Spotlight on ... Wedding Days!

I've decided to branch off for a while and share things other than just the stories of my direct ancestors.  The main motivation for this is my desire to share some of the many wonderful photos I've found of my extended family (not too many degrees of separation from my direct ancestors).  

These photos deserve to be in the spotlight, so I thought long and hard about an interesting way to do this.  I've decided to put together collections of photos that all share a common thread.  For this post the spotlight is on ....   Wedding Days.

Many would say that their wedding day is one of the most unforgettable days of their life.  There are many wedding day photos in my family tree collection, but for this post I'm sharing some of the earliest photos where I've noticed something a little out of the ordinary and unforgettable.

Time Period:  1871-1919

1871

 

Alexander Johnson Brown, known as Sandy, my paternal 2nd great uncle married Margaret Jane Bustard in November of 1871.  

This photo was taken on their wedding day and my eyes are drawn to the bride. 

She is not dressed in the  'traditional' white wedding gown.

In fact, in the 19th century a white wedding dress would not have been a commonly seen item of clothing for those who were not wealthy.

Given that Alexander and Margaret, children of early pioneers in the Richmond River district, married at McLeod's Creek, near Tenterfield in northern New South Wales in 1871, I think it's highly unlikely they would have been able to find fancy wedding attire very easily and most likely wore the "best" clothes they owned.  Alexander's white trousers seem slightly unusual though!

Alexander, known as Sandy, was 22 years old and Margaret was 18.  They celebrated 60 years of marriage, both dying in 1931. Margaret died in March and it's said that Alexander stated at the time that "he'd like to go with her".  Indeed, he died just five months later. They had a family of 12 children.

Common Ancestors with Alexander: my 2x great grandparents Henry Johnson Brown and Caroline Penelope Browning.

1896

James Cusack, my paternal 1st cousin 3x removed, married Hannah Sutton in 1896.

This bride is wearing the expected beautiful white wedding dress, but that wasn't what drew my attention in this photo.

I just love the flowers atop Hannah's head!  It doesn't look like much thought was given to their appearance though.  Rather it looks like they were simply placed on top of her head!   

It also looks as though hasty alterations were made to adjust the length of James's trousers. 

On their wedding day, James was aged 34 and Hannah was 18 years old.  They were married for 23 years and had 13 children.

As with the previous couple, they both died in the same year.  James passed away in March of 1919 and Hannah died in July that same year, a victim of an influenza outbreak.

Common Ancestors with James:  my 3x great grandparents Michael Cusack and Mary Green

1900

Alma Florence Barrow, my paternal 2nd cousin 2x removed, married Charles John McCann in 1900.

Alma was 18 years old and Charles was aged 18 as well.

Alma is wearing a gown that is not in the traditional colour of white.  

She is also wearing flowers on her headpiece but they certainly look like part of a gorgeously designed veil.  The feathery fan seems an odd choice of accessory though!  That certainly drew my attention.  Charles is looking quite dapper in his dark wedding suit.

Alma and her husband Charles were married for 53 years.  Alma died in 1953 and Charles died the year after.  They had a family of nine children.  By the time Alma died, they had 24 grandchildren and 2 great grandchildren.

Common Ancestors with Alma:  my paternal 3x great grandparents James Exton and Susannah Lancaster.

1902

Alice (Dolly) Holden, the sister-in-law of my maternal great grand uncle married John Kiely in February of 1902.  They were married for 52 years, until John's death in 1956.

On her wedding day Alice wore quite a plain outfit, again not the traditional white.  Her hat is styled quite simply, but the jaunty feather adds a special touch.  I'm not entirely sure why she's holding an umbrella for this portrait!

Husband John looks very dapper in his suit and I love the fact that he's holding his flat cap rather nonchalantly over his knee.

1906

William Hugh Cusack, my paternal 1st cousin 2x removed, married Mabel Hicks in 1906.

William was 21 and Mabel was 20.  They were married for 27 years. 

From the start of the 1900s, I start to see the white wedding dress appear more and more in the family tree photo collection, and Mabel's white wedding gown looks quite elegant.

