Great x4 Grandmother Mary Manning (nee Westcott)

My Great x4 Grandmother Mary (c 1796 - 1840's) was a housewife and mother of eight.

Mary was born around 1796 in Devon.

On 14th November 1821, Mary (about 25) married William Manning (about 26), an agricultural labourer, in Alphington, near Exeter. 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.

Mary and William 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 -

Mary, William and their young family lived in the area of Alphington, Holcombe Burnell and Longdown (there is only a few miles 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, aged abour only 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 (born 1826). Both girls were baptised in Holcombe Burnell.

Aroun 1828, Mary and her young family moved around ten miles north-west, making the return to her husband 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 183 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, Mary passed away, in her late forties or early fifties, as her husband William is listed as a widower on the 1851 Census; also the family, at some point, moved from Spreyton about sixteen miles east to Exeter.

Great x4 Grandmother Mary Yeo (nee Manning)

My Great x4 Grandmother Mary Yeo (nee Manning) (1799 - 1886) was a dressmaker, laundress, housewife, and mother of seven.

Mary Manning was born around 1799 in West Down, Devon to Hugh Manning (about 32), an agricultural labourer, and Elizabeth 'Betty' Manning (nee Menhinnit) (about 26).

Mary was baptised on 9th August 1799 in West Down.

Mary was the third of five children (three daughters and two sons):

• Mary 1795 - 1796 (1 years old)
• John  1797 -
• Mary  1799 -
• Anne  1802 - 
• William  1805 - 

Mary was the second of her name, being named for her elder sister who had passed away, aged only one years old, in 1796, three years before our Mary was born.

On 31st August 1822, Mary (22), a dressmaker, married Thomas Yeo (26), a farm labourer, in her native West Down. Mary was about five months pregnant when she married.

Mary and Thomas had seven children (four sons and three daughters):

• James  1822 -
• William  1825 -
• Marianne  1827 - 1838  (10 years old)
• Emma  1830 -
• Thomas  1832 -
• George  1834 -
• Anne  1836 -

All seven were born in West Down,

Mary's eldest daughter, Marianne, passed away, aged only ten years old, in 1838, in West Down.

1841 Census:

In 1849, when Mary was about fifty, her father Hugh passed away, aged about eight-four, in West Down. He was buried on 9th September 1849 in West Down.

1851 Census:

It's interesting that Mary and her family's abode in the 1850's was called Manning's House. Manning was Mary's maiden name - perhaps it was her family's home.

The 1851 Census also showed Mary's daughter Emma worked as a dressmaker, like her mother Mary. Did Mary teacher her daughter to sew and dress-make?

In her fifties, Mary began working as a dressmaker for the Huxtable family in Ilfracombe. Her employer, Richard Huxtable, ran a tailors and outfitters.

Mary moved about four miles north from West Down to Ilfracombe in the 1850's to live with and work for the Huxtables. Her husband Thomas and children stayed in West Down.

An advertisement placed in the North Devon Journal in May and June 1854 by Richard Huxtable for his tailors and outfitters. It is likely Mary made or helped make the clothes advertised.

Another advertisement placed by Richard Huxtable for his tailors and outfitters. This one was placed in Bright's Intelligencer and Arrival List, a local Ilfracombe newspaper from June to September 1860.

Another advertisement placed by Richard Huxtable for his tailors and outfitters. This one was placed in Bright's Intelligencer and Arrival List, a local Ilfracombe newspaper, from June to September 1860. The picture shows the building where Mary lived and worked.

1861 Census:

1871 Census:

Mary worked as a dressmaker for Richard Huxtable into her old age.

Interestingly in the 1860's, her husband Thomas, along with their daughter Anne and grandson George (Anne's illegitimate son), moved to Ilfracombe as well. Perhaps to be closer to Mary.

In the 1870's, Mary lived in Montpelier Road only a few streets away from her family in Downs Cottage, Fore Street, Ilfracombe. Mary soon reunited with her husband Thomas and maiden daughter Anne. The couple, in their eighties, settled in Ilfracombe. Yet they still worked - he as a gardener, and she as a laundress. Interestingly, they were able to keep a servant. (Normally my ancestors are the servants)

Meanwhile, in late 1872 and 1873, tragic illness struck Mary and Thomas' son George and his family. First George's daughter Emily Ann passed away, aged only five, around November 1872; followed by George himself in January 1873, and George's wife Ann, around April 1874. Unless relatives or friends took them in, George and Ann's five surviving children (aged 0 to 9) would likely have ended up in the workhouse. Indeed, in the 1881 Census, their youngest daughters Ellen and Harriet can be found at the Okehampton Union Workhouse; whilst the older children were out living and working as servants on local farms. Did Mary know about the tragic fate of her son and grandchildren? Could she not help them?

1881 Census:

In 1884, when Mary was eighty-four, her husband Thomas passed away, aged eighty-eight, in West Down. He was buried on 12th May 1884 in West Down.

Two years later, in 1886, Mary herself passed away. She was buried on 4th November 1886 in Ilfracombe.