Person:Elizabeth Skelton (15)

Elizabeth Skelton's origins have yet to be established. Her first sighting is on 2nd May 1703 when she married a man named William Gray at Heckington in Lincolnshire.

Just over nine months later, on 5th February 1704, Elizabeth gave birth to a son whom they named John. John's baptism record described William as a labourer. Two years later, on 1st April 1705, Elizabeth gave birth to a daughter whom they named Ann. Ann's baptism record described William as a farmer, a higher status profession than a labourer. The change was, however, short-lived. On 23rd December 1706 Elizabeth had a daughter whom they named Elizabeth, and her baptism record calls William a labourer again.

On 7th September 1708, Elizabeth had another son, whom they called William. Sadly, he died as a baby, being buried less than two months after his birth. Five months later the family was struck again, when their daughter Ann died, just a couple of weeks short of what would have been her fourth birthday. Therefore William and Elizabeth were left with only two surviving children from four births.

They did have one final child together: another William, born on 15th June 1710.

Elizabeth died in 1711, being buried on 26th October 1711. The couple's three surviving children, John, Elizabeth and William, were aged seven, four and one respectively when their mother died. William remarried shortly after Elizabeth's death, but would himself die just four years later.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Church of Heckington (Lincolnshire). Parish registers, 1559-1968. (Lincoln, England: Lincoln Archives Office, 1993), Primary quality.

   1711
   Elizabeth the wife of William Gray buried Oct[ober] 26