Banker, draper and former mayor of Kingston upon Thames: 1877, 1878 and 1879. At an annual dinner given for the poor, he had just finished his speech and was in the act of presenting a small packet of tea to each of a group of elderly women, when he fell forward and immediately expired. This was, we hope, at some charitable function where the tea was symbolic of something more generous.
Henry Shrubsole was born on 21 August 1816 in Kingston -upon-Thames, Surrey (now Greater London), the fifth of the eight children of William Shrubsole (c.1774-1848) and Elizabeth Shrubsole née Knight (1876-1864). On 23 November 1816 he was baptised at the Heather Street Independent Chapel, Kingston-upon-Thames, where in the baptismal register his date of birth was confirmed.
His seven siblings were: Elizabeth Shrubsole (1810-1872); Martha Shrubsole (1811-1813); William Shrubsole (1813-1880); Sarah Shrubsole (1815-1894); Frederick Shrubsole (1820-1821); John Shrubsole (1822-1874) and Mary Shrubsole (1824-1894).
He is shown as aged 44 years and a parliamentary agent in the census that was undertaken on 7 April 1861. He was living at Pier Lodge, Chain Pier, Brighton, Sussex, with his wife Emilie Ann Shrubsole (1818-1864) and their adopted daughter Emilie Sackville Shrubsole (1853-1939).
He was described as aged 54 years, a widower and again listed as a parliamentary agent in the census that was conducted on 2 April 1871. He was residing at Surbiton Hall, Surbiton Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, with his brother, John Shrubsole - a banker and draper, together with a butler, a housekeeper, two housemaids, a kitchen maid, a scullery maid, a gardener, the gardener's wife and their two children.
His death, aged 63 years, was registered in the 1st quarter of 1880 in the Kingston Registration District, Surrey (now Greater London) and his body was in Kensal Green Cemetery, Harrow Road, London, W10 4RA. Probate records confirm that his he had two addresses: 24 Parliament Street, Westminster, Middlesex (now Greater London) and Surbiton Hall, Kingston-upon-Thames. He died at The Drill Hall, Penrhyn Road, Kingston-upon-Thames, on 15 January 1880. His Will was proved on 11 February 1880 by two of his executors: Samuel Barber Booth, a solicitor of both 3 Gray's Inn Square, Holborn, Middlesex (now Greater London) and Effingham Lodge Bickley Park, Kent (now Greater London) and Samuel Ranyard of Claremont Road, Surbiton, Surrey (now Greater London). His personal estate was originally shown as under £80,000, but it was subsequently resworn in February 1881 as under £90,000.
He is shown as "HENRY SHRUBSOLE. ESQ. JP" on the memorial water fountain in Market Place, Kingston-upon-Thames. Unfortunately, the plaque incorrectly states that he died on 18 January 1880.
Credit for this entry to: Alan Patient of www.plaquesoflondon.co.uk and Andrew Behan.
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