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Who?

    Who is Herby? More accurately, who was Herby? The Herby to whom these pages are dedicated, is Herbert George Town, a lad who lived his short life within a 17 year span of the Victorian era. He was born into a small railway community at Marshmoor, near Hatfield, Hertfordshire on 18th February 1871. He suffered a violent death near Manchester on Thursday 24th May 1888.

Why?

     Why should there be a web site dedicated to Herby? Well, history is usually about the big people - the well-known names - events that helped to shape the world as it is today. This site tries to show what it was like to be one of the rest. Herby was a very ordinary Victorian lad - one of the many upon whose shoulders the big names perch.
     Herby's life was not lived so very long ago, but far enough for his name to be no more than fading lettering on a moss-covered head- stone. Soon, that lettering will be gone. Then, this site will be his only memorial.
     It is also my hope that current members of the Town family may stray upon this site, and be able to contact me with missing parts of the jig-saw.

What?

     What will you find in these pages? Most importantly, Herby's life story. At least, his story as far as I have been able to research it at this stage. What we have, are the bones of his story, and some tantalising snippets of the kind of person he was. All points stated as fact are supported by primary source material. Where I have extrapolated or made a conjecture, I have made this plain.
     You will also find images relating to Herby's life and times, and the places he would have known - thought regretfully, I do not as yet have any image of Herby himself. You will find a photograph, however, that almost certainly contains an image of one of his brothers, along with people he knew at school.
     For true historians (I do not include myself under that heading) and those who are curious as to my methods, I have included a full list of sources and acknowledgements.
     The 'Links' page contains links to other web sites with connections to local history, specific people mentioned in 'Herby's Pages' and those likely to be of interest.
     Finally, there is a 'Contact Me' page. If you are a memeber of the Town family, a historian who can point me towards another area of research or someone with a query or advice about 'Herby's Pages', go to this page for contact details.