Biography of James High

Born 30 November 1823 in Reedham, Norfolk to parents James & Charlotte High. Age 17 he married Ann Porter (15) on 9 February 1841. They had at least 13 children together, although at least 4 died in infancy. In the 1841 census he's age 20, an agricultural labourer, living with Ann (15) and their first daughter Charlotte (6 months).

In the 1851 census he's age 30, an agricultural labourer, living with his wife Ann (29), daughters Mary Ann (8), Elizabeth (5), Charlotte (3), Hannah (8 months), and a lodger (Samuel Sexton, 17). In the 1861 census he's age 37 living with his wife Ann (31), daughters Sarah Ann Maria High (3), Harriett (4), Ellen (9), Hannah (11), son James (7), and two lodgers (Samuel Sexton, 26 & Robert Crisp, 13). Both lodgers & James are agricultural labourers.

After his first wife died in 1868, he married Mary Ann Lock on 13 February 1870. In the 1871 census he's age 48, now a plate layer, living with his second wife Mary Ann (39) and their daughter Ann (2).

His second wife Mary Ann died 18 May 1881, presumably after an illness, because in the 1881 census he's age 56, a plate layer living at Railway Cottages, Lower Common, Reedham, with his housekeeper Maria Ward (29) and her daughter Sarah (3). Later he married Maria Ward (marriage banns 6 December 1890 in Great Yarmouth) on 24 December 1890.

In the 1891 census he's age 66, a railway plate layer living at Low Common, Reedham with his third wife Maria (36), daughter Sarah (6), and sons Samuel (5) and Charles (2).

In the 1901 census he's age 75, living at Drury Lane, Reedham, with wife Maria (42), daughter Leah (9), and sons Samuel (15) and Charles (12). By 1911 he's age 87, still living at Drury Lane, Reedham, with wife Maria (55), and no more children! He died in the last quarter of 1911.