Mary was born in Jul/Aug/Sep 1867 in Colyton, Devon, the illegitimate daughter of Sarah Ann Willis (later Sandford) (about 27), a lacemaker.
Mary was baptised on 12th July 1868 in Colyton, Devon.
Mary was the second of two illegitimate children born to Sarah Ann, before her marriage:
- William Willis 1864 - 1922 (58)
- Mary Willis 1867 - 1937 (69)
Young Mary and William lived with their maternal grandparents, Sarah Ann's parents, James, a blacksmith, and Mary Willis, a lacemaker. The couple also took in another daughter Mary Ann's illegitimate son William John James Willis.
1871 Census:
On 7th May 1871, Mary's mother Sarah Ann (30), a lacemaker and single mother of two, married George Anley Sandford (27), a farm labourer, in Colyton. Before they married, George had lodged with Sarah Ann, her parents and family.
Mary had five younger half siblings - the legitimate children of his mother Sarah Ann and George Sandford - :
- Mark Sandford 1872 - 1945 (73)
- Jane Mary Sandford 1873 - after 1911 (at least 38)
- Alice Sandford 1877 - 1943 (65)
- Susan Sandford 1882 - after 1939 (at least 57)
- Henry 'Harry' 1884 - 1917 (32 or 33)
1881 Census:
In February 1885, when Mary was seventeen, her only full sibling, her twenty-one year old older brother William, left their grandparent's home of Parkhayne Cottage in Colyton, to enlist as a gunner in the Royal Artillery. He would serve for twelve years, including six years (from 1886 to 1893) in Gibraltar.
His Army Service Record gives us a physical description of Mary's brother as a young man: he was just short of 5'8'', ten stone, had a fair complexion, light brown hair and blue eyes. His character is described as 'exemplary'. His habits and conduct are 'regular, very good, temperate'. I wonder if Mary was like her brother in looks or temperament.
Whilst William was away in the army, their guardians/grandparents passed away. In 1886, when Mary was about nineteen, her maternal grandfather James passed away, aged about seventy-six, in the parish of Axminster. Two years later, in 1888, when Mary was about twenty, her maternal grandmother Mary passed away, aged about seventy-five, in the parish of Axminster.
I am yet to find Mary on the 1891 Census, but by late 1891 she had seemingly found her way all the way to Pontypridd in Wales, where she married.
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1891, Mary (24) married William Gill (27), in the district of Pontypridd, Wales. It looks like William may well have been Mary's first cousin, the son of her maternal aunt Mary Ann Gill (nee Willis),
Within a few years, they had moved back down to Devon, living around the Zeal Monachorum and Bow area.
Mary and William had at least two children:
- Arthur Harry 1894 - 1918 (23 or 24)
- Gwendoline Mary 1897 - 1922 (25)
Both of these children were born in Zeal Monachorum, Devon.
In Jul/Aug/Sep 1897, when Mary was about thirty, her mother Sarah Ann passed away, aged fifty-seven, in the district of South Molton.
Only a few months later, in Oct/Nov/Dec 1897, Mary's husband William also passed away, aged only thirty-three, in the district of Crediton.
Widowed, Mary sought relief from the parish to support herself and her young children. Come the 1901 Census, they lived with her widowed step-father George Sandford. Though no records confirm the identity of Mary's biological father, George may have been the father figure in her life. For example, on the 1901 Census, Mary is simply described as his daughter, and her children as his grandchild.
1901 Census:
Living Mary, her children, step-father George and younger half-brother Harry on the 1901 Census, is a William George Sandford, who is described as George's grandson. William was born Jan/Feb/Mar 1895, in the district of Crediton - his mother's maiden name was Sandford. One of Mary's younger unmarried half sisters - either twenty-one year old Jane or seventeen year old Alice - was William's mother; however, William seems to have remained closer to his Aunt Mary Pike, for it is Mary, rather than Jane or Alice, whom he puts as his next of kin on his World War One Army Service Record.
Mary's younger half brothers, Mark and Harry Sandford, also served in the army. In 1896, twenty-four year old Mark enlisted as a private in the 4th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. He served for three years. In 1901, eighteen year old Harry enlisted as a private, also in the 4th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment.
Mark and Harry seemingly looked alike as young men: both had fresh complexions, fair hair and blue eyes.
A decade after her first husband's death, Mary remarried. In Jan/Feb/Mar 1908 (40), Mary married Samuel James Pike (or Pyke) (28) the younger brother of her half-sister Jane Mary Pyke (nee Sandford)'s husband Edward Pyke.
Mary was twelve years older than Samuel; however, on the 1911 Census her age is given as the same as his. I wonder if Samuel really knew how much older his wife was than him.
Mary and Samuel had one daughter:
- Ruby J 1910 -
1911 Census:
 |
| (I have since realised I made a typo in the above census transcript: Ruby was born in 1910, not 1901) |
On the 1911 Census, the family live at 6 Four Ways, Eggesford. But by 1937, the family home would be three doors down at 9 Four Ways, Eggesford.
Mary's only son Arthur and younger half-brother Harry both served and were sadly killed in action during the First World War.
Harry, having served as a private in the early 1900's (service number 6687), was re-conscripted as a corporal (service number 3/6687) in the 8th Battalion of the Devonshire Regiment. He was listed as wounded on the casualty list of 31st January 1915 and again on the casualty list of 28th February 1915. He was killed in action on 25th March 1917, aged thirty-three. Harry's name appears on the Bow War Memorial; as well as at the Mory Abbey Military Cemetery, Pas-de-Calais, France.
Arthur's service number was 71781. He was private in the 5th Battalion (Territorials) of the Devonshire Regiment. He was killed in action on 27th September 1918, less than two months before the end of the war, aged only twenty-three or twenty-four. Arthur's name appears on the Eggesford War Memorial; as well as on the Vis-en-Artois (British Cemetery and) Memorial at Haucourt, Departement du Pas-de-Calais, Nord-Pas-de-Calais, France.
During the First World War, as well as losing her only son and younger half-brother, Mary's step-father George passed away. In Apr/May/Jun 1917, George passed away, aged seventy-four, in the Crediton district.
Mary's nephew William George Sandford (the illegitimate son of one of her younger half sisters, Jane or Alice Sandford) also served in the First World War, but survived. He was a private (service number P/15805) in the 2nd Battalion of the Devonshire Regimant. He had actually enlisted before the start of the war. He served at 'Home' from 28th March 1914 to 25th July 1916; then from 26th July 1916 to 8th August 1917, served in the British Expeditionary Force; and finally from 9th August 1917, served at 'Home' again. He was awarded the British Medal for Bravery in the field in 1917. In 1918, he had transferred to the Military Foot Police, in which he served until January 1920.
In Oct/Nov/Dec 1920, Mary's eldest daughter Gwendoline sadly also passed away, aged only twenty-five, in the district of Crediton.
On 8th May 1937, Mary herself passed away, aged sixty-nine, in the Exeter district. She was survived by her second husband Samuel and younger daughter, Ruby.
Her funeral on 11th May 1937 at All Saints Church, Eggesford, appears to have been highly attended by family and friends.
From the Exeter and Plymouth Gazette of 14th May 1937:
From the Western Times of 14th May 1937:
A year later, and she was still greatly missed by her husband Samuel and their daughter Ruby.
From the Western Times of 6th May 1938:
Samuel and Ruby posted the same notice a year later in the Western Times of 5th May 1939, two years after Mary's passing.
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