Author Topic: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)  (Read 1657 times)

Offline pimpernel

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
    • View Profile
1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« on: Sunday 03 December 17 15:48 GMT (UK) »
Looking through parish records I'm really curious about what seem to be a series of untimely deaths in Kencot. My research indicates William Shayler of Langford (born 1741/2) married Sarah Dyer of Kencot on 15th October 1774. The couple had four children, all of which died in infancy except the last - Ann Shayler (born & died 1775), Sarah Shayler (born 1776, died the following year 1777), Richard Shayler (born & died 1778), and William (born 1781, who thankfully survived until 1865). Infant mortality isn't unusual, but the curious thing is that mother Sarah seems to have died in 1782, the year after William's birth, and her husband in 1783, being buried on 23rd March that year.

Now, I could be making the wrong assumptions, but if this is correct baby William's entire family died in a 7 year period, leaving him a 2-year old orphan. I know he stayed in the area, as his two sons were later born in Langford, but who would have raised the child in the 1780's? I've not traced any other Shayler's in Langford at that time.

I'm wondering if there might simply be gaps in the parish records and that the birth-death connections I'm assuming may be wrong. Does anyone know of any particular cause for so many deaths in the area at that time?
Oxfordshire: SHAYLER, HERN,
Gloucestershire: MEADOWS, HERBERT,
Worcestershire: GRIFFIN, WOOD,
Denbighshire: WILLIAMS, JAMES, EDWARDS, DAVIES.

Offline philipsearching

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 4,090
  • I was a beautiful baby - what went wrong?
    • View Profile
Re: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« Reply #1 on: Sunday 03 December 17 16:35 GMT (UK) »
A couple of questions:

Are there other DYER relatives living in Kencot at the time?  William could have been taken in by one of his mother's relatives.

Can you find the parish minute books - they may have notes on William.

A likely cause of the parents' deaths would be poor health caused by bad housing or diet (many adults died before 50)

All the best
Philip
Please help me to help you by citing sources for information.

Census information is Crown Copyright http://www.nationalarchives.gov.uk

Offline youngtug

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 4,302
    • View Profile
Re: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« Reply #2 on: Sunday 03 December 17 17:17 GMT (UK) »
Have you looked in rthe adjoining villages, such as Alvescot and a bit farther away Asthall.
.http://www.rootschat.com/links/05q2/   
  WILSON;-Wiltshire.
 SOUL;-Gloucestershire.
 SANSUM;-Berkshire-Wiltshire
 BASSON-BASTON;- Berkshire,- Oxfordshire.
 BRIDGES;- Wiltshire.
 DOWDESWELL;-Wiltshire,Gloucestershire
 JORDAN;- Berkshire.
 COX;- Berkshire.
 GOUDY;- Suffolk.
 CHATFIELD;-Sussex-- London
 MORGAN;-Blaenavon-Abersychan
 FISHER;- Berkshire.
 BLOMFIELD-BLOOMFIELD-BLUMFIELD;-Suffolk.
DOVE. Essex-London
YOUNG-Berkshire
ARDEN.
PINEGAR-COLLIER-HUGHES-JEFFERIES-HUNT-MOSS-FRY

Offline youngtug

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 4,302
    • View Profile
Re: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« Reply #3 on: Sunday 03 December 17 17:22 GMT (UK) »
Of interest maybe;
Quote
Problems caused by lack of clean water and poor sanitation were highlighted in 1872: sewerage, cesspools, and pigsties were open and fed into each other, wells were too close to them and were not deep enough to provide unpolluted water, and sanitation outside the houses was insufficient, contributing to typhoid outbreaks in most summers. The previous year had also seen 16 cases of scarlet fever in the village, which was claimed to be one of the most insalubrious in the Burford District.
Quote
Quote from here; http://www.british-history.ac.uk/vch/oxon/vol15/pp161-167
.http://www.rootschat.com/links/05q2/   
  WILSON;-Wiltshire.
 SOUL;-Gloucestershire.
 SANSUM;-Berkshire-Wiltshire
 BASSON-BASTON;- Berkshire,- Oxfordshire.
 BRIDGES;- Wiltshire.
 DOWDESWELL;-Wiltshire,Gloucestershire
 JORDAN;- Berkshire.
 COX;- Berkshire.
 GOUDY;- Suffolk.
 CHATFIELD;-Sussex-- London
 MORGAN;-Blaenavon-Abersychan
 FISHER;- Berkshire.
 BLOMFIELD-BLOOMFIELD-BLUMFIELD;-Suffolk.
DOVE. Essex-London
YOUNG-Berkshire
ARDEN.
PINEGAR-COLLIER-HUGHES-JEFFERIES-HUNT-MOSS-FRY


