Clara Minnie Harle Bright (1871 - 1959)
In August 2011 I received the following e-mail from a descendent of Horatio's second wife Clara Minni Harle.
"I am very much a beginner in compiling a family tree and I came across your site about Horatio Bright when I entered my husband's grandfather's mother's name Clara Minni Harle.
The story told is that Peter (or we believe his
name was Pelzer and he changed it to) Peter George Harle my husband's
grandfather came to New Zealand when he was around 14 years old. He started of
carrying bricks became the fastest typist in New Zealand in his time. Had an
Accounting business and wrote books on Accounting. We do not know who is father
was and he is not mentioned in the Census when his mother was married to Horatio
Bright. He celebrated his birthday on 11 June and we think the year was 1892.
The children Clara had with Horatio - Horatio Harle and Mary Alice would have
been Peter George's half brother and sister.
Just wondered if you could throw any light of his whereabouts when a child. I
have attached a photo of Clara Minni (Harle) Bright that I found amongst some of
my husbands grandparents belongings."
Clara parents Johnson Harle died in 1891 and Elizabeth in 1871 but there was a
sister Edith L Harle born 1868.
Based on this information I checked the 1881 UK census and found the following information
Household:
Name Relation Marital Status Gender Age Birthplace Occupation Disability
Johnson HARLE Head M Male 65 Longbenton, Northumberland, England Iron Merchant
Jane E. HARLE Sister U Female 40 Coxledge, Northumberland, England Housekeeper
(Dom)
Matthew L. HARLE Son U Male 20 Sunderland, Durham, England Articled Clerk (Law)
Elizabeth M. HARLE Daughter U Female 18 Sunderland, Durham, England
Mary HARLE Daughter U Female 17 Sunderland, Durham, England
Laura HARLE Daughter U Female 16 Sunderland, Durham, England
Edith L. HARLE Daughter Female 13 Sunderland, Durham, England Scholar
Florence E. HARLE Daughter Female 11 Sunderland, Durham, England Scholar
Clara M. HARLE Daughter Female 10 Sunderland, Durham, England Scholar
Alice ROBIE Serv U Female 19 Liverpool, Lancashire, England Housemaid (Domestic
Serv)
Ellen WRIGHT Serv U Female 23 Kirby Malzeard, York, England Housemaid (Domestic
Serv)
Eliza R. SHAW Serv M Female 27 Gunnerside, York, England Cook (Domestic Serv)
Source Information: Dwelling Connaught House Census Place Pannal, York, England
Family History Library Film 1342032 Public Records Office Reference RG11 Piece /
Folio 4326 / 77 Page Number 17
Judging by the address and the size of the household it appears that that Johnson must have been a prominent industrialist in the district.
It is therefore rather surprising to find that ten years later Clara is listed in the 1891 Census as an "actress" lodging with a Police Constable Mallett at 37 Newbury Road, Bromley Kent.
Mallett, Edwin 31 Devonport, Devon or Devonshire Head
Bromley Kent - Police Constable
Mallett, Selina 32 Liskeard, Cornwall Wife Bromley Kent
Harle, Minnie 20 Sunderland, United Kingdom Boarder Bromley Kent -Actress
Miller, Ada 20 Dover, Kent Boarder Bromley Kent - - Actress
The fact that Minnie is in lodgings is important because a year later in the births registered for April May June 1892 there was a Pelzer Harle born - Dewsbury Volume 9b page 711 . The correspondent mentioned above believed it to be her husband's grandfathers birth registration. She checked the 1914 New Zealand Electoral Roll and found that there was a Pelzer Harle Accountant 24 Kinloch Street. Confirmation that this was the right person was provided by the next person listed on the Electoral Roll a Mary Octavia Harle of the same address who was his wife (and the correspondents husband's grandmother). the family knew of the residence at 23 Kinloch Street and also have this vague memories of Pelzer Harle changing his name to Peter George Harle. The correspondent then remarked that the name Harle has been used as a second Christian name by several descendants of Peter including her husband. She admits that it is "rather strange that we have used this family name when not much was told to us. Would love to know who looked after him when he was a boy".
Thank you for your two e-mails explaining what happened to Harle's Papa. He
never talked about his childhood - maybe he did at some
time as Peter George did take his wife and daughter to England in 1930. Maybe
Harle's mother did know some of the history but she pre deceased
her parents at 51 years of age and nothing was passed onto family - maybe the
boys were not interested. It seems that his mother abandoned him but maybe the
Townend family were related in some way. Peter George and Octavia Harle called
their daughter Zoreen Clara Harle. The story this end goes that he left England
when he was fourteen arriving in New Zealand and first of all started out
carting bricks. By the time he was 22 he was an accountant and in the early 50s
wrote accounting books we have one called "Harle's Industrial Costing" you can
find them in "Google". Sent his daughter to a Private School and lived very well
so he did well for himself without any help - Octavia was one of eight so there
was not any help there.
Below is a photo of Pelzer (Peter George) Harle and Octavia Mary Harle (nee Kingsland) which the family seem to think was taken on their wedding day
The family also sent me another photo. They think it may have been taken before Pelzer Harle left England but have no idea as to the location or of the identity of the three women in the photograph. There is a suspicion that the older woman may have been a Sarah Townend
1911 Census
Name Clara Minnie Bright
Age in 1911 39
Estimated Birth Year abt 1872
Relation to Head Head Gender Female
Birth Place Sunderland, Durham, England
Civil parish Gillingham County/Island Dorset Country England
Street Address Knapp House, Gillingham, Dorset
Marital Status Widowed
Occupation Private Means
Registration District Number 257
Sub-registration district Gillingham
ED, institution, or vessel 06
Piece 12181
Household Members (Name) Age Relationship
Clara Minnie Bright 39 Head
Mary Alice Bright 14 Daughter
Hill Bright 11 Son
Harriett Adele Bennett 31 Servant
Jane Ward 27 Servant
Winnifred Mary Tucker 27 Servant
This house is the Park Royston Hertfordshire where Clara and her family lived in circa 1912 - 1915. After they left the house became The Convent High School. The lady on the tennis court may well be Clara but the image is not detailed enough for positive verification. The building was demolished in 1999.
The 1939 National Register shows Clara living at Greystones Chipping Norton in Oxfordshire
The following is a copy of Clara's Probate record
Notes
The 1911 Census has the following information about Clara
Name Clara Minnie Bright
Relationship to Head of Household Head
Condition Widow
Gender Female
Age 39
Estimated Year of Birth 1872 Occupation Private Means
Employed Yes Working at Home No
Place of Birth Sunderland Durham
Enumerator Information
Address Knapp House Gillingham Parish Gillingham Town Gillingham Type of
Building Private House
Number of Rooms 16 Inhabited Yes
Reference RG14PN12181 RG78PN688 RD257 SD3 ED6 SN1 Administrative County
Dorsetshire Registration District Shaftesbury Registration Sub District
Gillingham Enumeration District 6
Living with her was her 14 year old daughter MARY ALICE and an 11 year old son HILL BRIGHT. This is even stranger when the name of 12 year old Horatio Harle Bright has been crossed out!. Why Clara decided to change his name to HILL is a bit of a mystery to say the least. Attending the family were three servants and so they seem to have been left comfortably off by Horatio. Details of Knapp House Gillingham Dorset are in the notes section
This page was last updated on 04/09/24 15:54