George Ayling (1727-1785) and Mary Thorne (1742-1815)

George Ayling (1727-1785) and Mary Thorne (1741-1815).
My 5th great-grandparents.

George Ayling was baptised on 5 April 1727 at All Saints’ Church in East Meon, Hampshire. His parents were George and Mary Ayling.

Did George marry there on 24 July 1751? There’s some confusion over this. His bride’s name was given as Anne Woodige on the marriage record but I’ve yet to find the birth of a girl by this name that fits, and neither have I found a burial record that would chime with her being George Jnr’s first wife. So could this be a second marriage of his father? A 1780 will for a George Ayling Snr, who was buried that year in East Meon, mentioned his wife Anne so it’s entirely possible.

George Jnr definitely married at least twice, however, for his first wife was mentioned, although not by name, in his own will dated 1785 – in which he requested to be buried at East Meon between his father and his first wife. However, I’ve not found a record that fits.

George Jnr married (and I assume this was his second wedding) on 24 May 1764, at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire. His bride was Mary Thorne (note, this is from a Hampshire Genealogical Society transcription but I haven’t found the marriage in the parish registers. Confusing the HGS has a subsequent marriage of identically named people in Itchen Stoke in 1775).

Mary had been baptised on 7 February 1741 at St Mary’s Church in Avington, Hampshire, the daugther of husbandman William Thorne and his wife Sarah.

George and Mary baptised their children in Ovington while he worked as a husbandman, in effect a tenant farmer, as noted in his will.

George died in 1785 and although a resident of Ovington was buried on 6 April at East Meon. He was said to be aged 57 on the record, which fits. In his will he left his household goods, chattels and money to his wife as long as she remained a widow. As for his children, George received £60 and Benjamin was given a house and tenement in East Lane, Ovington, as well as £10. The will was badly worded so it’s difficult to tell whether it was Benjamin who also received the three houses or cottages that George owned in East Meon, and the “£35 as I have upon a mortgage and upon a house of Thomas Chase in East Meon”. His three other sons, Richard, Edward and William, were to share some of George’s estate and it’s just possible it was these properties.

George’s widow Mary lived until 1815, when she was buried at Ovington on 17 September and said to be aged 73. The burial record noted her as a resident of Colmar (an unknown location but potentially Colemore) but to add to the list of confusions in this family’s history, a further record from the parish of Cheriton noted that she was a resident of that village but that she’d been buried at Ovington on 20 September. Her will gave her place of residence as Privett in Hampshire at the time it was written in 1810. In it her son Richard received property at Hinton Ampner in Hampshire; son William received £70; son Edward was given property at Ovington that Mary had recently purchased; and son Benjamin received £50, household goods, chattels, plate, linen and china. Their wives were left her clothes while any further possessions were divided between her three sons.

George and Mary’s children were:

