The Howletts had rejoined the families who were there a decade earlier: the Marriotts, the Bishops and the Folleys.
In 1859 a Lucy Biggs had been residing but she had moved out before 1861 and had moved to live with a Jonah Britnell as a housekeeper in his house at Crowell Hill.
The returning Howletts were now represented by Maria Howlett, 3 children and a lodger Ann Styles. Two decades earlier she had lived in the Lane with her husband Edward, moving thence to a lower part of Chinnor and then to Wainhill. Edward died in 1858 and the widowed Maria moved back into Hollands Lane with her two daughters, Maria junior and Ruth along with grandchild Jane Maria. The girls are recorded as lacemakers but Maria, without a husband’s income, is designated a pauper claiming on the parish for support. A small amount of income would have been received as rental from lodger Ann Styles, also a lacemaker. The household was reduced in 1861 when daughter Ruth moved out upon marriage to James Smith a labourer from Longwick. Three years later they had a baby who they named Maria. The household was further reduced, in the same year, when granddaughter Jane Maria married James Munday. Some mystery surrounds who was Jane Maria’s mother. Born in 1842 she was not baptised until 1855 by her grandparents, Edward and Maria. Interestingly when Jane Maria married the Church Register revealed that her father was stated to be a Richard Jones, labourer.
Tragedy struck a year later in 1862 when Maria junior died aged a mere 45 and poor widowed Maria herself passed away in 1865, aged 73, leaving an empty cottage inviting new residents.
The Marriott family had been living there since at least 1841. The head householder was William and wife Ann, both aged 66. Daughter Caroline had left before 1861 having married Joseph Stratford in 1855 although the marriage, for some reason, seems to have been delayed as the banns had initially been read two years previous in 1853. Still living in the cottage was their other daughter Rebecca along with her husband James Rogers who had married 5 days before Christmas in 1857. Their daughter Mary Ann also resided but she sadly died aged only 3 in 1862. However, the Rogers were blessed with another daughter later that year, Sarah.
Another mainstay family who had lived in the cottages in 1841 were the Bishop family. Ten years later Jacob and wife Ann were living in the lane with daughter Martha. But firstly, Ann died in 1851 aged 55, leaving Jacob, aged 53, a widower living with daughter Martha. Within a year of Ann’s death marriage Banns were issued for a forthcoming marriage between Jacob and an Anne (or Hannah) Avery, spinster, born Bledlow but now living within Chinnor Parish. Secondly, in 1855 daughter Martha died aged only 28 so that in 1861 the occupants of the cottage were Jacob and Hannah. However, it seems that when Hannah moved in, she brought with her a Mary Ann ‘Bishop’, described as a “daughter in law” so presumably a child of Hannah Avery.
Our fourth, and last, family are the Folleys. John Folley was the head of the household. Although previously described as a “bricklayer” in this census he referred to himself by the grander description of a “mason” although Elizabeth is enumerated as a “bricklayers” wife. Wife Elizabeth, is some ten years his senior, aged 66. Since 1851 the household has reduced, Thomas and Joseph Folley and also a John Perkyns, the son of Elizabeth by a previous marriage, had left leaving only daughter Elizabeth the remaining occupier helping with the household expenses as a “lacemaker”.
Wouldn’t it be fascinating to know the back stories of these families hinted at by the formal records?
Bernard Braun – Orchard Story Group Sept 2022
If you would like to know more about the Donkey Lane Community Orchard project or get involved, please contact Linda on 07973 788339 or email greeningchinnor@gmail.com. A more detailed article will be publish shortly.
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