Person:Ann Willford (1)

Ann Willford was baptised on 17th April 1803 at Cottingham in Northamptonshire, daughter of a publican called Thomas Willford and his wife Ann.

In 1833, Ann had a daughter, Mary, whilst living in the village of Barnack in Northamptonshire.

By 1837, Ann was living at Peterborough. She was married there on 11th October 1837 to Francis Mason, a stone mason from Barnack. Their marriage was reported in the local newspaper as being slightly unusual; Ann had no bridesmaid and was dressed as a milk maid, whilst her father attended in a slop-frock and Francis was dressed as a stone mason. After the ceremony "the parties separated in different directions, no-one but themselves knowing that a wedding had taken place".

Ann and Francis had a son called Henry shortly afterwards, who said he was born in Peterborough, although no birth or baptism record for him has yet been found.

The 1841 census finds Ann and Francis living on North Street in Stamford in Lincolnshire (the nearest town to Barnack), with their son Henry and Ann's daughter Mary, who was now calling herself Mary Mason. When Mary later married in 1863 she gave her name as "Mary Willford Mason" and reported that her father was Francis Mason. It is therefore possible that Francis was also Mary's father, or it could just be that she adopted her stepfather's surname.

Ann and Francis had a daughter, Catherine, in Stamford in 1842, but she died as a baby when about five months old. They then returned to Barnack, where they had another daughter, Elizabeth, in 1845, but she also died as a baby, early in 1846.

By 1851 Ann and Francis had settled in the village of Bisbrooke in Rutland. They appear there in the 1851 census with Francis described as a "grocer, baker and stone mason", and Ann described as "superintends grocer's shop and bakings". The family was still at Bisbrooke in 1861, when Francis was described as a master stone mason.

Francis died at Bisbrooke in 1870, aged 69. The 1871 census finds Ann living alone in Bisbrooke.

By 1881 Ann was living with her daughter Mary and her husband and children on Main Street in Bisbrooke. She appears to have lived with them for the rest of her life, appearing with them in the 1891 census, when she was described as deaf.

Ann lived to be 93 years old. She died on 2nd February 1897 at Bisbrooke. Her death was noted in the local newspaper, the Stamford Mercury, which reported that she had been "remarkably active and had wonderful good faculties".

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Church of Cottingham (Northamptonshire). Parish registers, 1574-1905. (Northampton, England: Northamptonshire County Record Office, 1994?).

   Baptized, 1803 / April 17, Anne, Daughter of Thomas & Anne Wilford

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 625; Book 9; Folio 6; Page 5, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: North Street, Stamford, Lincolnshire
   Francis Mason, male, 35 [1801-6], Stonemason, not born in county
   Ann Mason, female, 35 [1801-6], not born in county
   Mary Mason, female, 8 [1832/3], not born in county
   Henry Mason, male, 2 [1838/9], not born in county
   ~ [second household in same house]
   Mary Mason, female, 40 [1796-1801], not born in county
   Elizabeth Mason, female, 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 2093; Folio 120; Page 10, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Francis Mason, head, married, male, 49 [1801/2], Grocer, Baker & Stone Mason, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Ann Mason, wife, married, female, 47 [1803/4], Superintends Grocers Shop & Bakings, b. Cottingham, Northamptonshire
   Henry Mason, son, unmarried, male, 11 [1839/40], None, b. Peterborough, Northamptonshire

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 2308; Folio 98; Page 8, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Francis Mason, head, married, male, 60 [1800/1], Stone Mason (Master), b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Ann Mason, wife, married, female, 58 [1802/3], b. Cottingham, Northamptonshire
   Mary Mason, daughter, unmarried, female, 28 [1832/3], House Servant, b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Henry Mason, son, unmarried, male, 22 [1838/9], Stone Mason, b. Peterborough, Northamptonshire

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 3302; Folio 52; Page 19, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Ann Mason, head, widow, female, 69 [1802/3], b. Cottingham, Northamptonshire

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 3188; Folio 11; Page 6, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Main Street, Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Joseph Barnett, head, married, male, 48 [1832/3], Farmer of 20 acres, b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Mary Barnett, wife, married, 47 [1833/4], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Clara Barnett, daughter, female, 15 [1865/6], b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Frank Barnett, son, male, 14 [1866/7], Farmer son, b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Fred Mason, son, male, 12 [1868/9], Scholar, b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Ann Mason, mother in law, widow, female, 77 [1803/4], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer] Widow, b. Cottingham, Northamptonshire

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 2549; Folio 94; Page 4, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Joseph Barnett, head, married, male, 58 [1832/3], Farmer, employer, b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Mary Barnett, wife, married, female, 58 [1832/3], b. Barnack, Northamptonshire
   Joseph H. Barnett, son, single, male, 27 [1863/4], Farmers Son, employed, b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Clara Barnett, daughter, single, female, 25 [1865/6], Farmers Dau[ghte]r, b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Frank Barnett, son, single, male, 24 [1866/7], Farmers Son, employed, b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Fred Barnett, son, single, male, 22 [1868/9], Farmers Son, employed, b. Bisbrooke, Rutland
   Ann Mason, mother in law, widow, female, 88 [1802/3], b. Cottingham, Northamptonshire, Deaf

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

   d. Ann MASON, March Quarter 1897, Uppingham Registration District, Volume 7a, page 219, aged 93 [1803/4]

9. ↑ Stamford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 4, 12 Feb 1897.

   Deaths.
   BISBROOKE.-Feb. 2, Ann widow of Francis Mason, 93.
   [later on same page:]
   Mrs. Ann Mason died at Bisbrooke last week in her 94th year. She was remarkably active and had wonderful good faculties. The village has under 200 inhabitants, and the aggregate age of three nonagenarians reached about 285 years: the remaining two are men, the elder of whom is an invalid, while the younger has excellent health.

10.   Stamford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 3, 13 Oct 1837.

    MARRIED.
    At Peterboro', on the 11th inst., (by the Rev.-Cape,) Fras. Mason, stone-mason, of Barnack, to Ann daughter of John Wilford, of the former place. The father of the bride attended in a slop-frock, and the bridegroom in the attire of a mason (fustian jacket and trowsers): the bride was dressed in the style of a milk maid: no bridesmaid attended.-After the ceremony, the parties separated in different directions, no one but themselves knowing that a wedding had taken place.