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Henry EYLES (1813–1876)
His wife Mrs Mary Ann EYLES, née Harwood (1816–1862)
Their son Henry William EYLES (1839–1860)
Their infant children Eleanor Jane EYLES (b. & d.1850); Ada Augusta EYLES (1851–1854);
twins Alfred Frederick EYLES & Alice Maude EYLES (1857–1858);
and Amy Gertrude EYLES (b. & d. 1859)
Their infant grandsons Hubert PRICE (1885–1887) and Philip John PRICE (1892–1893)
St Paul’s section: Row 13, Grave A3–A4 (St Paul refs. A.10 and B.10)

Henry Eyles was born in Cirencester on 21 August 1813 and baptised there on 8 December. He was the son of Henry Eyles senior, who was a cabinet maker, and his wife Ann.

Mary Ann Harwood was born in Witney in 1816 and baptised there on 25 August. She was the daughter of the weaver William Harwood and his wife Margaret, and she had an older sister, Maria Harwood, also baptised at that church.

On 12 August 1835 at Witney, Henry Eyles married Mary Ann Harwood, and they had ten children:

• Henry William Eyles (born in St Paul’s parish, Oxford in 1839, reg. fourth quarter)
• Mary Ann Harwood Eyles (born at Observatory Street in 1841 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 7 February);
  died in 1842
• Ellen Maria Eyles (born at St Bernard’s Road in 1843 and baptised at St Giles’s Church on 11 June);
  died the same year
• Maria Louisa Eyles (born at St Bernard’s Road in 1846 and baptised at St Giles’s Church on 13 September)
• Emma Margaret Eyles (born at Observatory Street in 1848 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 20 August)
• Eleanor Jane Eyles (born at Observatory Street in 1850 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 1 February);
  died 1850
• Ada Augusta Eyles (born at Observatory Street in 1852 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 25 April); died 1854
• TWIN: Alfred Frederick Eyles (born at Observatory Street in 1857 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 20 April); died 1858
• TWIN: Alice Maude Eyles (born at Observatory Street in 1857 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 20 April);
  died 1858
• Amy Gertrude Eyles (born at Walton Street in 1859 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 6 November);
  died 1859

Henry Eyles was a wood carver and cabinet maker like his father. By 1839 he and his wife were living at Observatory Street in Oxford, and the 1841 census shows them there with their first two children: Henry (1) and Mary Ann (four months).

Their eldest daughter Mary Ann Harwood Eyles died at the age of 1 year 10 months in November 1842 and was buried on 1 December. Their second daughter Ellen Maria Eyles was born in 1843 but only lived four months, and was buried on 21 September. Both died before St Sepulchre’s Cemetery was opened, so they were buried in St Giles’s churchyard and so are not mentioned on the above gravestone.

By 1843 the family had moved to St Bernard’s Road (then called St John Street), and in 1848 they were in Observatory Street.

By early 1850 when their fifth child Eleanor was born they were living in Adelaide Street. She lived only three weeks:

† Eleanor Jane Eyles died at Adelaide Street at the age of three weeks in February 1850 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 13 February (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

Eleanor and her baby siblings may have been buried in an area reserved for infants and not in this grave, as the first recorded burial here is in 1860.

At the time of the 1851 census Henry Eyles (37), described as an architectural carver, was living at Observatory Street with his wife Mary Ann (33) and their three surviving children Henry (11), Maria Louisa (4), and Emma Margaret (2), plus a servant.

Henry Margetts was awarded a medal for skilful workmanship in the Great Exhibition of 1851.

Their sixth daughter Ada was born in 1852 but died of scarlet fever in 1854:

† Ada Augusta Eyles died at Observatory Street at the age of 2 years in December 1854 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 10 December (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

Her death notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal read: “Dec. 7, of scarlatina, aged 2 years and 9 months, Ada Augusta, daughter of Mr. H. Eyles, carver, &c., of Observatory Street.”

In March 1856 Henry Eyles was elected Churchwarden of St Paul’s Church.

Mrs Eyles gave birth to twins in 1857. The family was then still living in Observatory Street, but they had moved to Walton Street by January 1858 when the twins died within two days of each other:

† Alfred Frederick Eyles and Alice Maude Eyles died at Walton Street on 26 and 28 January respectively at the age of ten months and were both buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 31 January (burials recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

Their death notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal read: “Jan. 26, Alfred Frederick, and Jan. 28, Alice Maud, twin son and daughter of Mr. Henry Eyles, sculptor, of this city, aged 10 months.” They were probably buried in a separate area for infants.

Their tenth and youngest daughter Amy was born in 1859 but died four months later:

† Amy Gertrude Eyles died at Walton Street at the age of four months on 16 December 1859 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 21 December (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

Again, she was probably buried in the infants' section.

Their eldest child and only surviving son died in 1860, aged 21:

† Henry William Eyles died at Walton Street at the age of 21 on 22 September 1860 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 28 September (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

The sexton's notebook indicates that Henry was the first member to be buried in this grave, in the area that St Paul's described as B.10.

