Joseph Colby 1805

Joseph was born on December 8th in Harleston and died in 1885. He married Elizabeth in 1830 who was born in 1808 in Tottenham and died in 1876.

According to The Colby Connection

"Joseph was an ironmonger at Burnham Market. Maried to Elizabeth, they were quite wealthy, living in a substantial house in the town (Cobham House). According to some trade directory entries he was at one time in partnership with his brother James but the relationship with the business at Thetford is not know. He died in Herne Hill; possibly he had been staying in South London with his only daughter, Ellen Martha Tacon. His body was returned to Wortwell Church to be buried in the same grave as his wife".

On the 1851 Census he is living at Back Street, Docking. (Burnham Westgate). His occupation is given as Ironmonger Wine & Spirit Merchang. He has three apprentice ironmongers staying with him. His only daugher Ellen Martha Colby had been born in 1847 in Enfield, Middlesex. They have a servant - Martha Allured aged 21 from Harleston.

On the 1861 Census he is living in the same place. Staying with him are his niece Mary Clarkson aged 28, a draper from Edmunton and William Denny, nephew aged 9 from Shoreditch.

On the 1881 census he is widowed and living in Thetford with his sister Mary and a servant Elisabeth Parker, aged 26, from Banham, Suffolk.

Ellen Martha Colby born 1837 married Joseph Walter Tacon in 1869, the son of Joseph and Mary Ann Tacon. He was born in Bressingham, Norfolk, in 1841.

On the 1851 Census Joseph was living at Banyards Green, Guiltcross, near Roydon in Norfolk. His father was a freeholder farmer of 17 acres employing 2 boys in Shimpling.

On the 1881 census Joseph (Joshyah on the census!) and Ellen were living at 40 Shakespere Road, Lambeth. His occupation is given as Hosier.

Joseph had a hosiery building at 277 High Holborn, London which was subsequently pulled down for redevelopment. Mr G F Tacon, remembers going into the shop in the 1920s. He said that the Tacons of Suffolk had descended from a Spanish sailor who had been shipwrecked from an Armada galleon, gone inland and settled in Eye.

Joseph and Ellen had 5 known children:

• Marrion, born 1872 Greenwich
• Jessie, born 1874 Middlesex
• John born 1876 Middlesex
• Fritz born 1877 Middlesex
• Mary born 1879 Herne Hill