HARPER, John
John Harper was born at Coddenham near Ipswich on 24 January 1827, and baptised at St Mary at Elms Church, Ipswich on 25 February 1827, son of John Harper (1803-21 March 1875), a coach driver, and his wife Mary née Denny, who married at St Matthew's Church, Ipswich on 9 July 1822. Young John married at Ipswich in 1855, Mary Ann Fenn (1830-1889) and in 1861, a 34-year-old saddler, living at 24 Orchard Street, Ipswich with his 29-year-old wife Mary Ann and their 5-year-old son John, who was born at Ipswich. By 1871 they had moved to 5 Priory Place, Ipswich when John is described at a 'leather salesman' and in 1881 a 'harness maker' living at 6 Falcon Street, Ipswich with his wife and two boarders. In 1867 he exhibited two oil paintings at the Needham Market Fine Arts & Industrial Exhibition, held in the Lecture Room at the Town Hall, which won a silver medal also winning a medal at the Ipswich Fine Art and Industrial Exhibition in 1868. John Harper was buried back at Coddenham on 31 December 1890.