What is going on with that hat though, I have to ask?  It just looks strange!  I'm not sure it would have been all that comfortable to wear! 

Mabel died in June of 1933 and William died the following month.  They had a family of six children.

Common Ancestors with William:  my 2x great grandparents Patrick Cusack and Eliza Exton.

1907

Amelia Barrow, my 2nd cousin 2x removed, married Thomas Neil McInnes in 1907.

Now that is a much more reasonable hat to wear on your wedding day!  The sleeves on Amelia's wedding dress are certainly multi-layered and the hem seems to have some rather fancy lacework or needlework as part of the design.

Amelia, known as Milly, was 19 years old and Thomas was aged 26 when they were wed.  They were married for 30 years until Thomas died in 1937.

They had a family of eight children.  Amelia survived her husband by 22 years but never re-married.

Common Ancestors with Amelia:  my paternal 3x great grandparents James Exton and Susannah Lancaster.

1908

Alfred Barrow Jnr, my paternal 2nd cousin 2x removed, married Mary Ellen McCann in 1908.

Alfred Jnr. was aged 28 and Mary Ellen, known as Nell, was 20.

I love everything about Mary Ellen's wedding dress, especially that spiral pattern above the hem.  

The headpiece though looks quite intricate and theatrical, and I notice she is holding a bridal bouquet.  That wasn't something seen in any of the previous photos.

Alfred and Mary Ellen were married for 36 years until Alfred died in 1944.  They had a family of four children.

Common Ancestors with Alfred:  my paternal 3x great grandparents James Exton and Susannah Lancaster.

1909

Adeline Sarah Cribb, my paternal uncle's mother-in-law, married Walter Henry Masters in 1909.

Adeline was 26 years old and Walter was 24.

The wedding dress has rather a high neckline, right up to Adeline's chin and there is a small flower spray attached in the very middle of the bodice of the dress.  I have not seen that on any other bride's dress for around the same time.  Adeline chose to wear a very pretty hat but no veil.

1910

John Thomas Browning, my paternal 1st cousin 3x removed, married Margaret Ellen O'Reilly in 1910.  John, known as Jack, was 31 years old and Margaret was 24.

Margaret is wearing quite a pretty flower wreath as part of her headpiece and holding a lovely bridal bouquet. My attention was immediately drawn to that tiny little waist though!  I wonder if that was the result of a stifling corset?  Margaret's bridesmaids look beautiful in their dresses with the scalloped hems and those sensible hats.

John and Margaret were married for 41 years until John's death in 1951.  They raised a family of 11 children.

Common Ancestors with John:  my 3x great grandparents William Henry Browning and Anne (Nancy) Littlejohns.

1911

In the middle of this family photo is the bride Agnes Jane Smith, my paternal 2nd cousin 2x removed, beside the seated groom Laban Arthur Ellem Jnr.  Agnes and Laban married in 1911, when Agnes was 24 and Laban was 26.

In this wedding day photo, Agnes is surrounded by her close family, including her parents, her brothers and sisters-in-law, and her sisters.  Her bridesmaid, front row far left, is her sister Fanny.  Her flower girl, standing in front of Agnes's mother and next to Fanny, is Sarah Ann.  Agnes's matron of honour is Emma, seated far right.  I adore Agnes's bridal bouquet.  It's almost as long as the skirt of her wedding dress!

Agnes and Laban (known as Arthur) were married for 18 years until Agnes died in 1929.  Sadly she died the day after giving birth to her sixth child when she was 41 years old.  

Common Ancestors with Agnes:  my 3x great grandparents William Henry Browning and Anne (Nancy) Littlejohns.

1912

In stark contrast to the previous wedding photo taken outdoors, here we have a studio photograph that's quite poised and almost regal-looking!

The bride is Bridget Mary Burke, my maternal 1st cousin 2x removed, standing sideways looking across her right shoulder, holding a stunning bridal bouquet. This is the first wedding gown where I've noticed a train at the back. 

