Person:William Males (6)

William Males was born on 17th November 1739 and baptised four days later at Cottered in Hertfordshire, son of Mary Males, formerly Dearman, and her husband John Males, a yeoman farmer. William appears to have been their eldest child.

Some time between 1757 (when William's youngest brother was baptised) and 1762 (when his sister Mary was married) the family left Cottered and moved about nine miles south-west to Codicote. By 1763 William was living at Welwyn, an adjoining parish to Codicote. He was married at Welwyn on 20th October 1763 to Ann Stanes.

William and Ann settled in Codicote after their marriage, having ten children baptised there between 1764 and 1781, although a least four of these died young.

In 1774 William's parents left Codicote and moved to Rushden, near Cottered, where William's father had taken a lease on Shaw Green Farm.

Ann died in 1783, aged 39. After her death, William left Codicote and moved to Rushden, presumably to live with or near his parents.

William married again at Rushden on 6th August 1787 to Elizabeth Skip. She was from the neighbouring parish of Sandon, and was 21 years younger than him. They went on to have three children baptised at Rushden between 1787 and 1790, although the younger two both died as babies.

William died at the age of fifty. He was buried at Rushden on 14th July 1790. His burial record describes him as a labourer. His parents both survived him.

1. ↑ ^1.0 1.1 Church of England. Parish Church of Cottered. Parish registers, 1558-1977. (Hertford: Security Microfilms, 1975-1989).

   Baptized at Cottered / 1739 / Mailes / William Son of John Mailes Jun[io]r (Farmer) & Mary his wife (born Nov[embe]r 17) Nov[embe]r 21

2. ↑ Church of England. Rushden Parish Registers, 1607-1975. (Hertford: Hertfordshire Archives and Local Studies).

   1790 / Mails - W[illia]m Mails (Labourer) - July 14th

   There was another William Males who was buried at Rushden on 1st July 1799, but he is considered to be the son of this William, on the basis that there was a William Males who married at Rushden in 1792 to Sarah Wright, and there was also an Elizabeth Males, widow, who married at neighbouring Clothall in 1792 (to Thomas Hutson). It would therefore seem likely that William Senior was the one who died in 1790 and his widow and son both married in 1792. William junior then died in 1799, after which his widow Sarah remarried in 1802 (to Peter Perry).