• Richard Ayling (1766-1851), my 4th great-grand uncle. Richard was baptised at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire, on 22 May 1766. He married Ann Dyer at St Lawrence’s in Alton, Hampshire, on 27 December 1787 – the church where Ann had been baptised on 15 July 1764 to parents Thomas and Sarah Dyer. Richard worked as a shoemaker and a document of duties paid for apprenticeship indentures from 1789 showed him resident in Hinton Ampner, Hampshire, as master to a George Cook. By 1798, his apprentice was a Richard Windebank. Richard and his wife baptised and raised their children in the village. Richard was mentioned in his father’s will on his death in 1785 and was also a beneficiary after his mother’s death in 1815. This noted that he was to receive her copyhold property and land held of the Manor of Hinton Ampner, and also to share with his brothers her remaining property after other disbursements. Richard’s wife Ann died in Hinton Ampner and was buried there on 10 January 1841. A few months later, the 1841 Census recorded Richard living with family members some miles away in Froyle, Hampshire. Ten years later the census recorded him living with his daughter Susannah’s family in Winchester. He died in the city a few weeks later and was buried back in Hinton Ampner on 4 May 1851. Richard and Ann’s children were:
  • William Ayling (1790-1865) was baptised on 5 May 1790 at Hinton Ampner and worked as a shoemaker. Census returns showed that he was unmarried and that, in 1841 and 1851, was living with his brother Henry in the village of his birth. William died in 1865 at the Alresford Union Workhouse in Hampshire and was buried in Hinton Ampner on 5 January that year.
  • George Ayling (1792-1859) was baptised on 30 June 1792 at Hinton Ampner. He married Charlotte Tarrant in Froyle, Hampshire – the village of her baptism – on 1 August 1822. The marriage licence noted that he was working as a servant and the 1841 Census recorded the family at Froyle with George still in service. By 1851 George, his wife and family were living in Beckington, Somerset, and he was working as a butler at the parish rectory – having followed his employer there. He died in 1859 and was buried in Beckington on 25 March. The Bath Chronicle and Weekly Gazette of 24 March 1859 noted that he had been in service with the Rev S Langford Sainsbury’s family for 48 years in the two counties. Charlotte remained in the village, working as a laundress, and was buried there on 15 November 1861.
  • Edward Ayling (c1796-1842) was born in around 1796 at Hinton Ampner and married Jane Goddard on 11 February 1819 at St Lawrence’s in Alton – her home village. They had children but Jane died in 1837 and was buried in Alton on 28 January. Edward, an agricultural labourer, was recorded there in the 1841 Census but died the following year and was buried in Alton on 8 May 1842.
  • Henry Ayling (c1801-1855) was born in around 1801 at Hinton Ampner and married domestic servant Sarah Judd, from Wonston in Hampshire, on 30 May 1840 at Hinton Ampner. They remained in the village, according to the census returns, and in 1851 Henry was listed as a basket maker. He died in 1855 and was buried in the village on 9 August. Sarah died the following year and was buried there on 20 April 1856.
  • Sarah Ayling (1804-????) was baptised on 2 May 1804 at Hinton Ampner but I’ve not been able to trace her subsequently.
  • Mary Ayling (1808-1883) was born in around 1808 in Hinton Ampner and married Alton native John Holland at St Maurice’s in Winchester, Hampshire, on 27 June 1831. They lived in Alton for many years, where John worked as a gardener and Mary brought up their children. The 1851 Census noted that the family were paupers. John died in 1869 and was buried in Alton on 3 April. Mary remained there and was recorded as a laundress in 1871, but by 1881 she was living with family in West Ham, Essex. She was buried in Alton on 13 February 1883.
  • Susannah Ayling (1809-1852) was baptised on 24 November 1809 at Hinton Ampner and married John Lamb at St Maurice’s in Winchester – his home town – on 21 February 1832. They raised a family and John worked as a porter, based at The Close in Winchester – close to the cathedra. Susannah died there in 1852. John died in 1870 and was buried in the city on 12 December that year. The Hampshire Chronicle of 10 December 1870 noted his work as a porter and that he’d been a ringer at the cathedral for 56 years.

