Richard Harrison was born in 1789 at Packington, which at that time was in Derbyshire, but today is in Leicestershire. The names of his parents are not known. Richard Harrison married Jane Choyce, 1 Jul 1815, at Normanton-le-Heath. Jane Choyce, daughter of Mary (Kirkby) and George Choyce,III, was baptized 10 Feb 1791, at Normanton-le-Heath.

Once again we call upon Jessie (Holness) Moretti for the bulk of the information contained in this Thumbnail Sketch. Jessie begins with an interesting background account concerning her ancestors :

My great-great-great-grandfather Harrison was Churchwarden at Packington. He pays Sampson Choyce for maintaining the church clock, and for "steas, cottens, nayles, and 2 bars of iron for ye steeple windows." Sampson Choyce was the village blacksmith.

I have yet to identify the Choyce family of which Sampson was a member.

Jane (Choyce) and Richard Harrison had nine children: George, baptized in 1815; Mary, born 1817; Richard, born 1818; Jane, born 1823; Mary Ann, born 1823; Ann, born 1825, Elizabeth, baptized 1827; William, born 1829; and Catherine Harrison, baptized 1832. Mary, who died in infancy, was born at Packington, along with Richard, Jane, Mary Ann, and Ann. The other children were baptized at Normanton-le-Heath, but their birth records have not yet been located. Jessie passed along an interesting item of information concerning these births and baptisms :

These "born" and "baptized at" records are rather confusing. Richard and Jane lived at Packington (Stone House Farm)...until about 1824-27, when they moved to Measham. George was baptized at Normanton, because as he was the first child, he would have been born at his grandmother Choyce's house, as it was the custom for a wife to have her first child at her mother's house.

As the family had no special connection with Measham, once there, the later children were taken to Normanton to be baptized, although almost certainly born at Measham Fields Farm.

Based on that information, family genealogists would do well to make a search of a mother's home parish when looking for that elusive first-born birth record. Measham, Packington, and Normanton are located in a geographical triangle, with only two miles separating each town.

In a letter dated 11 Nov 1980, Jessie adds a bit of family history to her Harrison genealogy :

Richard Harrison went bankrupt, as he left his mother at the family farm in Packington with an inefficient farm manager, while he set about developing a coal mine in Measham, where he lived with his wife, Jane Choyce. Before his efforts reached fruition, he died at the age of 44. My great-grandfather, George, was taken away from boarding school and went to work in Staffordshire.

A few months later, in a letter dated 15 Feb 1981, Jessie reviews the Harrison family history and adds to it :

Richard Harrison, husband of Jane Choyce, disliked farming, although his father and grandfather did well. They had an almost 220 acre farm, a large 3 storey Georgian stone farmhouse, and had a separate pew in church for their servants. When the big tenor bell in Packington Church was struck by lightening, Richard Harrison and his fellow church warden paid to have it recast. About 1815, after the death of his father, he left his mother at the Stonehouse Farm, with a farm manager (who proved to be dishonest.) He bought another house in Measham, and with his inlaws, dabbled in setting up Measham mine. Unfortunately, he died young (44), before he was established, and went bankrupt. In the 1841 census, Jane (Choyce) Harrison is a housekeeper at Measham parsonage, the farm and the Measham house having been sold to pay the debts.

It appears that Jane (Choyce) Harrison was at loose ends after the death of her husband, Richard Harrison. Jessie found a record of Jane in Measham in 1841, but by the 1851 census she was a "visitor" at Coleford. The following 1851 Census for Coleford was forwarded to me by Mr. Maurice Faulknall :

Robert CHOYCE, head, married, 57, retired farmer, born, Normanton

Helen CHOYCE, wife, age 67, born Seckington, Staffs.

Jane HARRISON, widow, visitor, age 60, born Normanton

Joseph STORER, servant, unm., 15, born Packington, Derbys.