Biography of John Spurgeon

Baptised 13 January 1768 at Hardingham, Norfolk, John married his first wife Ann on 25 February 1795 at Hardingham, and they had 9 children: Thomas, Stephen, Mary Ann, William; five (William, Matilda, John, Eliza & a second John died as infants. His first wife was buried 22 July 1806, age 36, dying of complications presumably following the birth and death of their last child John.

He remarried on 28 November 1808 at St Peters Church, Little Ellingham. With his second wife Mary he had another 8 children: John, Robert, Matilda, Eliza, Elizabeth, Edward, Berthalina, & Susanna.

John's father vacated his farm at Hardingham some time before he died in 1799 and gave it to John. The Poor Law Rate Assessment for Hardingham shows that John apparently sold the farm to Harrison Alpe esq. in 1800, remaning as a tenant until he moved to Little Ellingham in 1801. He also owned additional land in Hardingham leased to Rev. White, which he also sold to Alpe at the same time. John seems to have fallen of hard times - the Poor Law rate was doubled at the beginning of 1800.

John was churchwarden of St Peters, Little Ellingham (the parish church) for 10 years from 1 January 1803. In the 1841 census he's living with his second wife Mary & their unmarried daughter Mary Ann (40). From 1841 to at least 1847 he was a gardener living in Common Lane, Little Ellingham. He died in 1850 aged 82.