• Edward Ayling (1768-1824), my 4th great-grandfather. Edward was baptised at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, and worked as a tailor. Read more here.
• William Ayling (1772-1848), my 4th great-grand uncle. William was baptised at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire, on 29 August 1772 and worked as a wheelwright. A document of duties paid for apprenticeship indentures from 1798 showed William resident in Privett, Hampshire, as master to a William Twitchin. He married Elizabeth Norgett at St Mary’s in Alverstoke, Hampshire, on 30 November 1811. Her ancestry is unclear, partly because her surname was spelled multiple ways in the records, including Norkett, but it’s possible that she was the child baptised in Ropley, Hampshire, on 16 May 1784 to parents James and Jane. The couple lived in Privett, where they baptised their children. He received £70 in his mother Mary’s will. William’s wife Elizabeth died on 1 November 1829 and was buried on the 5th. William was recorded in the village in the 1841 Census but died on 3 August 1848 and was buried there on the 7th. Their children were:
  • George Ayling (1814-1885), who was baptised on 25 September 1814 at Privett in Hampshire. He married Mary Anne Knight in her home village of Headley in Hampshire on 28 August 1843. George, a wheelwright, lived in Bentworth, Hampshire, and employed several men according to the census returns from 1851 onwards. Mary Anne died in February 1880 and George married again. His second bride was spinster Mary Ann Stride of Hampstead in Middlesex, which is where they wed on 5 April 1882. George died on 20 May 1885 and was buried in Bentworth on the 25th. Mary Anne remained in the village for the rest of her life and died on 30 March 1922. It appears that George had no children, at least any that survived.
  • James Ayling (1816-1876), who was baptised on 31 March 1816 at Privett in Hampshire. He married Caroline Stevens in her home village of West Tisted, Hampshire, on 19 June 1841 but the couple settled in Privett, where they had children and James worked as a shoemaker. He died on 10 December 1876 and was buried in the village on the 15th. Caroline remained in Privett and died on 8 May 1903.
  • Edward Ayling (1817-1884), who was baptised on 30 November 1817 at Privett in Hampshire. He never married and in several census returns – 1861 and 1881 for example – he was recorded as living with his brother George in Bentworth, Hampshire. Edward also worked as a wheelwright. He died in 1884 and was buried on 8 September in Bentworth.
  • Eliza Ayling (1819-1900), who was baptised on 13 June 1819 at Privett in Hampshire. She never married and for much of her life, as shown in the census returns, worked as a domestic servant and housekeeper in Winchester, Hampshire. She died in the city in 1900 and was buried there on 24 September.
  • Frederick Ayling (1822-1904), who was born on 27 September 1822 and baptised on 27 October that year at Privett in Hampshire. He married Anne Alder in Privett – her home village – on 14 May 1847. They settled there and raised a family while Frederick worked as a carpenter and wheelwright. However, by the 1881 Census he was also farming. He died on 31 March 1904 and was buried in Privett on 5 April. Anne died on 2 April 1911.
  • Mary Ayling (1825-????), who was baptised on 10 July 1825 at Privett in Hampshire. She featured in the 1841 and 1851 Census returns, latterly in Alton, Hampshire, and listed as a servant. But I’ve not been able to trace her subsequently.
• Rebecca Ayling (1775-????), my 4th great-grand aunt. Rebecca was baptised at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire, on 29 April 1775. I’ve not been able to pin her down with confidence after this.
• George Ayling (1777-1858), my 4th great-grand uncle. George was baptised at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire, on 19 January 1777. Census and the baptism records for many of his children record that he worked as a carpenter. An 1802 Country Apprentices document listed him as master to John Newling in Ovington, the village where he lived and worked for the rest of his life. George married Rebecca Windybank at All Saints in Hinton Ampner, Hampshire, on 3 October 1797. She’d been baptised there, on 26 June 1774, to parents John and Honour Windybank. The couple settled in Ovington and had a large family. Curiously, George was not mentioned in his mother’s will. His wife Rebecca died in 1847 and was buried in Ovington on 26 December that year. George was buried there on 2 November 1858. The couple’s children were:
  • Rebecca Ayling (1798-????), who was baptised on 21 August 1798 at Ovington in Hampshire. I’ve not found any further records definitively linked to her.
  • George Alfred Ayling (1801-1864), who was baptised on 1 April 1801 at Ovington in Hampshire. He married Dorcas Diet there on 17 February 1822 but she was from South Newton in Wiltshire. They settled in Ovington and had children, while George worked as a carpenter. Dorcas died in 1850 and was buried in the village on 11 July. George died in 1864 and was buried in Ovington on 17 March.
