I have not posted for many years, but I want to collate information about some of my ancestors in England. I am going to England in late 2024, so it is useful to think about my ancestors' lives as I travel to the places that they lived. Elton is definitely on the list of places to visit.
In 2003 I ordered the Parish records for Elton, Huntingdonshire because I was confident it was the birthplace of my great great grandfather, Nathaniel Woolley. I found him first and then worked backwards building up the family tree. It was only once I got to the end (the beginning) of the microfiche that I found the index! And let me say that Parish records are so very boring to go through when there is no index... plus I had to look through everything again to ensure that I hadn't missed anyone.
Those with the surname Woolley were in Elton for four generations by which time everyone had gone. One of Elizabeth's great-grandsons stole money from his workplace—the school—and possibly the resulting scandal made it difficult for other Woolley family members to stay.
Elizabeth lived in Elton with her partner/husband, Thomas. There is no record of a marriage between Elizabeth and Thomas in Elton, so I don't know her name at birth. I don't know where she was born, although I know her age at death, so I know when she was born! The first official record I have found is from 20 July 1759 when Elizabeth and Thomas Woolley baptised their son, Thomas, in the Elton Parish Church. It is possible that he wasn't their first born child, but I may never know.
Thomas' baptism was followed by ten further children, nine of whom were:
· Richard, baptised on 18 February 1761;
· Joseph baptised 11 January 1763; and
· Mary baptised 17 July 1764. Mary appears to be the first of Mary's infant children to die and she was buried on 1 October 1764.
· John was baptised on 10 September 1765 but died in early 1767 and was buried on 25 February.
· A second John was baptised on 11 January 1768. It was noted it was a private baptism, this was because on the same day seven year old Richard was buried. It is difficult to imagine how horrible that must have been for Elizabeth!
· Jane was baptised on 27 February 1770;
· A second Richard on 27 April 1772; this Richard died when aged four and was buried on 26 May 1776;
· James on 18 February 1774;
· A second Mary was born and died in 1777: baptised on 8 August and buried on 3 September.
Before the birth of the eleventh child, Elizabeth's husband died (well, I'm assuming they were married). On 9 May 1778, Thomas Woolley was riding his horse in a nearby village when he had a fall from his horse. Alan Clark, in his wonderful book on Elton, quotes the day books of John Clifton of Oundle with respect to the death:
Saturday, 9th May 1778
About 5 o’clock this afternoon as one Woolley, a publik house keeper of Elton was riding in at our Benefield town end, he fell from his horse by which accident he was so inwardly bruised that he was rendered quite senseless and was took to Ye Cross Keys and put to bed, where he lay just as they laid him till about 11 o’clock that night and then expired without any seeming pain. (Clark, 1992)
Elizabeth was 43 years old, a widow with five children ... and pregnant.
When I first realised Elizabeth's situation, I felt incredibly sorry for her. It is 1778 and England is struggling with poverty and petty crime. Life is hard. Forget about the rights of women. Options were very limited, especially for widows with young children. Elizabeth may have had support from her eldest two sons: Thomas was 19 and Joseph was 15. The other children were 10 year old John, 8 year old Jane and 4 year old James. Fortunately Elizabeth had an option to provide for herself. She took over her husband's publican licence and kept running the ‘Black Horse’ Inn! More information about the ‘Black Horse’ will need to be in a separate entry, because the establishment deserves it! And my examination of the Black Horse Inn needs to look at women publicans. There is a long history of women publicans around the world: I need to do more research about how Elizabeth would have been regarded by her community in 1778 (denigrated or respected?? Opinions on women publicans change over time!).
Following Thomas Wolley's death, the next entry in the Elton parish register reads: "1778 Sarah the daughter of Elizabeth the widow of Thomas Woolley baptised 1 August."
Elizabeth was the local publican for the rest of her life. Over time, some of her children married and she became a grandmother. Elizabeth died and was buried in Elton in April 1803 at the age of 68. An interesting woman! I'm looking forward to having lunch or dinner at the Black Horse Inn, Elton.
I'm excited about wandering around the village at the houses that Alan Clark so beautifully describes in his book called "Elton: A history of its Lost and Ancient Buildings: With some notes on their occupants." I think there are about six places where I know my ancestors lived because of Alan Clark's book!
[Relationship to SNR = Great-great-great-great-great-great-grandmother]