The groom, seated in the middle of the shot, is James Dever, looking rather dignified.  Bridget and James were married in 1912 when Bridget was aged 33 and James was 32.  

In the wedding day photo, Bridget's bridesmaid is wearing an enormous but beautiful hat and holding a stunning bouquet of roses and ferns.  That lovely lady is my grandfather's sister and Bridget's cousin, Mary Margaret O'Donnell.

The bride and groom were married for 48 years and raised a family of four children.

Common Ancestors with Bridget:  my 2x great grandparents James Burke and Catherine Crotty

1916

Martha Hannah Thomas, my 2nd cousin 2x removed, married Harold Ackroyd Oxenham Moon in 1916.

I do so love the beautiful embroidered veil that Martha is wearing.  I wonder if it was a family heirloom?  There is the most exquisite detail all over that veil.

The dress in comparison is rather plain, although I noticed there is a lengthy train attached to the dress.

On their wedding day Martha was 28 years old and Harold was 29.  They were married for 23 years as Harold died in 1939.

They raised six children and lived their entire married life in Orange, New South Wales.

Common Ancestor with Martha:  my 3x great grandparents William Henry Browning and Anne (Nancy) Littlejohns.

1917

Charlotte Bertha Cusack, my paternal 1st cousin 2x removed, married Francis Sydney Busine in 1917.  

This wedding day photo is definitely not a studio shot and seems to have been taken very quickly in a spot where a tarpaulin of some sort had been strung or hung up perhaps in a back yard.

The bride does look lovely in her simple white dress and lace veil.  The groom looks exhausted though, as if he's recovering from a rather long bachelor's party held the night before!  

On their wedding day, both Charlotte and Francis were 18 years old.  They stayed married for 65 years until the death of Charlotte in 1971.

They raised three children, two sons and a daughter.  Sadly they both lived to see their eldest son, Sydney Herbert Thomas Busine, head off the fight in WW11 in 1939 when he was 21.  He was captured in early 1942 and held as a prisoner of war in Thailand and Burma, eventually succumbing to the combined effects of malnutrition and disease and dying in late 1943.

Common Ancestors with Charlotte:  my 2x great grandparents Patrick Cusack and Eliza Exton.

1918

Ivy May Browning, my paternal 2nd cousin 2x removed, married Clarence John Edward Moehead in 1918 when she was 17.  Clarence was 20 years old.

I find Ivy's wedding gown intriguing.  It appears to have a separate short bodice over the dress and there are two satin ribbons criss-crossed across the full pleated skirt.  It's rather an unusual look.  There seems to be a train attached to the back of the calf-length skirt and the look is completed with a long veil held in place with a floral wreath atop Ivy's head.

Common Ancestors with Ivy:  my paternal 3x great grandparents William Henry Browning and Anne (Nancy) Littlejohns.

1919

Susan Mary McCane, my maternal great aunt, married Frank Alexander Bidgood in 1919.

On their wedding day, Susan was 26 years old and Frank was 36.  

This is the first of the early 1900s wedding portraits in my collection where the bride is holding a horseshoe and prayer book, and not a bridal bouquet.  I know the horseshoe is a symbol of good luck, but I wonder when brides starting carrying them on their wedding day?

As with so many of my family tree wedding day photos taken before 1920, this is not a portrait taken in a studio. 

The photo was taken in the yard of Susan's parents' property near Gumlu, in northern Queensland.

Susan's and Frank's marriage lasted only 13 years as Frank died in 1932.  They had a family of seven children.  Susan lost her husband when she was aged 39, but she never re-married.

Spotlight on .... a Chosen Family!

A family that has always intrigued me a little is that of my paternal 1st cousin 3x removed Mary Jane Dooley, primarily because each of their lives were touched by war in some way.

Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell (my 3rd cousin once removed)

This photo, taken around 1939, shows Mary Jane, seated and surrounded by her children.  Mary Jane's children were born between the years 1912 and 1929.  What's interesting about this generation of children (any many others like them) is that they grew up with fathers and uncles who had gone off to serve in World War 1, and then these children went on to either serve themselves in World War 11 or marry someone who served in the second World War.

