Person:Mary Lewis (331)

Mary Lewis was baptised on 3rd February 1811 at Husborne Crawley in Bedfordshire, daughter of Mary Lewis, formerly Goodman, and her husband George Lewis, an agricultural labourer.

On 15th February 1838, aged 27, Mary married Richard Norman at Husborne Crawley. They went on to have seven children at Husborne Crawley between 1838 and 1854.

The 1841 census finds Richard and Mary and their two sons living at Church End in Husborne Crawley in the same house as Mary's parents. Richard was working as an agricultural labourer at this time.

By 1851 Mary and Richard and their children had moved to Long End, which was then the main part of Husborne Crawley village, being a long linear settlement along Turnpike Road.^[8] Mary's father died in 1857 and her mother died in 1860.

In 1861 Mary and Richard were living at "Town" in Husborne Crawley, probably also indicating the main part of the village along Turnpike Road, which is therefore effectively the same area as Long End. At this time Richard was described as a servant.

In 1862 Mary's eldest son married, and she became a grandmother shortly afterwards.

In the autumn of 1867 Mary's sons George and Henry both died as young men.

Richard died in 1870, aged 56. The census returns for 1871 appear to be deficient for Husborne Crawley, with the returns for parts of the parish apparently lost. It seems likely that Mary continued to live in the village.

In 1874 Mary lost another two children in quick succession: her son Alfred on 31st January and her daughter Sarah nine days later on 9th February. Just under a year later her son Edward (who had moved to London) also died.

The 1881 census finds Mary living on High Street (possibly yet another description for the Turnpike Road area) in Husborne Crawley, working as a dress maker. Her daughter Susan was living with her at the time, but died shortly after that census. Therefore only one of Mary's seven children outlived her.

Mary died on 28th January 1891 at Husborne Crawley, aged 80.

1. ↑ Church of England. Parish register of Husborne Crawley, 1557-1812. (Bedford: Bedfordshire County Record Office, 1989).

   1811 / Feb[ruar]y 3d Lewis Bapt[ize]d Mary D[aughte]r of George and Mary

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 5; Book 20; Folio 3; Page 1, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Church End, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   George Lewis, male, 60 [1776-81], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], not born in county
   Mary Lewis, female, 60 [1776-81], not born in county
   Henry Lewis, male, 7 [1833/4], born in county
   ~second household in the same house~
   Rich[ar]d Norman, male, 25 [1811-16], Ag[ricultural] Lab[ourer], born in county
   Mary Norman, female, 25 [1811-16], born in county
   George Norman, male, 2 [1838/9], born in county
   Edward Norman, 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 1755; Folio 72; Page 21, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Long End, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Richard Norman, head, married, male, 37 [1813/14], Agricultural Labourer, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Mary Norman, wife, married, female, 39 [1811/12], b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   George Norman, son, male, 12 [1838/9], Agricultural Labourer, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Edward Norman, son, male, 10 [1840/1], Scholar, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Susan Norman, daughter, female, 9 [1841/2], Scholar, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Fredr[ic]k Norman, son, male, 6 [1844/5], Scholar, b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Henry Norman, son, male, 3 [1847/8], b. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Alfred Norman, son, male, 1 [1849/50], b. Crawley, Bedfordshire

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 1003; Folio 93; Page 23, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Town, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Richard Norman, head, married, male, 47 [1813/14], Servant, b. Ridgmont, Bedfordshire
   Mary Norman, wife, married, female, 59 [1802/3], b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Edward Norman, son, unmarried, male, 20 [1840/1], App[rentice] Carpenter, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Susan Norman, daughter, unmarried, female, 19 [1841/2], Hat Maker, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Frederick Norman, son, unmarried, male, 16 [1844/5], Letter Carrier, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Henry Norman, son, male, 13 [1847/8], House boy, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Alfred Norman, son, male, 11 [1849/50], Scholar, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Sarah Norman, daughter, female, 7 [1853/4], Scholar, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire

5. ↑ 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 1637; Folio 87; Page 19, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: High Street, Husborne Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Mary Norman, head, widow, female, 70 [1810/11], Lace Maker, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire
   Susan Norman, daughter, unmarried, female, 36 [1844/5], Straw Hat Sewer, b. H. Crawley, Bedfordshire

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

   d. Mary NORMAN, March Quarter 1891, Woburn Registration District, Volume 3b, page 270, aged 80 [1810/11]

7. ↑ Monumental Inscription, Husborne Crawley churchyard.

   RICHARD NORMAN / DIED 12 MAY 1870 / AGE 56
   ALSO
   MARY NORMAN / WIFE OF RICHARD / DIED 28 JAN. 1891 / AGE 80
   AND
   ALFRED NORMAN / THEIR SON / DIED 31 JAN. 1874 / AGE 24
   AND
   SARAH ELIZABETH NORMAN / THEIR DAUGHTER / DIED 9 FEB. 1874 / AGE 20

   This headstone appears to be a modern replacement rather than contemporary to the burials it commemorates.

8. ↑ Almost all the properties on the south side of Turnpike Road were later cleared to enlarge the parkland of the Woburn estate.