Esther or Hester Hall MMFMM

[Jill]

Name - "official" name and what they were known as
Esther/Hester Hall

Date and place of birth
24 oct 1797 from Familysearch pilot site and c1794 Tillington, Sussex from census

Names of parents
Henry & Elizabeth Hall

Date and place of baptism - if applicable
05 November 1797 (baptized as Hester)

Details of each of his or her marriages - if any
04 Dec 1818, Fernhurst, Sussex to John Glazier, by license 3rd Dec 1818, John "of Fernhurst several years, Esther "of Easebourne several days" sponsors John Glazier & Ralph Sanders of Easebourne, miller

Occupation(s) - if any
None

Addresses where they lived (including county if in UK)
1841-1871 In Fernhurst, Sussex, in the tiny hamlet of Henley Hill (which has the most wonderful views).

Date, place and cause of death
This still disturbs me
20 Nov 1872, at Henley Hill “Burned to death by falling in a fire while in a fainting fit produced by senile decay”. Inquest held 22nd Nov.

Date and place of burial.
23 Nov 1872, St Margaret, Fernhurst

Details of will / administration of their estate - if applicable
None

Memorial inscription - if any
No gravestone

Link to husband John Glazier (http://www.genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=10032&highlight=john+glazier)
Link to father Henry Hall (http://www.genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=14518&highlight=henry+hall)
Link to mother Elizabeth (http://www.genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=12640&highlight=elizabeth+newell)
Link to daughter Harriet Glazier (http://www.genealogistsforum.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=4442&highlight=harriet+glazier)

[ElizabethHerts]

Jill, there is this baptism on the Family Search Pilot site:

Name: Hester Hall
Gender: Female
Baptism/Christening Date: 05 Nov 1797
Baptism/Christening Place: Tillington, Sussex, England
Birth Date: 24 Oct 1797
Birthplace: Tillington, Sussex, England
Death Date:
Name Note:
Race:
Father's Name: Henry Hall
Father's Birthplace:
Father's Age:
Mother's Name: Elizabeth
Mother's Birthplace:
Mother's Age:
Indexing Project (Batch) Number: C15986-1
System Origin: England-EASy
Source Film Number: 1468792
Reference Number: item 2
Collection: England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975

[Jill]

Thankyou Elizabeth, now you mention it I think I've got those details in one of my first ever research notebooks, I wonder what I did with it? .Obviously I couldn't read my own handwriting!

[Jill]

Poor Esther...and how awful for her old husband John.

SHOCKING DEATH OF AN OLD WOMANF.J. Malim, Esq, held an inquest here on Friday, touching the death of Esther Glazier, whose death occurred in a very shocking manner. – Charles Challen, a labourer living next door to deceased at Henly Hill, said she was 82 years of age, and in receipt of parish relief. On Wednesday last I went with John Glazier to Fernhurst , two miles off, to obtain the allowance of bread. We started about a quarter to nine, and deceased was sitting in her room. We returned about twelve, and Glazier opened the door. He said “Oh dear, Master Challen,” and I went in. There is no grate in the room but fire dogs for a wood fire on the hearth. Deceased was lying over the brand iron, and was burning. There were two logs on. I pulled her out and ran for a bucket of water which I threw over her, and put the fire out. There was no one living in the cottage beside John Glazier and the deceased, and no one lives in my cottage besides myself. The tea things were on the table. Deceased’s clothes were completely burned away round the upper part of her body. Her face was also much burned. – Mr Alex Yule surgeon, said deceased had been under his care for a considerable time. She was suffering from senile decay and a cough, and was allowed extra nourishment from the parish. She had had two or three fainting fits, but was not subject to apoplectic or epileptic fits. He though it possible she had had one of these fainting fits, and fell into the fire. She had a custom of crouching over the fire, which might have made her giddy. Under the circumstances he though she was insensible when she fell in, and that life was extinct without suffering. – The Jury returned a verdict “That the deceased was taken in a fit, and fell into a fire, and that the burning caused her death”.

Chichester Express and West Sussex Journal 26 Nov 1872

[Janet]

Terrible shock for John and Master Challen. It occurs to me to wonder if perhaps dear old Esther's time had come and she simply suddenly dropped dead. It might have been sheer coincidence that the fire was there for her to fall into.

[Jill]

They'd had a grandson living with them the year before at census time Janet. I hope that their conclusion that she was dead before she fell in the fire was correct.

We visited the tiny hamlet of Henley Hill before I knew of all this, it is like a part of Sussex that time forgot down a single track road with a few cottages, the old beerhouse from their time is now an incredibly expensive dining destination for the well heeled of the Sussex/Surrey border.