (Robert) died age 5. The 1871 census records them living at Magpie Lane, Rockland St Peter: Joseph (29, an agricultural labourer), Frances (26), and Robert (3).

By 1881 Joseph & Frances are living at Pound Farm, Rockland St Andrews: he's a farm labourer, and they have a 95 year old lodger Henrietta Brown, and annuitant (ie pensioner).

In the 1891 census they are living with Joseph's father Robert (87) at Attleborough Road, Rockland All Saints. Robert died in 1895; they continued to live at the same address, see the 1901 census. Joseph's wife died in 1902; by 1911 Joseph was working as a horseman on a farm, now alone at Attleborough Road, Rockland.

Like his brother Albert, he was a Primitive Methodist preacher in the Great Ellingham, Rockland Circuit. Both spoke at the Sunday School centenary service on 22 May 1913 as reported in the weekly journal of the Primitive Methodist Church.

Age 77, Joseph died in July 1919 at St Faiths, Norfolk.