Person:Mary Wilkes (13)

Mary Ann Wilkes was born in late 1846 at Chipping Campden in Gloucestershire, daughter of Susannah Wilkes, formerly Faulks, and her husband Charles Wilkes, a labourer and carpenter. When Mary was only a little over a year old, her mother died, aged 28, being buried at Chipping Campden on 5th February 1848. Mary's father then moved to Cheltenham, where he remarried on 29th April 1849 to a Lucy Rooke, who became Mary's stepmother. By the time of the 1851 census Mary's father and stepmother had settled at Childswickham. Mary would sometimes give her place of birth as Childswickham rather than Chipping Campden. On census night in 1851 Mary was living with her paternal grandparents, Thomas and Sarah Wilkes, who lived on the High Street back in Chipping Campden.

By 1861 Mary was living in the nearby town of Evesham, working as a servant for a coal merchant and his family.

On 21st January 1871, aged 24, Mary married John Keyte at Childswickham. He was from the neighbouring village of Broadway, and they settled there after their marriage. They had nine children between 1872 and 1891, although two died when less than a year old, and each census from 1881 to 1901 finds them living on the High Street in Broadway. Mary worked as a gloveress, whilst John was a slater and plasterer. Mary's father also moved to Broadway, where the 1881 census finds him running the New Inn. He died in 1896.

The 1911 census finds Mary and John living back at Childswickham.

John died in 1923, aged 74. They had been married for about 52 years.

In later life, Mary lived on Church Street in Broadway. She was apparently extremely well-known and highly respected in the Broadway area, and was very active until well into her mid-eighties. Mary died in Birmingham in May 1936, aged 89. She was buried in the Harborne area of Birmingham.

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

   b. Mary Ann WILKES, December Quarter 1846, Shipston on Stour Registration District, Volume 11, page 396, mother's maiden name Faulks

2. ↑ Baptisms register, in Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire, England. Parish Registers (Gloucestershire Archives, Gloucester).

   BAPTISMS solemnized in the Parish of Chipping Campden in the County of Gloucester in the Year 1847
   No.	When Baptized	Child's Christian Name	Parents' Name		Abode	Quality, Trade, or Profession	By whom the Ceremony was performed
   			Christian	Surname
   433	1847 April 2nd	Mary Ann Daughter of	Charles & Susannah	Wilkes	Campden	Labourer	H[enr]y Miniken

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 2076; Folio 153; Page 30, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: High Street, Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
   Thomas Wilks, head, married, male, 60 [1790/1], Sawyer, b. Aston sub edge, Gloucestershire
   Sarah Wilks, wife, married, female, 69 [1781/2], b. Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
   Mary Ann Wilks, granddaughter, female, 4 [1846/7], b. Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
   Charlotte Smith, granddaughter, unmarried, female, 19 [1831/2], b. Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
   Mary Ann Farley, servant, unmarried, female, 21 [1829/30], General servant, b. Bromsgrove, Worcestershire
   James N. Farley, son of servant, male, 2 [1848/9], b. Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
   William Chamberlain, lodger, unmarried, male, 70 [1780/1], Fundholder, b. Chipping Campden, Gloucestershire
   Benjamin Green, lodger, married, male, 20 [1830/1], Blacksmith, b. Tadmarton, Oxfordshire
   William Vunas, lodger, unmarried, male, 23 [1827/8], Railway Labourer, b. Brampston, Northamptonshire
   Joseph Herring, lodger, unmarried, male, 18 [1832/3], Railway Labourer, b. Gloucester, Gloucestershire

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 2100; Folio 98; Page 2, 7 Apr 1861.

