John Mutters was born around 1804 in Woodbury, Devon, to George Mutters (about 41) and Grace Mutters (nee Fley) (about 41).
John was the couple's only child. He was baptised on 18th November 1804 in Woodbury.
On 9th October 1825, John (20), a carpenter, married Mary Marks (28), a lacemaker, in Woodbury. Mary was about eight months pregnant when she married.
John and Mary had five children (two sons and three daughters):
- George 1825 -
- Elizabeth 1827 - 1854 (26 years old)
- Mary Ann 1830 - 1848 (18 years old)
- William 1831 -
- Thomas Marks 1834 - 1838 (4 years old)
John's youngest son Thomas passed away in infancy, aged four years old. His daughters, Elizabeth and Mary Ann, passed away as young women.
In 1827, when John was twenty-two, his mother Grace passed away, aged about sixty-four, in Woodbury. She was buried on 4th October 1827.
In 1836, when John was thirty-one, his father George passed away, aged seventy-three, in Woodbury. He was buried on 5th June 1836.
1841 Census:
As he was the village carpenter, John likely made the coffins of his parents and three children who died young. As well as the village carpenter, John was sexton at Woodbury Church. A sexton's roles included digging graves, so he may have dug their graves as well.
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| Old Print of St Swithun's Church Woodbury. John was sexton here in the 1840's and 1850's. |
In 1846, a new vicar came to Woodbury called Rev. Fulford. Fulford caused upset in the village as he preached the new Tractarianism (which later developed into Anglo-Catholicism) and not Church of England Protestantism.
An article in the Western Times from 22nd January 1848 shows John, here described as "respectable", standing up to Fulford by refusing to hand over the church keys.
1851 Census:
In 1862, John passed away, aged fifty-seven. He was buried on 14th September 1862, in Woodbury.
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