For those of us who were born long after those two world wars, the recent 75th anniversary of the end of World War 11 served as a reminder that we have been so very lucky and very blessed not having had any experience of a true global conflict!  In telling the story of this family, I've been trying to imagine the lives of families where members just a generation apart both experienced the horrors of war.  Small children growing up in the aftermath of lives ripped apart by the atrocities of the first world war, only to grow up and experience the same sort of sorrow and devastation.

To begin this family's story though, I will go back to talk about Mary Jane, my paternal 1st cousin 3x removed.  

Known to family as "Dolly", she was the youngest daughter of James Dooley and Emma Exton (my paternal 3rd great aunt), born in 1887 in a little town known as Newrybar, in the Northern Rivers Region of New South Wales. 

Mary Jane grew up with 12 older siblings, four brothers and eight sisters.  Those are facts I'm sure of, but the facts pertaining to her adult life are not as clear cut!

When Mary Jane was 25 years old she gave birth to a daughter named Constance Jean whilst living in Barcaldine, which is located in central Queensland. I have yet to work out how and why Mary Jane came to be living in central Queensland by 1912, given that her parents and most of her siblings were living in north-eastern New South Wales. 

The birth record for Mary Jane's daughter is very interesting.  At the time of registration the father's name was recorded as Arthur Moore.  The mother's name was recorded as Mary Jane formerly Wooley, and there was mention of a marriage between these two people exactly eight months previously. 

At the time though, Mary Jane was not married.

Birth Record for Constance Jean Dooley / Reid

The birth had been registered almost two months later, but then corrections were made at some future point.  The details of the marriage between Mary Jane Wooley and Arthur Moore were crossed out.  The word 'Reid' was written underneath the original name for the father.  The words 'formerly Wooley' were crossed out and 'Dooley' written alongside.

There was another word added underneath the details pertaining to the father ... illegitimate, which meant that this baby's surname was afterwards recorded as Dooley, the maiden name of her mother.  

Just a couple of years later, Mary Jane was pregnant again and a month before she gave birth to her second daughter, Mary Jane married Alexander Reid.  Reid?  Yes, the groom had the same surname that had been scribbled onto the birth record for Mary Jane's first born.

Mary Jane's first husband - Alexander Reid
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell

Mary Jane Dooley married the man named Alexander Reid when she was 26 years old, on the 26th of April 1915.  

They married in Murwillumbah, New South Wales.

Mary Jane's second daughter, Emma Eileen Mary (known as May), was born in early May of 1915, just a couple of weeks after the wedding of Mary Jane and Alexander.  

Given all these circumstances, it's highly probable that Mary Jane and Alexander had been in a relationship for a number of years, and Constance (Mary Jane's first daughter) was likely to have been Alexander's daughter as well.

Why did Mary Jane and Alexander marry after the birth of their second daughter?  

Likely because Alexander Reid was heading off to war and perhaps wanted to ensure his daughters legally had his name.

Mary Jane's partner, now husband, Alexander had enlisted just two days before their wedding, and his attestation paper indicated he was unmarried and had no next of kin.  

This caused a few issues for Mary Jane.  When Alexander was wounded in action in July of 1916, she received no notification from the AIF as they had no knowledge of any next of kin.  

A friend of Mary Jane's came across an item in the newspaper, which led Mary Jane to to contact the AIF to let them know she was Alexander's wife.

Mary Jane received this communication just a few days later.

The details on Alexander's attestation record were amended ...

Mary Jane Reid nee Dooley with her daughters Constance and Emma
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell (3rd cousin once removed)

It's likely this photo of Mary Jane and her daughters was taken at the end of 1916, probably intended to be sent as as a Christmas gift to Alexander. 

Sadly, Alexander was reported as killed in action in the village of Walencourt, France on the 28th of February, 1917, and would never see his family again.