At the time of the 1861 census, Henry Eyles (47), now described as a sculptor employing four men and five boys, was living at 95 Walton Street with his wife Mary Ann (43) and their only surviving children: Maria Louisa (13) and Emma Margaret (11). They had a house servant.

Mrs Eyles died in 1862:

† Mrs Mary Ann Eyles, née Harwood died at Walton Street at the age of 45 in 1862 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 3 December (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

The sexton's notebook shows that Mary was the second person buried in this grave (area B.10).

On 1 June 1867 the Oxford Furnishing Company Ltd inserted a large notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal stating that Henry Eyles, one of their Shareholders who for 17 years had worked in the firm of Margetts & Eyles, had undertaken the entire management of their business.

At the time of the 1871 census Henry Eyles, a widower of 57, was duly recorded as the manager of the Oxford Furnishing Company at 45 & 46 Cornmarket, and was living over the premises with his daughters Maria Louisa (24) and Emma Margaret (22), plus a servant.

On 27 February 1875 Henry Eyles inserted a large notice in Jackson’s Oxford Journal. Describing himself as late manager to the Oxford Furnishing Company, he announced that he had moved to premises at 2 King Edward Street, where he would continue to produce first-class dining-room and library, drawing-room and bedroom furniture.

He died at those premises the following year:

† Henry Eyles died at 2 King Edward Street at the age of 62 on 28 January 1876 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 3 February (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

His effects came to under £3,000, and his executors were the chemist Henry Thurland and the tobacconist William Charles Gardiner.

William Baker of 1 Broad Street bought all his stock and the interest in his furniture business.

Only two of his ten children survived him. His elder daughter Maria Louisa Eyles (born 1846) never married. In 1881 Maria (32) was described as an annuitant and was living at 31 Walton Street with her younger sister Emma. She was recorded as being formerly of 107 Woodstock Road but late of 22 Observatory Street when she died at Bournemouth at the age of 40 on 29 June 1886. Her personal estate came to £809 0s. 4d., and her executors were the architect Henry James Tollit and the tobacconist William Charles Gardner.

---

Emma Margaret Eyles (Mrs Price), daughter of Henry & Mary Ann Eyles

Emma Margaret Eyles (born 1848) was aged 30 and described as an artist at the time of the 1881 census, when she was living with her older sister Maria Louisa Eyles at 31 Walton Street.

On 29 July 1882 at St Paul’s Church, Oxford, Emma Margaret Eyles of 31 Walton Street married Benjamin Horatio Bull Price (36), a drawing master of 25 Juxon Street. They had the following children all born at what is now 58 Park Town:

• Hubert Price (born at 12 Park Terrace on 6 October 1885 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 6 December); died 1887
• Benjamin Henry Eyles Price (born at 12 Park Terrace on 24 August 1883 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 15 November)
• Margaret Mary Price (born at 12 Park Terrace on 6 October 1885 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 6 December)
• Wilfred Hugh Price (born at 12 Park Terrace on 28 June 1888 and baptised at St Paul’s Church on 10 September)
• TWIN Harold Hughes Price (born at 12 Park Terrace on 11 March 1892 and baptised at Ss Philip & James’s Church on 2 September)
• TWIN Philip John Price (born at 12 Park Terrace on 11 March 1892 and baptised at Ss Philip & James’s Church on 2 September); died 1893

Their son Hubert died in 1887 and was buried with his grandparents:

† Hubert Price died at 12 Park Terrace (58 Park Town) at the age of eighteen months on 20 April 1887 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 22 April (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

At the time of the 1891 census Emma and her husband were living at 12 Park Terrace with Benjamin (7), Margaret (5), Wilfred (3), and two servants. Their twins Harold and Philip were born in 1892, but Philip died before his second birthday:

† Philip John Price died at 12 Park Terrace (58 Park Town) at the age of 21 months on at the end of 1893 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 2 January 1894 (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).

In 1911 three of their children were still at home with them in Park Town: Benjamin (27) had just finished three years’ service in the BSA Police in Rhodesia; Wilfred (22) was a teaching student; and Harold (19) had no occupation.

Three of Emma and Benjamin Price’s sons served in the First World War: Benjamin Henry Eyles Price in the Australian army; Wilfred Hugh Price in the West Surrey Regiment; and Harold Hughes Price in the Worcester Regiment.

Emma’s husband Benjamin Horatio Bull Price died at 12 Park Terrace (58 Park Town) at the age of 73 on 30 October 1919. His effects came to £1,374 1s. 1d., and his widow Emma was his executor.

Emma Margaret Price was living at 38a Belsize Road, South Hampstead when she died on 25 January 1931 at the age of 82 at New End Hospital, Hampstead. Her effects came to £858 8s., and her executor was her unmarried daughter Margaret Mary Price.