Loveday was born around 1785 in North Tawton, Devon to James Bennett (about 27), and Sarah Bennett (nee Skinner) (about 30).
Loveday was baptised on 20th November 1785 in North Tawton.
Loveday was the fourth of seven daughters:
- Joanna 1782 -
- Sarah 1784 - 1784 (about 3 weeks old)
- Susanna 1784 - 1784 (about 3 weeks old)
- Loveday 1785 -
- Dinah 1788 -
- Mary 1790 -
- Mahlah 1793 - 1797 (3 or 4 years old)
In 1784, the year before Loveday was born, her older sisters, twins Sarah and Susanna, passed away, only a few weeks old. Together they were baptised on 4th April and buried on 21st April in North Tawton.
In the late 1780's the baptisms of the girls show, the family lived in North Tawton. In the early 1790's, the family moved from North Tawton back to Sampford Courtney, where Loveday's youngest sister, Mahlah was baptised in 1793.
In 1793, when Loveday was about seven, her father James passed away, aged about thirty-five. James was buried on 10th September 1793 in Sampford Courtenay. In the same year, Loveday's widowed mother, Sarah, along with her four youngest daughters, were ordered to be removed from Belstone back to Sampford Courtenay.
In early 1797, when Loveday was about ten, her youngest sister Mahlah passed away, aged about only three or four. Mahlah was buried on 5th February 1797 in Sampford Courtenay.
In 1797, when Loveday was ten or eleven, she was apprenticed to Simon Coombe of Sampford Courtenay.
In 1801, when Loveday was about fifteen, her mother Sarah passed away, aged about forty-six. Sarah was buried on 12th September 1801 in Sampford Courtenay.
In 1805, when Loveday was about nineteen and working as a servant, she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, fathered by William Coombe. Their daughter was christened Dinah Coombe, on 11th August 1805 in Sampford Courtenay, but would later go by Dinah Bennett. William was ordered by the parish to pay maintenance. William may well have been the young son of Loveday's employer, Simon Coombe. I wonder if Loveday and William's relationship was short-lived and reached its end before Dinah's birth.
On 4th November 1811, Loveday (about 26) married George Turner (about 24), a labourer at Plymouth Dock, in Stoke Damerel, near Plymouth, which is over thirty-miles south of Sampford Courtenay, where Loveday lived for most of her younger years. Whilst George was able to sign his name (interestingly he spelt it without the first e, eg 'Gorge'), Loveday left only her mark, implying she could not write.
Loveday and George have nine children (six daughters and three brothers):
The baptism records of the couple's eldest five children give the young family's address as Plymouth Dock. Though the couple's first two daughters was baptised into the Church of England; interestingly, when the couple had their third, fourth, and fifth daughters baptised, they chose to have them baptised into the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Does this signify a change in religious belief?
Sometime between 1822 and 1825, the family moved back northwards to Jacobstowe, which is only three miles west of Loveday's former home of Sampford Courtenay. There, the couple's youngest four children were baptised, once more into the Church of England. George continued to work as a labourer, but no longer at the docks - was he now a farm labourer?
In 1826, when Loveday was about forty-one, her infant daughters passed away. Eliza (1 years old) passed away first - she was buried on 30th June - followed by Susan (3 years old) - she was buried, less than a week later, on 6th July - both in Jacobstowe. Touchingly, Loveday's eldest daughter Dinah, who was about one to two months pregnant with her first child at the time, would name that child, a daughter, after the girls: so Loveday's first grandchild was christened Eliza Susan Herd, on 26th February 1827, in Jacobstowe.
Just over one year later, Loveday's son, George, passed away, aged four months old. He was buried on 9th March 1828 in Jacobstowe. George had been Loveday's eighth child, but her first son - I imagine his death was felt acutely. George had likely been named for his father. George and Loveday would named their next born child, another son, George also.
In early 1841, when Loveday was about fifty-five, her husband George passed away, aged about fifty-four. He was buried on 21st February 1841, in Jacobstowe. On his burial record, his abode is listed as Exbourne, which is only one and a half miles from Jacobstowe. He is also described as being a pensioner, implying he was in receipt of a military pension - in other words, a Chelsea pensioner. George would have been a young man at the time of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). Had he served in that war, before working as a labourer at Plymouth Dock (today Devonport)? Had he been a sailor? Was it his service that brought him to the navel town in the first place?
Widowed, Loveday lived and worked once more as a servant on farms. Meanwhile her youngest two sons - George, about twelve, and William, about nine - lived and worked as labourers on different farms in the Okehampton area. Whilst her adult daughters had long left home, with at least Dinah, Loveday (junior) and Rebecca married.
The 1841 Census shows Loveday, living with agricultural labourer Thomas Bolt and his family at Bude (Farm), Monkokehampton, which is less than three miles north of Exbourne, where Loveday's husband George had passed away earlier that year.
