Born: 1846 at Weston Bampfylde, Somerset, England
Parents: James Guppy c1820-1880 and Elizabeth Oram c1818-1878
Siblings: Fanny Guppy 1844-1925
Married: Frances Maxfield (nee Turner) 1837-1900 on 1 Nov 1876 at Longbridge Deverill, Wiltshire, England
Offspring: None known
Lived in: Weston Bampfylde and North Cadbury, Somerset; Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset; Crockerton and Kington Langley, Wiltshire; Bristol, Somerset, England
Died: 11 February 1905 in the River Avon, Bristol, Somerset, England
A map of locations for places mentioned on this page
Early life
Albin, the only known son of James c1820-1880 and Elizabeth nee Oram c1818-1878 was born in Weston Bampfylde, Somerset in 1846, maybe on the Oram’s family dairy farm. By the 1851 census the family were living in the nearby village of North Cadbury. Albin was soon introduced to his father’s horse dealing business as in the 1861 census instead of being at home in Okeford Fitzpaine, Dorset Albin and his father were with two grooms in Chidham, West Sussex.
The centre of the family’s life then moved to Crockerton, Longbridge Deverill, in the western part of Wiltshire. In the 1871 census 24 year old Albin, ‘assistant to Father’ was living with the family.
Marriage to Frances Maxfield nee Turner
Albin married Frances Maxfield nee Turner at Longbridge Deverill on 1 Nov 1876. Frances had a son Henry Ernest Maxfield who had been born in 1873 at Crockerton.
Her husband also Henry Ernest Maxfield had been the licensed victualler at the Bath Arms in Crockerton close to the Guppy’s residence. Henry senior died 1 June 1875 at Weymouth, Dorset leaving his effects, valued less than £600 to Frances (National Probate Calender).
Albin, a horse dealer and his family moved to Kington Langley to the north east of Chippenham where they were living during the 1881 & 1891 censuses. In late 1889 it was noted in the Devizes and Wiltshire Gazette that Albin had won a prize in the Chippenham Agricultural Association Show.
Albin’s stepson Henry Ernest Maxfield
Henry Ernest was shown as Albin’s son using the surname Guppy. In the 1901 and 1910 census returns when Henry Ernest was living in Bath he reverted to the surname Maxfield. There he was working as an ostler at the Lamb and Lion Inn on Lower Borough Walls, that is still there in 2012.
Death of Frances
Frances was living at 9, Pulteney Avenue in Bath when she died on 6 January 1900.
The ‘administration’ of her will was to her sister-in-law Fanny nee Guppy “Fanny Oram Coles (wife of Thomas Coles) effects £107 3s (National Probate Calendar)”.
Albin, widower and his death
In the 1901 census Albin was with his sister Fanny and her husband Thomas Coles in Kidmore, Oxfordshire.
On 11 February 1905 Albin was ‘found drowned’ in the River Avon in Bristol about 400 metres south of his home at 16 Northcote Road, St George. An inquest was held on 13 February 1905. The best source for more information would be the Bristol newspapers but the 1905 editions were not available on-line in 2012.
There were complications to Albin’s estate that became the Barrett v Guppy 1905 Case. As this case sheds light on other members of the family the matter is discussed on the Elizabeth Oram family branch page.