Person:Grace Pearson (4)

Grace Pearson's origins have yet to be established. Her first confirmed sighting is on 24th April 1712, when she was married at Great Hale in Lincolnshire to William Gray, a farmer and labourer from the neighbouring parish of Heckington. He was a widower, with three surviving children from his first marriage.

Grace and William went on to have another two sons baptised at Heckington in 1713 and 1714. In 1715, William died, leaving Grace looking after their two sons, who were both under two years old, as well as presumably her three stepchildren.

Five months after William's death, Grace married again. Her second husband was James Onn, and they married on 24th November 1715 at South Kyme, just north of Heckington. They went on to have a son called Abraham in 1716.

In February 1717, Grace's son Abraham died, followed a couple of weeks later in March by her husband James Onn. However, Grace must have been pregnant at the time of James's death, as she had another son baptised at South Kyme in September 1717. The following month, one of Elizabeth's stepchildren, William Gray, died when he was only seven years old.

On 6th February 1718, Grace married for a third time, to Samuel Major at South Kyme. Later that year, Grace's son Abraham died.

Grace and Samuel appear to have had a son, Samuel, at South Kyme in 1724.

Grace's son Edward Gray died as a young man of 22 in 1735.

In 1741, Grace's husband Samuel died. Grace survived him by nearly six years, being buried at South Kyme on 7th September 1747. Her age is not given, but it was over 35 years since her first marriage.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish Church of South Kyme (Lincolnshire). Parish registers, 1654-1964. (Lincoln: Lincolnshire Archives).

   Anno 1747 / Grace Mager Wid[o]w Buried September 7th