Person:John Edwards (184)

John Edwards was baptised on 8th September 1793 at Pagham in Sussex, son of Susannah Edwards, formerly Bollard, and her husband James Edwards. Pagham is a low-lying parish on the south coast, adjoining a small natural harbour to which it gives its name. John was the fourth of his parents' ten children, all of whom were baptised at Pagham.

John does not appear to have married until he was 37, being married at Pagham on 18th September 1830 to Sarah Ann Hammond, who was 22 years old and also from Pagham. Her family had been living at a hamlet named Lagness in the parish of Pagham since at least 1814. John and Sarah lived in Lagness for a few years after their marriage. Their first daughter, Eliza, was baptised five months after their marriage. John was described as a labourer on her baptism record.

John's mother Susannah was buried at Pagham in 1832. She was said to be 66 years old, and her burial notes that she had been living in Lagness before her death. It has yet to be established when John's father James Edwards died.

John and Sarah went on to have another three children whilst living at Lagness: Fanny in 1832, George in 1835 and John in 1837. Some time between 1837 and 1840 they moved a short distance to the west to the hamlet of Bramber. Whilst Bramber is in the neighbouring parish of North Mundham, it is as close to the church at Pagham as it is to the church at North Mundham, so the family continued using Pagham church for the baptisms of their next two children: James in 1840 and Henry in 1842. Sadly Henry died when he was only nine weeks old.

After Henry's death John and Sarah left Bramber, moving to the other end of North Mundham parish to the hamlet of Runcton, where they had a son Alfred in 1843, then a daughter Sarah Ann in 1845. Between 1845 and 1848 the family moved again, to the neighbouring parish of Sidlesham. Their youngest son, William, was born at Sidlesham in 1848.

Seven months after William's birth John and Sarah became grandparents, when their eldest daughter Eliza had a baby, Elizabeth. Eliza went to work in domestic service, and baby Elizabeth was cared for by John and Sarah. The 1851 census finds John, Sarah, most of their children and their granddaughter Elizabeth living at Chalder in the parish of Sidlesham.

In 1852 John's second daughter, Fanny, was married to a James Robinson. John's second grandchild was born later that year. Fanny and her husband then had three further children who each died young, in 1854, 1855 and 1860. John and Sarah's first grandchild, Elizabeth, who they were raising, sadly also died young aged only six years old in 1855.

The 1861 census finds John and Sarah still living at Chalder with five of their children. In 1862 their son James died aged 22.

Two further grandchildren were born in 1870. John's daughter Fanny had another son, after a ten year gap since her previous child, whilst John's daughter Sarah also had a daughter.

The 1871 census finds John and Fanny still living at Chalder, with their sons George, John and William and their daughter Sarah and her daughter Mary Ann. John was apparently being supported by the parish at this time.

Early in 1872 John's daughter Fanny had her final child, whilst John's youngest son William was married. As it happened, John had more grandchildren from William's marriage than from the rest of his children put together, but he did not live to see any of William's children. John was buried at Sidlesham on 29th March 1872, aged 78. He and Sarah had been married for 41 years. They had had nine children, of whom seven were still living when John died. He had seen eight grandchildren born in his lifetime, but had also seen four of those grandchildren die young. Sarah would go on to outlive John by nearly 30 years, reaching the age of 95.

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

   Baptisms 1793 / Sept[embe]r 8th John son of James & Susanna Edwards

   Whilst no name connection has been found, this baptism has been linked to the John Edwards who married Sarah Ann Hammond on the basis that in the censuses the adult John consistently gave his place of birth as Pagham, whilst the ages quoted for the adult John generally suggest he was born around 1793. No evidence has been found to suggest that the John baptised in 1793 died young or married anyone other than Sarah Ann Hammond, nor has anything been found to suggest that there was more than one John Edwards. We therefore conclude that the John baptised in 1793 is the same person as the one who married Sarah Ann Hammond in 1830.

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 1652; Folio 82; Page 7, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Chalder House, Sidlesham, Sussex
   John Edwards, head, married, male, 56 [1894/5], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Sarah Edwards, wife, married, female, 43 [1807/8], b. Pagham, Sussex
   George Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 16 [1834/5], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   John Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 13 [1837/8], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   James Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 11 [1839/40], Farm Laborer, b. Northmundham, Sussex
   Alfred Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 8 [1842/3], At Home, b. Northmundham, Sussex
   Sarah Edwards, daughter, unmarried, female, 6 [1844/5], At Home, b. Northmundham, Sussex
   William Edwards, son, married, 3 [1847/8], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Elizabeth Edwards, granddaughter, female, 2 [1848/9], b. West Hampnett, 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 73; Page 20, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Chalder, Sidlesham, Sussex
   John Edwards, head, married, male, 67 [1793/4], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Sarah A. Edwards, wife, married, female, 52 [1808/9], Wife of Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   George Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 26 [1834/5], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   John Edwards, son, male, 24 [1836/7], Farm Laborer, b. Pagham, Sussex
   Alfred Edwards, son, male, 16 [1844/5], Farm Laborer, b. Mundham, Sussex
   Sarah Edwards, daughter, female, 15 [1845/6], Farm Laborer, b. Mundham, Sussex
   William Edwards, son, male, 12 [1848/9], Farm Laborer, 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 64; Page 3, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Chalder, Sidlesham, Sussex
   John Edwards, head, married, male, 72 [1798/9], Agricultural Labourer ["Supported by Parish" crossed out], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Sarah A. Edwards, wife, married, female, 62 [1808/9], Charwoman, b. Pagham, Sussex
   George Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 36 [1834/5], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Pagham, Sussex
   John Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 34 [1836/7], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Pagham, Sussex
   Sarah A. Edwards, daughter, unmarried, female, 25 [1845/6], b. Mundham, Sussex
   William Edwards, son, unmarried, male, 22 [1848/9], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], b. Sidlesham, Sussex
   Mary A. Edwards, granddaughter, female, 1 [1869/70], b. Sidlesham, Sussex

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

   d. John EDWARDS, March Quarter 1872, Westhampnett Registration District, Volume 2b, page 231, aged 80 [1792/3]

7. ↑ Burials register, in Church of England. Parish Church of Sidlesham (Sussex). Parish registers of Sidlesham, 1566-1901. (Chichester: West Sussex County Council).

   BURIALS in the Parish of Sidlesham in the County of Sussex in the Year 1872
   No	Name	Abode	When buried	Age	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   928	John Edwards	Sidlesham	March 29th	78 years	William Bruton, Vicar