Thursday 27 February 2020

Great x4 Grandmother Agnes Cobley (nee Davey)

My Great x4 Grandmother Agnes (1789? - 1862) was a serge weaver, housewife, and mother of seven.


Agnes was born around 1789 in Morchard Bishop to John Davey.

Frustratingly two Agnes Daveys were baptised in Morchard Bishop around this time, each to a different John Davey and his wife; and I cannot discern which is our Agnes. Either way, she had several brothers and sisters.

On 14th May 1816, Agnes (about 27), a serge weaver, married William Cobley (about 18), an agricultural labourer, in Plymouth. The residence of both parties is recorded as St Andrews, Plymouth. Plymouth is some 45 miles south of Morchard Bishop - why would they have married so far from their hometown? Yet this does seem to be the marriage of our Agnes and William.

The couple married in the presence of William and Elizabeth Davey - likely relatives of Agnes. Whilst William was able to sign his name, Agnes left only her mark, implying she was illiterate.

Agnes and William had seven children (six sons and one daughter):


  • Richard  1817 -
  • George  1818 -
  • William  1820 -
  • John  1822 -
  • James  1826 -
  • Grace  1828 -
  • Samuel  1829 -


Agnes and William did not stay long in Plymouth evidently, as all seven of their children were baptised back in Morchard Bishop. Also all seven of their children appear to have survived into adulthood.

1841 Census:


Come the next census, all of William and Grace's children had left home, but living with them was little Mary Rattenbury. I can neither discern Mary's origins - her birth is recorded, but she seemingly wasn't baptised, so her parents names aren't given - nor her relationship to the Cobleys - I can find no marriage between any Rattenbury or Cobley. Her relationship to them is not listed on the census. It seems unlikely then she was a blood relation. Was she the young daughter of friends perhaps? She may well have passed away young, as a death for a Mary Rattenbury is recorded in that district (Crediton) in 1854, when Mary would have been around seven years old.

1851 Census:


1861 Census:


In Jul/Aug/Sep 1862, Agnes passed away, aged about seventy-three, in the district of Crediton.

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