1841 Census:
Come the 1851 Census, Loveday, now in her mid sixties, is listed as a visitor, living with widow Catherine Piper and her daughters at Folly Gate, Inwardleigh, which is about eight miles south of Loveday's last address in Monkokehampton.
1851 Census:
In 1854, Loveday passed away, aged about sixty-eight, in Inwardleigh. She was buried on 25th June 1854 in Jacobstowe.
In 1801, when Loveday was about fifteen, her mother Sarah passed away, aged about forty-six. Sarah was buried on 12th September 1801 in Sampford Courtenay.
In 1805, when Loveday was about nineteen and working as a servant, she gave birth to an illegitimate daughter, fathered by William Coombe. Their daughter was christened Dinah Coombe, on 11th August 1805 in Sampford Courtenay, but would later go by Dinah Bennett. William was ordered by the parish to pay maintenance. William may well have been the young son of Loveday's employer, Simon Coombe. I wonder if Loveday and William's relationship was short-lived and reached its end before Dinah's birth.
On 4th November 1811, Loveday (about 26) married George Turner (about 24), a labourer at Plymouth Dock, in Stoke Damerel, near Plymouth, which is over thirty-miles south of Sampford Courtenay, where Loveday lived for most of her younger years. Whilst George was able to sign his name (interestingly he spelt it without the first e, eg 'Gorge'), Loveday left only her mark, implying she could not write.
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| 'Plymouth [Dock], from Mount Edgcumbe' painted by JMW Turner in the 1810's |
Loveday and George have nine children (six daughters and three brothers):
- Mary 1813 -
- Loveday 1816 -
- Rebecca 1818 -
- Elizabeth 1821 -
- Susan 1822 - 1826 (3 years old)
- Eliza 1825 - 1826 (1 year old)
- George 1827 - 1828 (4 months old)
- George 1829 -
- William 1832 -
The baptism records of the couple's eldest five children give the young family's address as Plymouth Dock. Though the couple's first two daughters was baptised into the Church of England; interestingly, when the couple had their third, fourth, and fifth daughters baptised, they chose to have them baptised into the Wesleyan Methodist Church. Does this signify a change in religious belief?
Sometime between 1822 and 1825, the family moved back northwards to Jacobstowe, which is only three miles west of Loveday's former home of Sampford Courtenay. There, the couple's youngest four children were baptised, once more into the Church of England. George continued to work as a labourer, but no longer at the docks - was he now a farm labourer?
In 1826, when Loveday was about forty-one, her infant daughters passed away. Eliza (1 years old) passed away first - she was buried on 30th June - followed by Susan (3 years old) - she was buried, less than a week later, on 6th July - both in Jacobstowe. Touchingly, Loveday's eldest daughter Dinah, who was about one to two months pregnant with her first child at the time, would name that child, a daughter, after the girls: so Loveday's first grandchild was christened Eliza Susan Herd, on 26th February 1827, in Jacobstowe.
Just over one year later, Loveday's son, George, passed away, aged four months old. He was buried on 9th March 1828 in Jacobstowe. George had been Loveday's eighth child, but her first son - I imagine his death was felt acutely. George had likely been named for his father. George and Loveday would named their next born child, another son, George also.
In early 1841, when Loveday was about fifty-five, her husband George passed away, aged about fifty-four. He was buried on 21st February 1841, in Jacobstowe. On his burial record, his abode is listed as Exbourne, which is only one and a half miles from Jacobstowe. He is also described as being a pensioner, implying he was in receipt of a military pension - in other words, a Chelsea pensioner. George would have been a young man at the time of the Napoleonic Wars (1803 - 1815). Had he served in that war, before working as a labourer at Plymouth Dock (today Devonport)? Had he been a sailor? Was it his service that brought him to the navel town in the first place?
Widowed, Loveday lived and worked once more as a servant on farms. Meanwhile her youngest two sons - George, about twelve, and William, about nine - lived and worked as labourers on different farms in the Okehampton area. Whilst her adult daughters had long left home, with at least Dinah, Loveday (junior) and Rebecca married.
The 1841 Census shows Loveday, living with agricultural labourer Thomas Bolt and his family at Bude (Farm), Monkokehampton, which is less than three miles north of Exbourne, where Loveday's husband George had passed away earlier that year.
1841 Census:
Come the 1851 Census, Loveday, now in her mid sixties, is listed as a visitor, living with widow Catherine Piper and her daughters at Folly Gate, Inwardleigh, which is about eight miles south of Loveday's last address in Monkokehampton.
1851 Census:
In 1854, Loveday passed away, aged about sixty-eight, in Inwardleigh. She was buried on 25th June 1854 in Jacobstowe.
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