Offline conahy calling

  • RootsChat Aristocrat
  • ******
  • Posts: 1,471
  • Census information Crown Copyright, from www.nationalarchives.gov.uk
    • View Profile
Re: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« Reply #4 on: Sunday 03 December 17 20:13 GMT (UK) »
http://www.understandingyourancestors.com/wea/death.aspx

This link "Understanding your ancestors" gives some possibilities

Offline pimpernel

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
    • View Profile
Re: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« Reply #5 on: Monday 04 December 17 11:21 GMT (UK) »
Many thanks for the replies, this gives me a lot to think about! Phillip, there are Dyer relations in Kencot, including his uncle the Parish Clerk, so as you say the child could have been raised by them, or by Shayler's in adjoining Broadwell. His father was born in Broadwell but (assuming I've made the right connection) living in Langford when he married Sarah Dyer (The 15 Oct 1774 Kencot marriage says By banns SHAYLER William(x) of Langford DYER Sarah(x)) . The younger William's baptism is on 15th July 1781 in the Broadwell Parish records "William, son of William and Sarah".
But if he was raised in Kencot I've not found any evidence.

The next record I've traced is his marriage to Elizabeth Sanigar (spelt Ceniger in the record) on 15th November 1813 in Langford, and he stayed in Langford throughout his life until his sad death in Faringdon Union Workhouse in 1865. So I'm wondering if he might have remained in Langford as a child due to unrecorded family there. I've not seen the parish minute books, would they be online I wonder?
Oxfordshire: SHAYLER, HERN,
Gloucestershire: MEADOWS, HERBERT,
Worcestershire: GRIFFIN, WOOD,
Denbighshire: WILLIAMS, JAMES, EDWARDS, DAVIES.

Offline pimpernel

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
    • View Profile
Re: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« Reply #6 on: Monday 04 December 17 11:27 GMT (UK) »
http://www.understandingyourancestors.com/wea/death.aspx

This link "Understanding your ancestors" gives some possibilities

This is shocking reading!! My goodness, it's tempting to assume those in rural communities had a closer connection to nature and thus somewhat healthier lifestyles. Clearly not the case!
Oxfordshire: SHAYLER, HERN,
Gloucestershire: MEADOWS, HERBERT,
Worcestershire: GRIFFIN, WOOD,
Denbighshire: WILLIAMS, JAMES, EDWARDS, DAVIES.

Offline pimpernel

  • RootsChat Member
  • ***
  • Posts: 196
    • View Profile
Re: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« Reply #7 on: Monday 04 December 17 11:40 GMT (UK) »
Have you looked in rthe adjoining villages, such as Alvescot and a bit farther away Asthall.


As far as I can make out through examination of the parish records etc, Austin Shayler moved from Lyneham (near Shipton-under-Wychwood) to Broadwell in the early 18thC, possibly his wife Mary was from Broadwell. Their son William was baptized in Broadwell on 14th Feb 1741 (two other sibling baptisms I can find, Jane 1737 and James 1746). I'm assuming this is the same William as he that married Sarah Dyer in 1774, living in Langford, as I can't find any record of Shayler's in Langford prior to this. However, I've not found any records suggesting the fate of Jane or James Shayler.

There could be gaps in the records, possibly I'm making an error linking the Broadwell 1741 William to the marriage in 1774, or maybe the deaths in the late 1770's were not in fact the individuals I've linked them to, but entirely different families, but there don't seem to be other links to relations in surrounding communities.
Oxfordshire: SHAYLER, HERN,
Gloucestershire: MEADOWS, HERBERT,
Worcestershire: GRIFFIN, WOOD,
Denbighshire: WILLIAMS, JAMES, EDWARDS, DAVIES.

Offline youngtug

  • RootsChat Marquessate
  • *******
  • Posts: 4,302
    • View Profile
Re: 1770/80's sudden deaths (Shayler in Kencot, Oxfordshire)
« Reply #8 on: Monday 04 December 17 13:22 GMT (UK) »
Ah well, just a thought. My greatgrandfathers brother married a Shayler who was from Asthall, most of her family also were from there.
.http://www.rootschat.com/links/05q2/   
  WILSON;-Wiltshire.
 SOUL;-Gloucestershire.
 SANSUM;-Berkshire-Wiltshire
 BASSON-BASTON;- Berkshire,- Oxfordshire.
 BRIDGES;- Wiltshire.
 DOWDESWELL;-Wiltshire,Gloucestershire
 JORDAN;- Berkshire.
 COX;- Berkshire.
 GOUDY;- Suffolk.
 CHATFIELD;-Sussex-- London
 MORGAN;-Blaenavon-Abersychan
 FISHER;- Berkshire.
 BLOMFIELD-BLOOMFIELD-BLUMFIELD;-Suffolk.
DOVE. Essex-London
YOUNG-Berkshire
ARDEN.
PINEGAR-COLLIER-HUGHES-JEFFERIES-HUNT-MOSS-FRY