Person:Fanny Edwards (3)

Fanny Edwards was baptised on 30th December 1832 at Pagham in Sussex, daughter of Sarah Ann Edwards, formerly Hammond, and her husband John Edwards, an agricultural labourer. Fanny was the second of the couple's nine children. Fanny's baptism records that the family lived at the hamlet of Lagness. When Fanny was born her maternal grandparents were still alive and also living at Lagness.

Some time between 1837 and 1840 Fanny's parents moved from Lagness to nearby Bramber, in the parish of North Mundham. Fanny appears there in the 1841 census with her parents and siblings. The family moved again between 1845 and 1848 from Bramber to Chalder in the parish of Sidlesham, where Fanny's parents and siblings appear in the 1851 census. However, Fanny had left home by this point; she was working as a domestic servant in Brighton for a bootmaker from Aberystwyth in Wales and his wife.

Fanny returned to Sidlesham the following year to marry. She was married on 5th December 1852 to an agricultural labourer named James Robinson, who co-incidentally had been baptised on the same day as her in the same church. James sometimes used his stepfather's surname of Allen in the censuses, so Fanny was sometimes Fanny Robinson and sometimes Fanny Allen after her marriage.

Fourteen days after their marriage she gave birth to a son, Edward James Robinson. His baptism records that they were living at Bramber.

Edward was followed in 1854 by another son, Charles, also born whilst living at Bramber. During 1854 they left Bramber and moved to Sidlesham. Sadly Charles died when he was only eight months old and was buried at Sidlesham.

In 1855 Fanny and James had a daughter, Emma, but she too died as a baby when she was about nine months old.

Fanny's maternal grandmother died in 1858, and her maternal grandfather died in 1860.

In 1860 they had another son, William. The 1861 census finds Fanny, James and their sons Edward and William living at the Mill village in Sidlesham. Sadly William died as a young boy too, aged two years old in 1862. Thus Fanny and James had had four children, but only their first born was still living.

In 1870, over ten years since their last child, Fanny and James had another son, Henry. By this time their eldest son, Edward, was seventeen years old. Henry was followed in 1872 by another son, George. Both Henry and George would live to adulthood. Consequently Fanny and James had three children who survived childhood, but with a seventeen year gap in the middle. The month after George's baptism, Fanny's father died.

In 1879 Fanny and James's eldest son married and they became grandparents shortly afterwards, whilst still bringing up their two younger sons.

The 1881 census finds Fanny and James still living at Mill in Sidlesham with Henry and George and a lodger, suggesting they had a room to spare. By 1891 they had moved to Church Lane in Sidlesham and Henry and George were still living with them but now working as agricultural labourers.

The 1901 and census finds Fanny and James living at Church Lane together, with all their children having left home. Fanny's mother was also living in Church Lane in the 1891 and 1901 censuses with some of Fanny's siblings who had never married; Fanny's mother died in 1903, aged 95. Fanny's eldest grandson married in 1901 and Fanny's first known great grandchild was born in 1905.

Fanny and James were still living at Church Lane in 1911, when James described himself as a retired farm carter and old age pensioner.

James died in 1915, aged 82. His obituary notes that he was survived by his wife, three sons, seven grandchildren and seven great grandchildren.

Fanny survived James by eight years. She died in 1923, aged 90.

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

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Pagham in the County of Sussex in the Year 1832
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   709	Dec[embe]r 30	Fanny	John & Sarah	Edwards	Lagness	Labourer	G.T Hudson, Curate

   This baptism has been linked to the Fanny Edwards who married James Robinson on the basis that their marriage record names her father as John Edwards, whilst in the censuses after their marriage Fanny consistently gave an age and place of birth suggesting she was born in Pagham around 1832.

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 10; Folio 12; Page 1, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Bramber, North Mundham, Sussex
   John Edwards, male, 45 [1791-6], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Sarah Edwards, female, 30 [1806-11], born in county
   Eliza Edwards, female, 10 [1830/1], born in county
   Fanny Edwards, female, 8 [1832/3], born in county
   George Edwards, male, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   John Edwards, male, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   James Edwards, 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 1646; Folio 103; Page 21, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: 2 Middle Street, Brighton, Sussex
   Evan Thomas, head, married, male, 34 [1816/17], Boot maker, b. Aberystwith, Cardiganshire
   Lucy Thomas, wife, married, female, 32 [1818/9], b. Leigh, Essex
   Fanny Edwards, servant, unmarried, female, 20 [1830/1], House servant, b. Paghom, Sussex

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 617; Folio 68; Page 10, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Mill, Sidlesham, Sussex
   James Allen, head, married, male, 28 [1832/3], Farm Laborer, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Allen, wife, married, female, 28 [1832/3], Farm Laborer wife, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Edward Allen, son, male, 8 [1852/3], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   William Allen, son, male, 1 [1859/60], b. Sidlesham, Sussex

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 1111; Folio 69; Page 13, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Sidlesham, Sussex
   James Robinson, head, married, male, 39 [1831/2], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Robinson, wife, married, female, 39 [1831/2], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Edward Robinson, son, unmarried, male, 18 [1852/3], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Mundham, Sussex
   Henry Robinson, son, 11mo [1870], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Alfred Edwards, lodger, unmarried, male, 27 [1843/4], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Mundham, Sussex

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 1122; Folio 70; Page 14, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Mill, Sidlesham, Sussex
   James Allen, head, married, male, 48 [1832/3], Agric[ultura]l Labourer, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Allen, wife, married, female, 48 [1832/3], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Henry J. Allen, son, unmarried, male, 10 [1870/1], Scholar, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   George Allen, son, male, 9 [1871/2], Scholar, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Henry Turner, lodger, unmarried, male, 52 [1828/9], Agric[ultura]l Labourer, b. East Wittering, Sussex

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 840; Folio 63; Page 10, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: Church Lane, Sidlesham, Sussex
   James Robinson, head, married, male, 58 [1832/3], Agricultural Labourer, employed, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Robinson, wife, married, female, 58 [1832/3], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Henry Robinson, son, single, male, 21 [1869/70], Agricultural Labourer, employed, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   George Robinson, son, single, male, 19 [1871/2], Agricultural Labourer, employed, b. Sidlesham, Sussex

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 967; Folio 115; Page 3, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: Church Lane, Sidlesham, Sussex
   3 rooms occupied
   James Robinson, head, married, male, 68 [1832/3], Agricultural Labourer on Farm, worker, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Robinson, wife, married, female, 68 [1832/3], b. Pagham, Sussex

9. ↑ England. 1911 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 RG14; Piece 5391; Schedule 12, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Church Lane, Sidlesham, Sussex
   2 rooms occupied
   James Robinson, head, male, 78 [1832/3], married, Retired Farm Carter old age pensioner, b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Fanny Robinson, wife, female, 78 [1832/3], marred 58 years, 6 children born to marriage, 3 children still living, b. Pagham, Sussex

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

    d. Fanny ROBINSON, September Quarter 1923, East Preston Registration District, Volume 2b, page 371, aged 90 [1832/3]