Jeffries Family History

 

Henry Jeffries and Ann Belcher

Henry and Ann's Sons and their Wives

Moses Jeffries (1817 - 1849) and Ann Maria Joyce (1817 - 1892)

Moses, the seventh son of Henry and Ann, was baptised in Kingston Bagpuize on 16 March 1817.

On 1 May 1841 in Kingston Bagpuize, Moses married Ann Maria Joyce.

Moses and Ann Maria had two children -

Moses appears in just one census in Kingston Bagpuize, where his occupation is shown as Agricultural Labourer.  He was also shown as a labourer on the parish baptism records for both children.

Moses died in Kingston Bagpuize on 27 January 1849 of Typhus Fever* and was buried in the village on 28 January 1849.

* Moses was one of seven family members who died of Typhus Fever, which tragedy is described here.

 

Ann Maria was baptised on 26 October 1817 in Hinton Waldrist, Berkshire by James and Sarah Joyce.  She seems to have mostly been known as Maria.

In the 1841 census she is in Kingston Bagpuize with Moses, with no occupation shown.  In the 1851 census, by which time Moses was dead, she is described as a pauper and is living with her parents in Hinton Waldrist.  In the 1861 census she is living with her son James, an agricultural labourer, but she herself is shown as having no occupation.  In the 1871 census she is living in Kingston Bagpuize and again is shown as having no occupation.

In 1851 she presumably was receiving outdoor relief under the poor law whilst living with her parents.  When she moved away from her parents, she presumably was supported by James.

By the time of the 1881 census she is the post mistress in Kingston Bagpuize. Her time at the post office is detailed in the Places > Kingston Bagpuize > Post Office section here.

The job of post mistress undoubtedly means that she must have been literate and numerate.  After so many years unemployed it does seem remarkable that she should become post mistress.  Being able to read and write and not get a job for so many years must have been very frustrating for her.

In the 1871 census in the column for disabilities, there is an entry, which by comparing the letters and numbers with known characters on the page, seems to say Affl 29 years.  I think that this may mean that she had had an affliction of some sort for 29 years, ie since about 1842, when she was about 25 years old.  This may have been enough to stop her doing manual work

Maria died at the age of about 74 in Kingston Bagpuize on 16 March 1892 from paralysis.

Her son, James Henry became the sub-postmaster in Kingston Bagpuize, although it is not known whether he followed straight on from his mother.

 

  Top of page