Person:Mary Porter (177)

Mary Porter’s origins have yet to be established. The age given when she died suggests that she was born around 1750.

Mary’s first confirmed sighting is on 28th October 1783, when she married Thomas Shelton at Barnwell St Andrew in Northamptonshire. They were both said to be living in the parish at the time of their marriage.

After their marriage, Thomas and Mary went on to have seven children baptised at Barnwell St Andrew between 1784 and 1797. Two of their children died in 1793: their daughter Frances died aged two in the April, then their son William died aged five in the July. They went on to use the names Frances and William again for their youngest two children.

Mary died in 1837, when she was said to be 86 years old. She was buried at Barnwell St Andrew on 7th April 1837. She and Thomas had been married for 53 years. Her burial record gives her abode as Latham’s Hospital, a local charity which ran almshouses for the poor in Barnwell. Thomas survived her by eight years.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Burials register, in Barnwell, Northamptonshire: Bishop’s Transcripts (Northamptonshire Record Office, Northampton).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Barnwell St. Andrew with All Saints in the County of Northampton in the Year 1837
   No	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   165	Mary Shelton	Barnwell St. Andrew (Latham's Hospital)	April 7	86 [1750/1]	R.M. Boultbee Rector