  • Harriet Ayling (1803-????), who was baptised on 15 May 1803 at Ovington in Hampshire. She married Jonathan Jary on 4 February 1828 at St Pancras in Middlesex. He was a tailor, many years older than her having been born in Norfolk in around 1772. The 1841 and 1851 Censuses listed them and their children in Bethnal Green, Middlesex. I suspect he was the Jary buried in Hackney, Middlesex, on 14 October 1855. Harriet’s fate remains unclear.
  • Mary Ayling (1805-????), who was baptised on 2 June 1805 at Ovington in Hampshire. I’ve not found any further records definitively linked to her.
  • Maria Ayling (1807-????), who was baptised on 24 May 1807 at Ovington in Hampshire. I’ve not found any further records definitively linked to her.
  • Allan Ayling (1809-1866), who was baptised on 15 November 1809 at Ovington in Hampshire. He married Winchester-born Charlotte Grace there on 28 October 1833. The 1841 Census showed they’d settled in New Alresford, Hampshire, with their children. Allan, who worked as a carpenter, was buried in the village on 17 June 1866. Charlotte married again and died in 1891.
  • Albert Ayling (1812-1895), who was baptised on 11 June 1812 at Ovington in Hampshire. He married Charlotte Piercy, who came from Kingsclere in Hampshire, at Corhampton in Hampshire on 10 November 1833. Like many in his wider family, Albert worked as a carpenter. He, his wife and children were recorded at New Alresford in the 1841 Census and in Ovington 10 years later. Charlotte died in 1860 and was buried in Ovington on 13 April. Albert then married widow Sarah Wild at Over Wallop in Hampshire on 5 January 1863. They settled in Winchester, Hampshire, where Albert died in 1895 and was buried on 16 March. Sarah was buried there on 14 June 1905.
  • Arthur Ayling (1815-1881), who was baptised on 26 November 1815 at Ovington in Hampshire. He married Hannah Stubbington, who came from Cheriton in Hampshire, in Winchester on 5 May 1840. Arthur worked as a carpenter while census records showed the couple living in Ovington and then New Alresford. Arthur died in 1881 and was buried in Ovington on 9 August. Hannah was then recorded in census returns living and working in Tichborne, Hampshire. She died in 1905 and was buried on 17 April.
  • Anna Ayling (1818-1893), who was born on 26 April 1818 and baptised at Ovington in Hampshire on 24 May that year. She married blacksmith James Etheridge there on 31 May 1846 and by 1851 they were living in Tichborne in Hampshire. James died in 1858 and was buried there on 6 April. Anna worked as a dressmaker and died in 1893. She was buried in Tichborne on 5 July.
• Sarah Ayling (1778-????), my 4th great-grand aunt. Sarah was baptised at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire, on 7 June 1778 but I’ve been unable to trace her subsequently with any confidence.
• Benjamin Ayling (1779-1857), my 4th great-grand uncle. Benjamin was baptised at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire, on 19 May 1779. He married Elizabeth Thorp there on 26 December 1803 but she came from Botley in Hampshire, where she’d been baptised on 6 April 1784 to parents William and Esther Thorp. Benjamin received £50, household goods, chattels, plate, linen and china in his mother’s will following her death in 1815. As a child he had been left a house and tenement in East Lane, Ovington, as well as £10 in his father’s 1785 will but whether he ultimately received this is debatable. Census returns showed that Benjamin worked as a tailor and while their children were born elsewhere in the county, the 1841 Census listed them as living in Southampton. Elizabeth died in 1849 and was buried in the city on 16 May. In 1851 Benjamin was shown living there with his son Thomas. Benjamin died in 1857 and was buried in the city on 4 June. Their known children were:
  • Esther Ayling (1807-1843), who was baptised at New Alresford on 11 May 1807. She married John Crockford, an agricultural labourer, at East Meon on 8 May 1831. They were recorded there in the 1841 Census and Esther was buried in the village on 7 October 1843. While they did have children, none survived. John remarried.
  • Edwin Ayling (1816-1816), who was baptised on 7 July 1816 and buried two days later at Cheriton in Hampshire.
  • Thomas Ayling (c1823-1859). There’s no proof that Thomas was one of Benjamin’s children other than the 1851 Census, which listed him as “son” living with Benjamin in Southampton. He too was a tailor. I suspect he was the man buried in the city on 14 January 1859.
• Mary Maria Ayling (1780-1781), my 4th great-grand aunt. Mary was baptised at St Peter’s Church in Ovington, Hampshire, on 31 December 1780 and buried there on 18 July the following year.

Sources: Birth, marriage, death and burial records including civil registrations from the General Register Office, census returns, wills and other records at Ancestry.co.uk, Findmypast.co.uk and familysearch.org.
British Newspaper Archive, titles in text.
Apprenticeship indenture records and Country Apprentices 1710-1808 records at Society of Genealogists.