Born at Bridlington on 29th. April 1835, Henry, or Harry as he was known to his friends  worked in his youth as a brickmaker. He was successful at his work rising to the position of manager with Mr. Splayfoot`s brick making firm. With the decline of the brick trade Henry turned to the sea and fishing.

He became a lifeboatman and was involved in many heroic rescues, one of which left him the only survivor of a crew of thirteen. He almost certainly owed his life to the fact that at that time he was the only member of the crew to be wearing the then new cork lifejacket.