   Address: Bridge Street, All Saints, Evesham, Worcestershire
   Richard Gardner, head, married, male, 39 [1821/2], Coal Merchant, b. Isle of Wight, Hampshire
   Ann Gardner, wife, married, female, 55 [1805/6], b. Evesham, Worcestershire
   Henry Gardener, son, male, 10 [1850/1], Scholar, b. London
   Mary Wilks, servant, unmarried, female, 15 [1845/6], b. Childswickham, Gloucestershire

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 3061; Folio 26; Page 6, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: High Street, Broadway, Worcestershire
   John Kyte, head, married, male, 22 [1848/9], Slater and Plasterer, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mary Ann Kyte, wife, married, female, 24 [1846/7], Gloveress, b. Childswickham, Gloucestershire

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 2927; Folio 39; Page 26, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: Main Street, Broadway, Worcestershire
   John Keyte, head, married, male, 32 [1848/9], Slater & Plasterer, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mary A. Keyte, wife, married, female, 34 [1846/7], Slater & Plasterer Wife, b. Campden, Gloucestershire
   Margaret A. Keyte, daughter, female, 8 [1872/3], Scholar, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Harold Keyte, son, male, 5 [1875/6], Scholar, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Eber J. Keyte, son, male, 3 [1877/8], Scholar, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mabel M. Keyte, daughter, female, 9mo [1880], b. Broadway, Worcestershire

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 2337; Folio 101; Page 6, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: High Street, Broadway, Worcestershire
   John Keyte, head, married, male, 42 [1848/9], Slater & Plasterer, employed, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mary Ann Keyte, wife, married, female, 44 [1846/7], Gloveress, b. Childswickham, Gloucestershire
   Margrett A. Keyte, daughter, single, female, 18 [1872/3], Gloveress, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Arthur H. Keyte, son, single, male, 15 [1875/6], Slater's Labourer, employed, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Eber John Keyte, son, single, male, 13 [1877/8], Slater's Labourer, employed, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mable May Keyte, daughter, female, 11 [1879/80], Scholar, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Horrace Cuthbert Keyte, son, male, 9 [1881/2], Scholar, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Bertie Vernon Keyte, son, male, 4 [1886/7], Scholar, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mirrion M. Keyte, daughter, 3mo [1890/1], b. Broadway, Worcestershire

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 2790; Folio 133; Page 14, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: High Street, Broadway, Worcestershire
   John Keyte, head, married, male, 52 [1848/9], Slater & Plasterer, employer, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mary A. Keyte, wife, married, female, 54 [1846/7], b. Childswickham, Gloucestershire
   Harold Keyte, son, single, male, 24 [1876/7], House Decorator, worker, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Eber Keyte, son, single, male, 22 [1878/9], House Decorator, worker, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mabel Keyte, daughter, single, female, 20 [1880/1], b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Berty Keyte, son, single, male, 14 [1886/7], Bread baker, worker, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Miriam Keyte, daughter, single, female, 10 [1890/1], b. Broadway, Worcestershire

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 17699; Schedule 11, 2 Apr 1911.

   Address: Childswickham, Gloucestershire
   4 rooms occupied
   John Keyte, head, male, 62 [1848/9], married, Market Gardening, own account, b. Broadway, Worcestershire
   Mary Ann Keyte, wife, female, 64 [1846/7], married 40 years, 9 children born to marriage, 6 children still living, b. Campden, Gloucestershire

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

    d. Mary Ann KEYTE, June Quarter 1936, Birmingham Registration District, Volume 6d, page 226, aged 89 [1846/7]

11. ↑ Gloucestershire Echo (Cheltenham), in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 5, Friday 8 May 1936.

    BROADWAY's OLDEST WOMAN DIES
    The "Echo" regrets to record the death of Mrs. Mary Keyte, of Church-street, Broadway, which has occurred at Harborne, Birmingham. She was in her 90th year, and was Broadway's oldest woman. She was the wife of the late Mr. John Keyte, who predeceased her some years ago. Her father kept the New Inn, Broadway, for a number of years.
    Mrs. Keyte was extremely well known and highly respected in Broadway, where she had lived during the greater part of her life. Sons and daughters of Mrs. Keyte live in the Broadway and Childswickham districts. Mrs. Keyte was very active up to a year or two ago. The funeral took place at Harborne to-day.