Edward Ayling (1768-1824) and Mary Mills nee Earwaker (1772-1838).
My 4th great-grandparents.
Edward Ayling ws baptised on 6 November 1768 at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire, a small village on the River Itchen. His parents were George Ayling and Mary Thorne (although there is some dispute around her surname).
Edward married Frances Wheeler at St Peter’s on 27 August 1794 and the couple had at least one daughter, who did not outlive infancy. Frances did not live long either, and was buried in Ovington at the age of 19 on 22 April 1796. Based on her age, locality and the name of their daughter, it’s likely that Frances had been the girl baptised to John and Amy Wheeler at St Mary’s Church in Micheldever, Hampshire, on 16 April 1777.
Edward married again, by licence. His second wife was the widow Mary Mills nee Earwaker of Privett in Hampshire and they married in Ovington on or about 6 May 1800 (some records suggest the 1st or the 8th). The licence noted that Edward was a tailor, and a bondsman for the marriage was his brother Benjamin Ayling of Ovington, also a tailor.
Mary had been baptised in Holy Trinity Church in Privett on 24 June 1772, the daughter of John and Elizabeth Earwaker. She’d married a James Mills there on 8 April 1796 but he’d died in January 1797.
The couple had three known children.
Edward died in 1824 after a short illness (Hampshire Chronicle 16 February 1824) and was buried in Ovington on 15 February. The Hampshire Chronicle of 23 February 1824 carried a notice in which Mary and her son (I’m assuming James) thanked everyone for favours shown towards Edward in his work and stated that his business would continue under their management. His widow Mary died in 1838 in Froxfield, the home of one of her daughters. She was buried on 26 July back in Ovington. The Hampshire Independent of 4 August 1838 noted that she had been found dead in bed.
Edward’s child with his first wife Frances:
- Amy Ayling (1794-1795), my 3rd great-grand aunt. Amy was baptised on 8 October 1794 at St Peter’s Church in Ovington and buried there on 5 April 1795.
Edward’s children with his second wife Mary:
- James Ayling (1800-1855), my 3rd great-grandfather. James was baptised in Ovington, carried on his father’s trade as a tailor and moved to Middlesex. Read more here.
- Amelia Ayling (1802-1840), my 3rd great-grand aunt. Amelia was baptised on 20 April 1802 at St Peter’s Church in Ovington. She married Edward Aburrow by licence there on 8 June 1829. He was from Froxfield but he’d been baptised in Steep, Hampshire, on 21 April 1790, the son of Daniel and Lydia Aburrow. Their first children were baptised at nearby Privett but later offspring with baptised further east at Trotton, just over the border in Sussex. Amelia died in 1840 and was buried in the Tuxlith Chapel at Trotton on 16 June. Edward continued to live with his children in Trotton, the 1841 Census recording him as a miller. The 1851 and 1861 Census returns noted that he was farming more than 100 acres in the area. The Portsmouth Times of 1 November 1856 carried notice of an auction of Friffett’s Farm in Trotton that was then in the occupation of Edward. Ten years later he was living with his daughter Julia, who was married to a farmer, in Chiddingfold, Surrey. Edward died in 1880 and was buried in Milland, close to Trotton in Sussex, on 19 September that year. The West Sussex Gazette of 23 September 1880 noted that he was living in Birdham in Sussex at the time. Amelia’s children with Edward were:
- James Edward Aburrow (1831-1915). Baptised on 4 April 1831 in Privett, James married local woman Emma Blunden in Trotton on 4 July 1858. They settled in the area and raised their children while James worked as an agricultural labourer. He died on 16 December 1915, Emma on 15 June 1921.
- Julia Mary Jane Aburrow (1832-1903) was baptised on 6 November 1832 in Privett and married Reuben Hull in 1854. They settled in Lurgashall in Sussex but he died in 1858 and was buried in Haslemere, Surrey. Julia then married George Voller in his home village of Fernhurst in Sussex on 7 July 1862. They settled in Chiddingfold in Surrey, where he was a farmer and the couple raised their children. Julia died in 1903 and was buried in Chiddingfold on 31 October. George died on 10 October 1911.
- William Augustus Aburrow (1834-????) was baptised on 12 October 1834 and married Elizabeth Boniface nee Eames on 5 November 1865 at Birdham in Sussex. They settled there and had children while William worked first as an agricultural labourer and then, according to the 1881 Census, as a farm bailiff. The 1891 Census showed him and several of his children living in West Wittering, Sussex, with William listed as a farmer. Elizabeth had died in 1890 and was buried on 11 November 1890 in Birdham. I’ve not found a death record for William that I’m confident about but he may be the Augustus Aburrow who was buried in Birdham on 27 May 1893.
- Edwin Marcus Aburrow (1836-1837) was baptised at Tuxlith Chapel in Trotton on 3 July 1836 and buried there on 31 January 1837.
