William Edwards was born around 1812 or 1813 in Morchard Bishop, Devon to Richard Edwards, a mason, and Mary Edwards (nee ?).
Unfortunately there seem to have been two couples called Richard and Mary Edwards living and having children in Morchard Bishop at the beginning of the 1800's. Both Richards worked as masons. I have found it difficult, if not impossible, to tell which pair is the parents to our William, as both couples have a son called William born around 1812/1813. Either way William would have been one of several children, and William and his brothers followed into the family trade of masonry. Those children not his siblings may well have been cousins.
A first William was baptised on 15th November 1812 and a second on 21st September 1813, both in Morchard Bishop, both to a mason called Richard Edwards and his wife Mary. Normally siblings having the same name implies the eldest child has died before the younger, but in this case I cannot find a record of burial for the older William, implying they were probably not brothers: records imply both William Edwards survived into adulthood, lived in Morchard Bishop and worked as masons. Notably they even married sisters - Eleanor and Susannah 'Susan' Passmore - so they very likely knew each other.
A mason for all his adult life, William likely trained as an apprentice to his father in his youth. In November 1831, when William was about eighteen, his father Richard, aged about fifty-seven, may have passed away in Morchard Bishop. A Richard Edwards, born around 1776, was buried on 10th November 1831, in Morchard Bishop. It seems William may have remained close to and supported his widowed mother Mary, for she can be found on the 1841 Census, a decade after her husband's possible passing, living with William and his young family.
On 16th January 1837, William (about 23), a mason, married Susannah 'Susan' Passmore (about 19), a hand loom weaver (serge), in St Thomas, Exeter. On their record of marriage, whilst Susan left only her mark, implying she was illiterate, William was able to sign his name. His signature appears very neat.
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| William Edwards' Signature, 1837 |
It is interesting that though both William and Susan were natives of Morchard Bishop, they went to Exeter to get married, before returning to Morchard Bishop to live. I wonder why they didn't marry in the local church. Perhaps there were familial objections? Certainly it appears no relation stood as witness at the wedding, which is normally the case. Perhaps the following had something to do with it...
The year before the wedding, Susan had given birth to an illegitimate daughter, whom she called Ann Ellen (known as Ellen). Ellen was baptised on 17th July 1836 - six months before William and Susan were married. Was William the father? Certainly on all later records he is listed as the father of Ellen.
Including Ellen, William and Susan had seven children (four girls and three boys):
- Ann Ellen 1836 -
- Mary 1837 -
- Richard 1839 -
- Henry 1841 - 1843 or 1849 (died as a young boy)
- George 1843 -
- Louisa 1845 -
- Eliza 1849 -
Though their marriage certificate states William and Susan to be of the Exeter parish, they very soon returned to Morchard Bishop, as shown by the records of baptism of their children, as well as censuses.
1841 Census:
It seems William's mother Mary passed away in old age in the 1840s or 1850s, in Morchard Bishop. Also in the 1840s, William's son Henry passed away as a young boy.
Both the 1841 and 1851 Censuses list William and his family as living on Church Street in Morchard Bishop.
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| Photograph of Church Street in Morchard Bishop, c 1955. Though taken some century after the Edwards family lived on the street, I like to think the thatched cottages probably hadn't changed much, even after that length of time. |
1851 Census:
In Jan/Mar/Apr 1853, when William was about thirty-nine, his wife Susan passed away, aged about thirty-six, in the district of Crediton.
Less than five years later, in Oct/Nov/Dec 1858, William himself passed away, aged about forty-five, also in the district of Crediton.
His six surviving children - the oldest twenty-two, the youngest only nine - were left orphans.
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