Person:William Morey (12)

Morey Forum Email 1657 05: Following the early death of his elder brother John in 1839 William Morry Jr was the sole male descendant of William and Jane Morry and it is to this son we trace our ancestry. William Jr who was most likely born towards the end of 1823 became an agricultural labourer who could read but not write and who therefore signed all documents with his mark. Shortly before his 22nd birthday William was married at the Anglican Church in the neighbouring parish Budford Devon on 08 Oct 1845 to 22 yr old Sarah Setter who like himself could read but not write.

William's bride had been born in Jul 1823 in the small town of Dunsford Devon which is located about midway between Morton Hampstead and Exeter. In all likelihood Sarah's father Richard Setter had been born at Cheriton Bishop Devon in the latter part of the 1790 and it is believed that he had a brother named James Setter also born at Cheriton Bishop in 1788. On May 5th 1816 Richard Setter who was a farm labourer married Grace Gidley at Saint Thomas the Apostle church of England in Exeter.

It was at this same church that Grace Gidley's maternal grandparents Thomas Westcott and Grace Boutcher had been married on 2 April 1757. Thomas and Grace had a family of at least 8 children all of whom were baptised at Stoke Damerel Devon and three of whom died in infancy. Their youngest child was a daughter named Mary whose christening took place 16 October 1772. Less than 19 yrs later Mary Westcott was married on 22 August 1971 to Nathaniel Gidley with the service taking place at Whitestone. It was here that this couple's 9 children one of whom died in infancy were baptised. It was Nathaniel and Mary's 2nd eldest child Grace christened 15 Dec 1793 who married Richard Setter. Grace and Richard Setter had a family of at least 4 children and probably more of whom we have no knowledge at this time. Their known children were Mary B1819 Dunsford Married 1846 to Thomas Mock, Sarah B1823 Dunsford to William Morry 1845. George B Devon 1826 married Martha Rowe and Francis B Devon 1854 married Martha Creswill.

At the age of 30 Richards Brother James Setter who also worked as a labourer was married at Crediton Devon 05 Nov 1818 to 23 yr old Elizabeth Forward the youngest of 10 children born to John Forward and Agnes Harper who had wed at Crediton on 07 Jun 1775 Elizabeth's birth in 1795 had taken place at Newton St Cyes which is where she was baptised 21 Jun 1799 at the age of 4. Following their marriage James and Elizabeth lived at Tedburn St Mary, where they raised 6 children 4 sons and 2 daughters.

After exchanging their wedding vows at Budford (Bridford) this is where William and Sarah Morry lived and where their first 3 children were born. The birth of the eldest so John took place in early 1847 (before the end of March) about 16 months following his parent's marriage and a second boy George was born in the latter half of the following year. At the end of 1850 Sarah gave birth to the couple's first daughter whom they named Emily. The census which was carried out in the first quarter of 1851 records the family living at 41 higher Lowton in the parish of Bridford. William the head of the household was working as an agricultural labourer and the record reflects that he and Sarah were both 27 years of age. Their son John was 4 George 2 and Emily just 4 mths old. Sadly however sometime before reaching her 2nd birthday their infant daughter died.

In the year following her own wedding Sarah's older sister Mary Setter was married at the age of 27 to a 29 yr old farm labourer named Thomas Mock who had been born at south Taunton Devon in 1817. Less than 2 years after they had exchanged their vows Mary gave birth at Dunsford in the early 1848 to this couples only child a son called George Mock. The 1851 census tells that Mary and Thomas and their baby were residing at 26 Little Silver Dunsford and hence were neighbours of William and Sarah Morry. Sarah's 20 yr old single brother Francis was also nearby working as a house servant for a farmer named John Snow who had a wife and 3 teenage children. Additionally Sarah's uncle and Aunt James and Elizabeth Setter were resident at 11 village House in the parish of Tedburn St Mary whilst their 23yr old single son George who was working as a labourer was a lodger at 154 New Rd Christow.

Morey Forum Email 0407 06: Leaving Plymouth, DEV, ENG, 14 Jan 1853, William and Sarah were assisted immigrants on the Earl Grey. They arrived at Port Philip, Melbourne, VIC, AUS 15 May 1853, book number nine page 106. William was aged 28, John aged 05, George aged 03. In Victoria 1854 he worked for Mr Smith.

In 1887 approximately 12 months following his daughter Emily's wedding when William Morey suffered a stroke which left him paralysed. Hence it was probably shortly thereafter that he and Sarah left Cheltenham and moved to Balaclava where they purchased a house at 37 Marlborough Street which they named “Devonshire Cottage” in remembrance of their roots.