Too Many Too Young

This post is prompted by the #52ancestors prompt “Negatives”.  One of the negatives of researching family history or, indeed, any history, is high infant and childhood mortality. I thought I would write about one family who suffered more than their fair share of such loss.

Robert Charley was born around 1734 in Combe Martin, Devon, a picturesque town on the north Devon coast.  He was baptised in the parish church on 11 September 1734. Robert was a younger child on Richard Charley and his wife Joan Willis.  Unfortunately, the baptism registers have a gap from 1725 to 1731, so I don’t know about any children born in that period.  Robert’s known siblings were Elizabeth, Richard, William, Mary and another Mary.  The first Mary died in infancy and it was common practice to reuse the names of dead children.  Brother Richard also appears to have died young in 1737, aged about 20; I don’t know about Elizabeth and the second Mary.

Father Richard was a yeoman and freeholder, so an independent farmer. I have found records of him as a yeoman in Combe Martin over a period from 1714 to 1751.  Wife Joan died in May 1758 and was buried at Combe Martin.  The next record I have of Richard Charley is his burial in West Buckland, Devon, in 1765.  His probate records were dated 1768, but I haven’t seen them because they were lost to a World War Two air raid on Exeter, Devon, in 1942.

Son Robert Charley followed in his father’s footsteps.  I have found records of him as a freeholder and husbandman (farmer) in West Buckland from 1762 to 1799.  On 23 April 1765, Robert Charley married Mary Locke, of Chittlehampton, in West Buckland.  Robert and Mary had 10 children that I know of: Joan, Mary, William, Ann, Elizabeth, John, Thomas, James and twins Richard and Henry, all born and baptised in West Buckland.

Joan Charley was born early 1766, baptised 2 March 1766.  She died as a young woman, on 12 November 1791, aged only 25.  She was buried in West Buckland churchyard and I found her gravestone when I visited the area in 1995.

Mary Charley was born in 1767 and was baptised on 1 January 1768.  She was the longest lived of the children, as far as I know.  In 1794, she married Thomas Peters and had two children.  Sadly, Thomas did not survive long.  In 1803, Mary married Thomas Brayley, a shoemaker, and had at least one child.  In 1851, Thomas and Mary, along with Mary’s son, John Peters, were living in South Molton, Devon.  Thomas Brayley died in 1855, I haven’t found a death record for Mary.

William Charley was born around 1769, that baptism register for that year are nearly illegible.  He died young and was buried in West Buckland on 22 December 1789.

Ann Charley was born around 1771 and baptised on 18 August 1771.  I don’t know any more about her.

Elizabeth Charley was born around 1773 and baptised on 21 November 1773.  She died in September 1799, age about 25, and was buried on 22 September 1799 in West Buckland near her sister Joan.  I also found her gravestone on my 1995 visit.

John Charley was born around 1775 and baptised 12 November 1775.  He died young in February 1792 and was buried on 16 February 1792, West Buckland.

Thomas Charley was born around 1778 and was baptised 5 July 1778.  He was one of the more fortunate children of Robert and Mary.  On 7 December 1803, Thomas Charley married Rachel Blake in Barnstaple, Devon.  They had four children, that I know of, between 1803 and 1819, one died in infancy and another died as a young adult.  Thomas died in April 1847 and was buried in Pilton, Devon on 27 April 1847, age about 69.

An old street in North Molton
Photo of photo taken by me (not public domain)

James Charley, my ancestor, was born around 1781 and was baptised on 20 Jan 1781.  He was a tallow chandler.  On 18 June 1803, he married Mary Cockings in North Molton, Devon.  James and Mary had four children that I know of.  All four survived to adulthood and outlived their parents. I visited North Molton in 1995 and took some photos.

North Molton parish church
Photo of photo taken by me (not public domain)

Twins Richard and Henry Charley were probably born shortly before they were baptised on 4 November 1785.  Sadly, both boys only survived a few weeks and both were buried on 16 November 1785 in West Buckland.

Mary Charley nee Locke died in August 1803 and Robert Charley died in 1812.  Both were buried in West Buckland.  At least six of their ten children pre-deceased them. Finding such tragedy is one of the negatives of researching family history, as I mentioned when starting this story; I would prefer to find long happy and successful lives.

Robert Charley left a Will.  Like his father’s will, it was destroyed during World War 2.  Lost records are a less tragic but more frustrating negative of researching family history.

 

Notes on Lineage: Me > Mum > John Macdonald Charley > Walter George Charley > Philip Charley > James Charley > Robert Charley