Person:Ann Cook (19)

Ann Cook was baptised on 24th May 1818 at Husborne Crawley in Bedfordshire, daughter of Mary Cook, formerly Bedford, and her husband James Cook, a labourer. She appears to have been one of the witnesses to her sister Sarah's marriage in 1833.

On 14th November 1837, aged 19, Ann married William Fleet at Husborne Crawley. Ann and William went on to have twelve children at Husborne Crawley between 1838 and 1860. At least four of their children died young. Ann's mother died in 1848, and her father died in 1865.

Each census from 1841 to 1871 finds Ann, William and their children living in Husborne Crawley, with their address given as Crow Lane in 1841 and 1861 and Church End in 1851 and 1871. Given that Crow Lane is part of the Church End area of Husborne Crawley it is entirely possible they were in the same house each time. In 1841 and 1851 William was described as an agricultural labourer.

By 1861 William was working as a groom, and in 1871 he was described as a coachman. Presumably these jobs were both based at Crawley House, a country house at Church End in Husborne Crawley, as after William's death his obituary reported that he worked for many years as a servant for Robert Shipton Orlebar (1808-1879) of Crawley House. In 1871 it was also reported that Ann worked as a lace maker.

By the 1881 census Ann and William had moved to the neighbouring parish of Aspley Guise, where they lived at Mount Pleasant and William worked as a general labourer. William died back at Husborne Crawley on 14th November 1881.

The 1891 and 1901 censuses each find Ann living at Mount Pleasant in Aspley Guise with her son David. Ann died in 1903, aged 85.

1. ↑ Baptisms register, in Church of England. Parish register of Husborne Crawley, 1557-1812. (Bedford: Bedfordshire County Record Office, 1989).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Husborne Crawley in the County of Bedford in the Year 1818
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   82	May 24th	Ann Daughter of	James & Mary	Cook	in this Parish	Laborer	Tho[ma]s Farmer

   This baptism has been linked to the Ann Cook who married William Fleet on the basis that it is at the right time and in the right parish to match the age and birthplace given by the adult Ann Fleet in the censuses. Moreover, the Ann baptised in 1818 had a sister Sarah, who made an Ann Fleet godmother to two of her daughters (Ellen and Ann Elizabeth).

2. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 5; Book 20; Folio 13; Page 21, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Crow Lane, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   William Fleet, male 25 [1811-16], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], not born in county
   Ann Fleet, female, 20 [1816-21], born in county
   David Fleet, male, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Fred[eric]k Fleet, male, 1 [1839/40], born in county

3. ↑ England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 1755; Folio 66; Page 8, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Church End, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   William Fleet, head, married, male, 38 [1812/13], Agricultural Labourer, b. North Crawley, Buckinghamshire
   Ann Fleet, wife, married, female, 33 [1817/18], b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   David Fleet, son, male, 13 [1837/8], Agricultural Labourer, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Fred[eric]k Fleet, son, male, 11 [1839/40], Agricultural Labourer, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Joseph Fleet, son, male, 9 [1841/2], Scholar, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Jane Fleet, daughter, female, 4 [1846/7], Scholar, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   George Fleet, son, male, 2 [1848/9], b. Crawley, Bedfordshire

4. ↑ England. 1861 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG9; Piece 1003; Folio 84; Page 5, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Crow Lane, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   William Fleet, head, married, male, 47 [1813/14], Groom, b. North Crawley, Buckinghamshire
   Ann Fleet, wife, married, female, 43 [1817/18], b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   David Fleet, son, unmarried, male, 23 [1837/8], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Joseph Fleet, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1841/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Jane Fleet, daughter, unmarried, female, 14 [1846/7], Lace maker, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   George Fleet, son, male, 12 [1848/9], b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Mark Fleet, son, male, 9 [1851/2], Scholar, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   William Fleet, son, male, 7 [1853/4], Scholar, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Elizabeth Fleet, daughter, female, 1 [1859/60], b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 1557; Folio 81; Page 2, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Church End, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   William Fleet, head, married, male, 59 [1811/12], Coachman, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Ann Fleet, wife, married, female, 53 [1817/18], Lace maker, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Jane Fleet, daughter, unmarried, female, 25 [1845/6], Lace maker, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   George Fleet, son, unmarried, male, 21 [1849/50], Soldier, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Mark Fleet, son, unmarried, male, 19 [1851/2], Bricklayer, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   William Fleet, son, unmarried, male, 17 [1853/4], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire

6. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 1637; Folio 37; Page 27, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Mount Pleasant, Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   William Fleet, head, married, male, 67 [1813/14], General Lab[oure]r, b. North Crawley, Buckinghamshire
   Ann Fleet, wife, married, female, 62 [1818/19], b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire

7. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 1262; Folio 5; Page 4, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Mount Pleasant, Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Ann Fleet, head, widow, female, 72 [1818/19], b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   David Fleet, son, single, male, 53 [1837/8], Ironwork Fitter, neither employer nor employed, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire

8. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 1505; Folio 7; Page 5, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Mount Pleasant, Aspley Guise, Bedfordshire
   4 rooms occupied
   Ann Fleet, head, widow, female, 82 [1818/19], Own Means, b. Husborne Crawley
   David Fleet, son, single, male, 63 [1837/8], Machine Fitter, own account, working at home, b. Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire

9. ↑ Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Ann FLEET, December Quarter 1903, Ampthill Registration District, Volume 3b, page 223, aged 85 [1817/18]