Person:Elizabeth Edwards (110)

Elizabeth Edwards was baptised on 21st November 1787 at Pagham on the Sussex coast, daughter of Susannah Edwards, formerly Bollard, and her husband James Edwards. Elizabeth was the eldest of their ten children; they had only married just over two months before her baptism. It has yet to be established when James died.

Elizabeth was married at Pagham on 30th July 1809, aged 21, to an agricultural labourer named John Horton. At the time of their marriage he was living in the neighbouring parish of North Mundham. After their marriage John and Elizabeth lived for a time in North Mundham, having their first two sons baptised there. Their second son's baptism records that the family lived in the hamlet of Runcton.

Some time between 1813 and 1814 they moved to the neighbouring parish of Merston, where they were to settle, having another seven children baptised there between 1814 and 1830. Back in Pagham, Elizabeth's mother died in 1832.

The 1841 census finds Elizabeth and John living in Merston with their four younger children and a grandson, Henry. By 1851 they only had two of their children and their grandson Henry living with them.

John was buried at Merston on 21st August 1859, aged 76. Elizabeth survived him by less than a year. She was buried at Merston on 9th June 1860, aged 72.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Church of Pagham (Sussex). Parish registers for Pagham, 1707-1901. (Chichester: West Sussex County Council).

   Baptisms 1787 / Nov[embe]r 21 / Elizabeth Dau[ghte]r of James & Susan Edwards

   Whilst no named connection has been found, this baptism has been linked to the Elizabeth Edwards who married John Horton on the basis that in the 1851 census she claimed to have been born around 1787 in Pagham. No evidence has been found to suggest that the Elizabeth baptised in 1787 died young or married anyone else.

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 1100; Book 8; Folio 2; Page 1, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Merston Street, Merston, Sussex
   John Horton, male, 60 [1776-81], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Elizabeth Horton, female, 50 [1786-91], born in county
   George Horton, male, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Charles Horton, male, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Elizabeth Horton, female, 13 [1827/8], born in county
   Edmund Horton, male, 11 [1829/30], born in county
   Henry Horton, 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 1652; Folio 224; Page 3, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Merston Village, Merston, Sussex
   John Horton, head, married, male, 68 [1782/3], Ag[rigultural] Lab[ourer], b. Cocking, Sussex
   Elizabeth Horton, wife, married, female, 63 [1787/8], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Charles Horton, son, unmarried, male, 25 [1825/6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Merston, Sussex
   Edmund Horton, son, unmarried, male, 21 [1829/30], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Merston, Sussex
   Henry J. Horton, grandson, male, 11 [1839/40], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Merston, Sussex

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

   d. Elizabeth HORTON, June Quarter 1860, Westhampnett Registration District, Volume 2b, page 201, aged 72 [1787/8]

5. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Merston (Sussex). Parish registers of Merston, 1684-1905. (Chichester: West Sussex County Council).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Merston in the County of Sussex in the Year 1860
   No	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   94	Elizabeth Horton	Merston	June 9th	72 [1787/8]	Rev[eren]d A.R. Burrell, Off[iciating] Min[ister]