Henry James Virgin (1831–1881), dentist
Henry James Virgin was born at St James' Street, Taunton and baptised there on 7 July 1831. He was the eldest child of the baker James Virgin and his wife Ann Churchill. The 1841 census shows Henry (9) living there with his parents and his younger siblings William (8), John (6), and Harriett (2), and their three servants.
Ten years later in 1851 at the age of 19 he was already described as a dentist and was paying a visit to the White family nearby. His father James Virgin died later that year.
The surgeon dentist Norman Spencer died in 1852, and Henry took over his practice (right) at 63 High Street, Oxford, which was in St Peter-in-the-East parish.
On 21 October 1856 at Craven Congregational Chapel, Marshall Street, Golden Square, London, Henry James Virgin married Sarah Ferron Durley, the youngest surviving daughter of the late Mr Durley of Cambridge Terrace, Hyde Park. At around the same time in Oxford, his mother Mrs Ann Virgin married her second husband William Tozer.
Henry and Sarah had ten children, all born in Oxford:
- Annie Virgin (1857)
- Harry Virgin (1858/9)
- Alice Virgin (1860)
- Arthur Virgin (1862)
- Edith Churchill Virgin (1863)
- Kate Crockett Virgin (1865)
- Frank Durley Virgin (1867)
- Clara Denham Virgin (1868)
- Nina Virgin (1869/70)
- Herbert Frederick Virgin (1871).
In March 1860 Henry was appointed one of the Overseers of the Poor St Peter-in-the-East parish.
The 1861 census shows Henry (29) living over his dental practice at 63 High Street with his wife Sarah and their children Harry (2) and Alice (1). (Their eldest child Annie (3) was staying with her aunt in Somerset.)
On 1 August 1864 Henry received his licence in dental surgery from the Royal College of Surgeons. It was probably soon after this that he took on Sandfield Cottage, a country house in Headington, and from 1866 he regularly won prizes in the fruit & vegetables at the Oxfordshire Horticultural Society Show.
Henry and his wife spent the census night of 1871 at 63 High Street with six of his children, his mother-in-law Ann Durley, and three servants. His three other children (Annie, Alice, and Frank) were at Sandfield Cottage with his sister Miss Mary Ann Virgin (32), who was a governess, and his mother Mrs Ann Tozer (68), who had now been widowed a second time, plus a servant.
Their youngest child Herbert was born later in 1881, and rather surprisingly the Virgin family's address was given as Magdalen Street. He was baptised at St Peter-le-Bailey Church on 3 April 1882.
Henry's wife Sarah Ferron Virgin died at Sandfield Cottage, Headington on 30 November 1874 at the age of 43. Her funeral was held at St Peter-in-the-East Church on 7 December and she was was buried in Holywell Cemetery.
Henry, a widower of 49 described as a surgeon dentist employing three assistants spent the census night of 1881 at Sandfield Cottage with nine of his children Annie (23), Alice (20), Arthur (19), Edith (17), Kate (15), Frank (13), Clara (12), Nina (11), and Herbert (9), plus their three servants.
The land attached to Sandfield Cottage was evidently used for farming, as an advertisement in Jackson's Oxford Journal on 9 April 1881 advertised a sale by auction on the premises of Mr Virgin of three fat heifers, a fat calf, a cow and calf, an Alderney cow and calf, two pigs, a basket trap, and a pony trap.
Virgin committed suicide at the age of 50 by drowning in the River Thames near Iffley on 19 October 1881. Jackson's Oxford Journal reported on 22 October:
SUPPOSED SUICIDE. — Early on Thursday morning last an overcoat was found lying on the path by the side of the river near the lasher at Iffley, and on the police being communicated with a search of the river was made, and the body of Mr. H. J. Virgin, surgeon dentist, of Sandfield House, Headington, was discovered. The deceased had been very strange in his manner for some time past, and had been closely watched by the members of his family, but he was suddenly missed on Wednesday evening, and in consequence a search was then made. Several weights were found in the pockets of the deceased, and those together with some letters, indicate that an act of suicide has been committed.
The inquest revealed that Virgin was being treated for depression, and had not been able to work for the previous five months. Hence he was in pecuniary difficulties, and his solicitor, Mr Bickerton, had just written to him telling him that he must leave Sandfield Cottage. The verdict of the jury was that he had drowned himself when of unsound mind.
His funeral was held at St Peter-in-the-East Church, Oxford on 24 October 1881 and its burial register stated: “Buried under Coroner's Warrant having destroyed himself when insane.” He was buried with his wife in Holywell Cemetery (Plot G.20).
Sandfield House was advertised to let on 14 January 1882.
The children were separated at the time of the 1891 census: for instance Nina (21) was boarding at 2 Abbey Road and Herbert (19) may already have moved to Australia.