Biography:
Henry Thomas Gent (924)
1856 –14/09/1929
Henry Thomas Gent (924)

Plot 924 Henry Thomas Gent (1856-1929)
Born 1856 Braunston Northamptonshire, the second son of Henry Thomas and Eliza (née Hedgcocks) Gent. His father was a canal boat builder and this was an ideal location for his trade, being at the junction of the Oxford and the Grand Union canals. It had a major wharf and dock and lies just north-west of the famous Braunston canal tunnel. Henry was baptised 29 June 1856 in Braunston parish church.
In 1861 the family lived in the High Street, Braunston. Henry had an older brother and two younger sisters.
By 1871 the family had moved down to Turners Place in Hackney. This no longer exists but seems to have been very close to the City Basin of the Regents Canal and Henry snr. was still carrying on his trade as a boat builder. Henry jnr., now 15, was working as a labourer. He now had another younger brother and sister and his youngest sibling, Arthur William, was born in 1882.
Henry married Martha Maria Middleton on 26 May 1878 in the parish church of Harrow-on-the-Hill. She was the daughter of an agricultural labourer who lived in the hamlet of Greenford Green on the Grand Junction canal, north-west of London and, as Henry was now a boat builder himself, it seems probable that they met at the wharf there.
The first of their ten children, Henry William, was born in 1880 in Berkhamsted where Henry was carrying oi his trade as a boat builder.
In 1881, and 1891 they lived in Bridge Street but by 1901 had moved to 6, Station Road.
Henry and Martha were to have ten children, all of whom lived to adulthood, a rare occurrence amongst families at this time.
By June 1921 Henry and Martha were living at 51, Wing Road, Linslade, Bedfordshire with the three of their children who were still unmarried: Lily, Stanley and Cecil. Lily was a shorthand typist, Stanley had followed his father into boat building and Cecil was a grocer’s assistant. Both Henry and Stanley were employed by a canal crying company based in Linslade, as was their brother Walter George who was married and had been living in Linslade since at least 1911.
By now Henry was 65 and retirement cannot have been far off, especially as the canal transport system was suffering from the competition from motor lorries and the demand for new boats must have been dwindling.
He and Martha moved back to Berkhamsted where he died 14 September 1929 at 62, Shrublands Avenue aged 73.
Martha survived him until 1948 and is buried here with him. His youngest brother Arthur William and his wife Lizzie lie in plot 528. Two of his sons are also buried in this cemetery: Henry William, his wife Annie and son Harry in plot 925 and Walter George in plot 477.

in the cemetery
Plot 924 Henry Thomas Gent (1856-1929)
Born 1856 Braunston Northamptonshire, the second son of Henry Thomas and Eliza (née Hedgcocks) Gent. His father was a canal boat builder and this was an ideal location for his trade, being at the junction of the Oxford and the Grand Union canals. It had a major wharf and dock and lies just north-west of the famous Braunston canal tunnel. Henry was baptised 29 June 1856 in Braunston parish church.
In 1861 the family lived in the High Street, Braunston. Henry had an older brother and two younger sisters.
By 1871 the family had moved down to Turners Place in Hackney. This no longer exists but seems to have been very close to the City Basin of the Regents Canal and Henry snr. was still carrying on his trade as a boat builder. Henry jnr., now 15, was working as a labourer. He now had another younger brother and sister and his youngest sibling, Arthur William, was born in 1882.
Henry married Martha Maria Middleton on 26 May 1878 in the parish church of Harrow-on-the-Hill. She was the daughter of an agricultural labourer who lived in the hamlet of Greenford Green on the Grand Junction canal, north-west of London and, as Henry was now a boat builder himself, it seems probable that they met at the wharf there.
The first of their ten children, Henry William, was born in 1880 in Berkhamsted where Henry was carrying oi his trade as a boat builder.
In 1881, and 1891 they lived in Bridge Street but by 1901 had moved to 6, Station Road.
Henry and Martha were to have ten children, all of whom lived to adulthood, a rare occurrence amongst families at this time.
By June 1921 Henry and Martha were living at 51, Wing Road, Linslade, Bedfordshire with the three of their children who were still unmarried: Lily, Stanley and Cecil. Lily was a shorthand typist, Stanley had followed his father into boat building and Cecil was a grocer’s assistant. Both Henry and Stanley were employed by a canal crying company based in Linslade, as was their brother Walter George who was married and had been living in Linslade since at least 1911.
By now Henry was 65 and retirement cannot have been far off, especially as the canal transport system was suffering from the competition from motor lorries and the demand for new boats must have been dwindling.
He and Martha moved back to Berkhamsted where he died 14 September 1929 at 62, Shrublands Avenue aged 73.
Martha survived him until 1948 and is buried here with him. His youngest brother Arthur William and his wife Lizzie lie in plot 528. Two of his sons are also buried in this cemetery: Henry William, his wife Annie and son Harry in plot 925 and Walter George in plot 477.