- Rosalie Anna Aburrow (1837-1838) was baptised at Tuxlith Chapel in Trotton on 27 December 1837 and buried there on 28 February 1838.
- Frederick Augustin Aburrow (1839-1910) was baptised at Tuxlith Chapel in Trotton on 21 March 1839 and married Surrey-born Frances Clark on 23 April 1861 at Lurgashall in Sussex. By 1881 Frederick was working as a farm bailiff and the couple were living in Birdham, Sussex, with their children. In 1891 they were living in Denton, Sussex, and then, 10 years later, in Lurgashall, by which point he was a farmer. Frances died there in 1909 and was buried in Lurgashall on 17 March. Frederick died there on 11 May 1910.
- Keziah Ayling (1805-1883), my 3rd great-grand aunt. Keziah was baptised on 16 April 1805 at St Peter’s Church in Ovington. She married her brother-in-law Joseph Aburrow there on 31 October 1825. He was baptised at All Saints Church in Froxfield, Hampshire, on 22 November 1786, the son of Daniel and Lydia and making him around 20 years older than his wife. The couple settled in Froxfield, where Joseph was a farmer. The 1851 Census noted that he held 90 acres. They had a large family and he was sometimes described as a yeoman on the baptism records. By the 1861 Census, they had moved to farm in Colemore, Hampshire. Joseph died in 1866 and was buried on 12 April back at Froxfield. Keziah went on to live in Ropley, Hampshire, where she was recorded living with other members of her family in the 1871 and 1881 Census returns. She died in 1883 and was buried in Ropley on 3 November that year. Keziah’s children with Joseph were:
- Henry Aburrow (?1827-1848). Henry is a bit of a mystery. No birth or baptism record has been located so it’s even possible that he was a relative rather than a son – the 1841 Census offers no clues other than he was aged 14. It’s likely but not certain that he was the man buried in Froxfield on 9 May 1848.
- Caroline Amelia Aburrow (1830-1854) was baptised at All Saints in Froxfield on 10 March 1830. She was buried there unmarried on 21 July 1854.
- George Beresford Aburrow (1832-1917) was baptised at All Saints in Froxfield on 5 August 1832 and married village native Anne Knight there on 4 March 1862. They settled in Froxfield and raised children, while George was a farmer. He died in 1917 and was buried in the village on 22 March. Anne was buried there on 17 October 1919.
- Emma Jane Aburrow (1835-1853) was baptised at All Saints in Froxfield on 6 January 1835 and buried there on 4 April 1853.
- Francis Augustus Aburrow (1837-1913) was baptised at All Saints in Froxfield on 30 June 1837 and married village native Elizabeth Marsh there on 29 January 1867. They settled in the village, where he worked as an agricultural labourer and the couple raised children. In the 1891 Census he was described as a gardener, in 1901 as a general labourer. Elizabeth died on 20 March 1910, Francis on 21 August 1913.
- Sophia Matilda Aburrow (1839-1868) was born in 1839 and married William Allam at St Peter’s in Colemore, Hampshire, on 21 April 1862. They settled in his home village of Priors Deean in Hampshire, where they had children and William was a farmer at Slade Farm. Sophia died young and was buried in Priors Dean on 8 February 1868. William remarried the following year but died in 1877 and was buried in Priors Dean on 7 July. The probate record described him as a yeoman.
- Maria Isabella Aburrow (1842-1922) was born in 1842 and married labourer Levi Voller at All Saints in Froxfield on 13 November 1867. They lived in Froxfield and had children but Levi died in 1878 and was buried in Ropley, Hampshire, on 5 October. The Hampshire Advertiser of 12 October 1878 reported on an inquest that heard that Levi had been seen falling from a wagon and being kicked in the head by a horse. Although he initially seemed to recover, his condition deteriorated some days later and he began to have fits before succumbing to inflammation of the brain. In 1879, Maria married Leonard Murrant who, over the years, worked as a carter and farm yardman. Census returns recorded them in Farringdon, Rogate and Liss in Hampshire. Leonard died in 1920, Maria in 1922.
- Julia Anna Aburrow (1844-1923) was born in 1844 and married blacksmith Allan Frost at All Saints in Froxfield on 21 December 1864. They had children and lived in Froxfield but in the 1870s they emigrated to the USA, settling in Hilliar, Knox County, Ohio. Allan died in 1921, Julia in 1923, and both were buried in Centerburg Cemetery, Knox County.
- Albert Walter Aburrow (1846-1905) was born in 1846 and worked as a shepherd. He married Surrey-born Maria Jane Smith at All Saints in Froxfield on 4 June 1877. They lived around the county and had children. Albert died in 1905, Maria in 1918.
Sources: Birth, marriage, death and burial records including civil registrations from the General Register Office, census returns, military, travel and other records at Ancestry.co.uk, Findmypast.co.uk and familysearch.org.
British Newspaper Archive, titles in text.