Great x4 Grandfather William Manning

My Great x4 Grandfather William (1795 - after 1881) was an agricultural labourer and father of eight.

William was born around 1795 in Spreyton, Devon, to Thomas and Grace Manning.

William was baptised on 26th April 1795 in Spreyton, Devon.

William was the second of three sons:

• William  1792 - 1794  (about 14 months)
• William  1795 -
• George  1797 -

William was the second of his name. His elder brother of the same name passed away, aged about fourteen months old, in January 1794. He was buried on 21st January 1794 in Spreyton.

On 14th November 1821, William (about 26), an agricultural labourer, married Mary Westcott (about 25) in Alphington, near Exeter, some sixteen miles east of his native Spreyton. Both left only their mark, implying neither could write. Mary was about six weeks pregnant when they married - their first child Samuel being born on 27th June 1822.

William and Mary had eight children (four sons and four daughters):

• Samuel  1822 -
• Eliza  1823 - 1824 (1 year old)
• Harriot  1825 -
• Mary Ann  1826 -
• Benjamin  1828 -
• William  1830 -
• Thomas  1831 -
• Eliza  1834 -

William, Mary and their young family lived in the area of Alphington, Holcombe Burnell and Longdown (there is only a few mile between them). Their abode is listed as Longdown Cottage on the baptism record of their eldest son Samuel, who was baptised in Holcombe Burnell on 8th July 1822. Whilst the 1823 baptism record of their second child, Eliza, lists their abode as Longdown End, Alphington. Eliza was also baptised in Holcombe Burnell, on 12th October 1823.

Around 1824, they moved around five miles south-west to Dunsford. Their second child, Eliza, sadly passed away, aged about only about thirteen months old. She was buried on 5th November 1824, in Dunsford. On her burial record, the family's abode is listed as North Midwinter. This unusual name was likely the name of their cottage, as my research has found there was also a South Midwinter Cottage in Dunsford at the time.

The family lived at Midwinter for about three years, from 1824 to 1827. Their abode is listed as such on the baptism records of their next two children, Harriot (born 1825) and Mary Ann (about 1826). Both girls were baptised in Holcombe Burnell.

Around 1828, William and his young family moved around ten miles north-west, making the return to William's native Spreyton. Their next child, Benjamin, was baptised there on 12th October 1828. The couple's last three children were also baptised in Spreyton, showing the family remained in the village, throughout the early 1830's.

Sadly the 1834 baptism record of their youngest child, Eliza, lists the family's abode as the Poor House. Thankfully by the time of the 1841 Census, seven years later, their abode is no longer listed as the Poor House, but simply Spreyton Village.

1841 Census:

Two key things happened to the Manning family in the 1840's: firstly, at some point, William's wife Mary passed away, in her late forties or early fifties, as he is listed as a widower on the 1851 Census; also the family, at some point, moved from Spreyton about sixteen miles east to Exeter.

The 1851 Census shows the family living on Smythen Street in Exeter's poor West Quarter. The homes of Smythen Street were mainly late medieval timber-fronted buildings, beautiful in their time, but by the Victorian era long-weathered and their inhabitants poor.

The top part of Smythen Street was known as Butchers' Row, where one side of the street was lined with many butchers' shops. The opening of the Lower Market in 1836, a purpose built space for the butchers of Exeter, marked the beginning of the end for Butchers' Row; however the 1851 Census shows that when William and his family lived there, some fifteen years after the opening of the Lower Market, many of their neighbours were still butchers.

1851 Census:

Neighbouring households were quite small, with only families, but the labouring Manning family appear to have been part-letting their home or running a lodging house, for they have ten persons listed as lodgers, including two small families, the Prideauxs and the Belworthys.

Unfortunately I cannot find William on the 1861 Census. It seems likely he remained in Exeter, working as a labourer.

In the 1850's and 1860's, his youngest sons William and Thomas served as privates in the army, likely serving in the Crimean War.

By the time of the 1871 Census, an elderly William lodged with his son Thomas, a wagoner, and his Irish wife Ann, a charwoman, at their home at 2 Old Brewery Place, Haven Banks, near Exeter's quay.

1871 Census:

In his very old age, William stayed living with his son and daughter-in-law. By the time of the 1881 Census, they lived on Eneings Street, St Mary's Steps, Exeter.

1881 Census:

I cannot find a record of death or burial for William; however, we know he lived a long life, surviving into his late eighties or even nineties.