Quite a few today, to make up for the lack of my ancestors on 1 and 2nd September.
On 4 September,
Mary Cockett (nee Hawkins) my 5 x g.grandmother was baptised at St Mary & St Nicholas Parish Church, Spalding in 1702. She was my 5 x g.grandfather’s 2nd wife, his first wife died leaving him with a son aged about 6 months old. He produced another son (my 4 x g.grandfather) with his 2nd wife Mary, but then my 5 x g.grandfather died, leaving his 2nd wife with 2 boys, one of which wasn’t hers. Mary married the year after my 5 x g.grandfather died which meant her stepson was living in a family with two adults neither of which were his natural parents. About a year later he was apprenticed in husbandry as a “poor child”. He was just 8 years of age, it seems a bit harsh but I suppose that's life and according to my newspaper today, the same thing happened to Mary Portas and her siblings, although she was 16 at the time and had to go out to work to support her siblings. So I suppose, some things never change.
Ann Dyke (nee Wagstaff) my husband’s 3 x g.grandmother was baptised at St Mary’s Church, Warwick in 1799. She was 3 years old at the time. Her husband was a wheelwright and they lived in the same address from at least 1841 until her husband’s death in 1862. She died 5 years later, at which time she was living in West Street Almshouses, Warwick.
William Postlethwaite my 5 x g.g.uncle was baptised at Urswick in Furness, Lancashire in 1743
Daniel Collett my g.g.uncle was baptised in Halesworth, Suffolk in 1842. We’ll meet him again on 7 and 11 September.
Elizabeth Singleton my 6 x g.g.aunt was buried at St Peter’s Church, Huddersfield,Yorkshire in 1666. She was 7 months old.
Joseph Gaunt my 4 x g.grandfather was buried at St John the Baptist Church, Penistone, Yorkshire in 1789. He was 59 and left his wife and 8 children (one had died as a baby), my 3 x g.grandmother being the youngest aged 9. He had been a cordwainer. His wife died only 2 years later so I don’t know what happened to the younger children, I guess the older ones looked after them. Certainly her eldest brother was a farmer.
John Collett my 2 x g.g.uncle was buried at 1887 at St Andrew’s Church, Ilketshall St Andrew, Suffolk. He had been an agricultural worker and hay cutter. He was 82 years old and had been working until at least the age of 76. Presumably he was quite poor and unable to leave anything for his wife as following his death she went to live in Union Workhouse, Shipmeadow, Suffolk where she died 4 years later. Ironically, that was the same workhouse as her father in law had died in, 50 years previously. She was 88 at the time.
And last, but not least our eldest grandchild was born this day in 1990. Happy Birthday Jamie.
