Biography of Herbert Harold Spurgeon

Born at 30 Alfred Street, Battersea, London on 14 October 1896 & baptised on 15 November 1896. In the 1901 census he's living with his parents at 3 York Road, Brentford, London with brothers Cecil (22), Sydney (18), Walter (10), Charles (8) & Arthur (6), sister Hilda (5), and a servant Helen Neighbour (17, sister of Mary Ann Neighbour). By 1911 age 14 he's a Grocers Errand Boy, living at 63 Whitestile Road, Brentford with the family.

During the first World War Harold was a Sergeant with Arthur & Charles fighting with the Allies in France. The San Francisco Bulletin, 28 May 1916 has an extract of a letter from Harold to his parents: "Please God if we are spared we will have a glorious time out there. It won't be long before we all are able to come to California. I think we shall be able to eat our Christmas dinner with you. I don't think the war can go on much longer. There is no need for you to worry about it. It will not do any good. We trust in God and ask Him to spare us all to come to you, as I feel sure He will." At the end of the war he was a Corporal, and awarded service medals.

After the war he emigrated to California, travelling from Liverpool on 20 April 1920 to New York on SS Vasari with his brother Charles, arriving 4 May 1920. He married Helen Bolton on 6 June 1925, and they had two children, Jean and Edward (Ed). He applied for US naturalisation on 26 May 1939. In the 1930 & 1940 census his occupation is a salesman for saw & knife (sales engineer at Henry Diston & Son). In the 1950 census his occupation is recorded as sales (industrial) distributor for the Saw Manufacturing Co., living at 2303 West 78th Place, Inglewood, California.

On 30 April 1951 Harold flew with his sister Winnie from New York to London, visiting relatives including Walter, Nellie, Arthur, Violet, Roy & Joan Spurgeon. He returned with Winnie on 29 April 1951 with Arthur (another brother) & his wife Violet. At this time he was living at 2303 W 78th Place, Inglewood, LA.

Harold died on 22 June 1975 age 78 at Inglewood, Los Angeles.