Mary May nee Manning of Halse, Somerset

Mary was an amazing lady, who lived all her life in the lovely small village of Halse in Somerset. (Had a lovely lunch in the one and only pub there last year). Mary was baptised 29/10/1752, parents Richard Manning and Martha ??. Mary married Thomas May on 5/11/1778 at Halse, then between 1779 and 1792, bore seven children. William, the youngest, was baptised 25/3/1792 and lived to be nearly 80. This was despite his father being buried as a pauper, less than six months after William was born. Mary then raised her family without what appears to be a lot of aunts and uncles close by. Mary lived on until she was 94 years of aged and died 25 January 1846. I would love to know where she was in 1841 Census. Can anyone find her please? Julie

[Merry]

She's 85 and living in Halse in the same household as William May 45 ag lab, Jane 50, Thomas 15, John 14 and William 2 (William jr is listed after Mary and apart from the other children)

Thanks for that Merry .. either Mary was being a bit coy with her age, or whoever filled the census in didn't know her age lol William is her youngest son and Jane Webber was his wife. In the 1851 Census Mary Butler dau widow aged 35 and her son William Butler aged 12 are with them. I couldn't find them in the 1841 Census. In the 1871 Cenus William May Jane and John Butler grandson 19 are still living in Halse. Can you read the name of the cottage at the top of the page please Merry? Julie

[Merry]

Don't forget ages were supposed to be rounded down to the nearest five years in 1841, so if she was 89 then 85 would be "correct"

[kiterunner]

Originally Posted by tenterfieldjulie

In the 1871 Cenus William May Jane and John Butler grandson 19 are still living in Halse. Can you read the name of the cottage at the top of the page please Merry? Julie

It doesn't tell you the name of the cottage - just says Fitzhead Road, a cottage.

[Merry]

In 1871 it says Fitzhead Road a cottage

I haven't got time to check 1841 for Butler, sorry!

[kiterunner]

Could William Butler who is 12 in 1851 be William May age 2 in 1841? If you look at the 1841 census, he is listed after Mary May 85, with a single line separating them from the rest of the household, which suggests he is not a son of William and Jane.

Yes I think William in the 1841 Census, is the William Butler in 1851, but might have been born before Mary's marriage, I'm not sure. In 1861 Census, John Kilminster Butler aged 9, is living with them and he is still with them as John Butler aged 19 in 1871. The only likely marriage I can find, is William Henry Butler who married Mary May on the 07 Jul 1840 at Saint Martin in the Fields, Westminster, London. It is a long way from Halse and May was quite a common London name, so I am sceptical. Two of Mary's brothers married in Halse, and one in Milverton. Brother John, b1826, I don't know where/if he married. Thanks for reminding me about the rounding of ages in 1841, I had forgotten momentarily Merry. Fitzhead road, the location of where they lived in the 1871 Census, there appears to be three cottages. As they were farm labourers, probably tied to a larger farm do you think? I found Halse Manor on Fitzhead road close to the town, so possibly the cottages tied to the Manor.

[kiterunner]

There is a baptism at Halse 10 Feb 1838 of "William Mary Butler", son of Edward and Mary, father's occupation ship's carpenter, abode St James Bristol, according to these transcriptions:
http://www.pbenyon1.plus.com/H_m_w/H...aps/Bap_2.html

I bet his middle name "Mary" is supposed to be May!

Ooh - and John is on there too, baptised 3 Feb 1851, father Kilminster, mother Mary, mother's occupation servant, single, base-born.

[kiterunner]

Think this could make it hard to find Mary (the one born about 1816) in 1841 as she could be anywhere, using any name!