Ann Llewellyn, widow

[Phoenix]

Ann Cooper was born at Holmes Fen, Soham, Cambs in 1775, the daughter of Ashley Cooper and Martha nee Clark.

When her father made his last will, 30 October 1817, she is described as Ann Llewellyn of Camberwell, widow. In addition to the 1/8 share she got with her siblings, she had an annuity of £20pa.

In 1841, she is in Camberwell as a servant
In 1851 she is in Tilney, Norfolk, showing off her grand-daughter Mary Ann Lines nee Hughes to her family
In 1861 she is back in Camberwell, living next door to Mary Ann and her husband Edward Lines, baker.
She dies later in 1861 and leaves under £1500, executors Thomas Benton (her sister Susan's son) and James Alphonsus Jones a silversmith who appears to be no relation.

My tree notes that her husband is John Llewellyn - without quoting any sources!

I have the feeling that her brother John Cooper's will proved in the 1840s mentions granddaughters Mary Ann and Sarah Hughes.

Her husband might have been John Llewellin a coppersmith of St Saviours, Denmark Park. I cannot find:

Ann's marriage to a Llewellyn (for all I know, this was a second or third marriage)
Llewellyn's death
A Llewellyn/Hughes marriage
Baptism of Mary Ann Hughes
Mary Ann's marriage to Edward Lines (I may have to bite the bullet and order the cert)

It looks as if there may be gaps in the records of St Saviours, Denmark Park, which might explain the difficulty.

[kiterunner]

So Mary Ann was born in Camberwell about 1824, according to the 1851 census.

[kiterunner]

FamilySearch has the marriage as Edwards Lines age 21 / Mary Ann Hughes age 20, 25 Feb 1850 at Canterbury.

[Phoenix]

Just to add, St Saviours Denmark Park is actually St Saviours Southwark, now the cathedral, so registers should be under the latter.

[Phoenix]

FamilySearch has the marriage as Edwards Lines age 21 / Mary Ann Hughes age 20, 25 Feb 1850 at Canterbury.

Freebmd has it as Lambeth - I wonder if FS means a licence from the Archbishop of Canterbury?

[Phoenix]

Ooh, yes! Lines/Cooper 25 Feb 1850.

Thank you, Kite!

[kiterunner]

I did think it was strange that it didn't come up on Kent BMD. I don't know why FamilySearch has it as Canterbury but I see the page number on the GRO index is 218a which suggests something out of the ordinary. Also the entries for that page number have been squeezed onto the index page after it was written out. The other marriage with that page number - Solomon Peskett /Susannah Love - doesn't come up on FamilySearch.

[kiterunner]

I know this is going further away from what you are trying to find out, but Ancestry has the banns for Solomon Peskett and Susannah Love, called at Peckham St Mary Magdalene, 3rd, 10th and 17th March 1850. Solomon of the parish, Susannah of the parish of Lambeth. I can't see the actual marriage on there though. Just makes it more confusing really.

[kiterunner]

In theory, Ann's death certificate should give her husband's name, but this might not turn out to be the case.

[kiterunner]

Ah, here are some possible baptisms (from ancestry) for Ann's children if St Saviour, Denmark Park is right:
10 Aug 1800 Mary Ann, Dr of John Llewellin, Coppersmith, & Ann. Born 15 Jun 1800
27 Dec 1801 John S of John Llewellin, Coppersmith, & Ann. Born 3 Oct 1801.

[Phoenix]

Thank you, Kite!

I begin to think I must get this lady's will, as she has left all her nieces and nephews something, and the poor executors can't find them all!

[Phoenix]

Following Kite's advice, I have now ordered this woman's will AND had a peek on Deceased Online.

Childless women are very useful. I had worked out that she was interred in Nunhead Cemetery with her sister Sarah Cheshire, but not that the other two in the vault were:
Wilhelmina C Scott d 1864 and
James T Lines bur 14 September 1870

The last two are mother and son, unrelated to, but closely associated with, Ann.
(grave ref 76/6814)

[Phoenix]

I now have Ann's will!

Like any decent aunt, she is mainly concerned with her neices :D

She also mentions her nephew Ashley Cooper, who emigrated to America several years ago, and not heard of since. (He was alive and well, but clearly not a good correspondent!)

She leaves him her plate marked A.C.

When I checked on family search, I discovered that both he, aged 22, a carpenter, and his cousin William Benton, a farmer aged 35, sailed on the Samuel Robertson in 1833 to New York.

Ashley died out there in 1894, but I'm not sure what happened to William: it looks as if he visited England again just before his father died in 1844.

[Phoenix]

Ann also mentions Mary Ann Hughes - great niece, Susannah and Mary Ann Lallam, her sister in law Mary Cooper, the Cheshires - family of her niece Sarah, (and she forgives Sarah's husband £600 - I hope he had repaid it before she died!) Mary Ann, eldest daughter of niece Mrs Retinger, neice Susannah Scott, and niece Martha Blackman, wife of John Foreman Blackman.

I had heard of everyone save Martha. The will was made 25 Jan 1849.
There was then a codicil made 28 March 1857 when she removed John Foreman Blackman as one of the executors. She did not, however, revoke the legacy.

Having researched John and Martha - and Martha seems an admirable woman, having various young cousins and nieces to stay with her - I discover that they too emigrated to America - so executorships would have been impractical!

[kiterunner]

Glad to hear the will gave you some new info, Phoenix.

[Merry]

This is Mrs John F Blackman:

Martha Cooper b abt 1821 bap 9 Sep 1821 at Hilgay parents Thomas Cooper and Sarah Cooper

EDIT _ I didn't read your last paragraph until after I'd done the lookup!!

[Phoenix]

Thank you, Merry!

[Phoenix]

And the wonderful conclusion to this is that I have made contact with one of Martha's descendants who has a portrait of Ann!

[Lindsay]

What a great result!

[ElizabethHerts]

That's fantastic!

[tenterfieldjulie]

Well done .. I am sure the galanthus are nodding their heads lol

[Phoenix]

Thank you, ladies, and lol, Julie!