Alexander had apparently been mentioned in despatches during his service for

"conspicuous gallantry in patrol work in the vicinity of Butte Warlencourt".  I wonder if that was of any comfort for Mary Jane.

Mary Jane became a widow at the age of 29, and the two little girls Constance (known as Connie) and Emma Eileen May (known as May) grew up never really knowing their biological father.

The First World War impacted Mary Jane's siblings as well.  One of her brothers, Robert James Dooley, was wounded with gun shots to the right arm and right leg.  He was sent home on the hospital ship 'Llanstephen Castle' in April of 1918 and discharged as medically unfit in June of 1918.

In July of 1918, over a year after the death of her husband, Mary Jane gave birth to a son.  

Cyril James was born when Mary Jane was aged 30 and I have been unable to find out any details about the father of Cyril.  He did throughout his lifetime have the surname "Reid" however, which was the surname of Mary Ann's first husband.

Mary Jane's second husband - George Coldwell

Mary Jane did re-marry six years later, in 1924, when she was 37 years old.  

She married George Watson Coldwell in Bellingen, New South Wales. 

 

George had also served during WW1.  He had enlisted in November of 1916 and served in France.  George had been wounded in action in August of 1918 but made it home by the end of 1919.  I do wonder how George coped coming back home though, as so many who returned suffered in various ways for so long afterwards.

By the time Mary Jane had re-married, daughter Constance (known as Connie) was aged 12, Emma Eileen May (known as May) was 9, and Cyril James (known as Jim) was 6 years old.

Mary Jane and her second husband George went on to have two children.  Alice Joyce (known as Joy) was born in December of 1924 and Barbara June Agnes came along in 1929.  By this time Mary Jane was aged 41.

I can't imagine what Mary Jane would have thought when, just ten years later, the Australian Prime Minister, Robert Gordon Menzies, announced the beginning of Australia's involvement in World War 11.

Almost a million Australians, men and women, ended up serving during the second World War.  

Before 1939, the Australian Army had been broken into the Permanent Military Forces (PMF) and the larger Militia, but members could not serve outside the country according to the Defence Act of 1909, unless they volunteered.     

When Prime Minister Menzies made his announcement in late 1939, he stated that there was to be an expeditionary force with 20,000 members created, and it would be formed for overseas service.  It was to be known as the Second Australian Imperial Force, or the Second AIF.

Some of Mary Jane's children and her children's spouses became serving members of either the RAAF or the Second AIF.

Cyril James (Jim) Reid
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell
(my 3rd cousin once removed)

Mary Jane's only son Cyril James Reid (known as Jim) served with the RAAF, the Royal Australian Air Force.

Cyril James Reid - enlistment photo
Photo courtesy of the National Australian Archives
Photo in public domain

Cyril enlisted with the RAAF in 1940 and served with the 23rd Squadron, based in Brisbane, Queensland.  He remained with the RAAF until his discharge in 1948.

Cyril married Muriel Emily Barnes nee Lemon in Brisbane, Queensland just before his discharge from the RAAF.  They married in October of 1947 and the photo below shows Cyril dressed in his uniform for the wedding.

Cyril James (Jim) Reid and his wife Muriel Emily (known as Babs) on their wedding day
Photo courtesy of Carol Chandler

Constance (Connie) Jean Chandler nee Reid
Photo courtesy of Carol Chandler

Mary Jane's eldest daughter Constance Jean Chandler nee Reid (known as Connie) enlisted at the Concord Military Hospital and served as a nurse in the Armed Forces. 

She enlisted in January of 1943 with the 2/11 Australian General Hospital and was discharged in July of 1946. 

Edward Arthur Chandler
Photo courtesy of Carol Chandler

Connie had married Edward Arthur Chandler in 1939 and he went on to serve as well.

Edward enlisted with the 2/18th Infantry Battalion in 1940 and was discharged in December of 1945.

Edward Arthur Chandler - enlistment photo
Photo courtesy of the National Australian Archives
Photo in public domain

Murray Aubrey Waddell
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell (my 3rd cousin once removed)

Mary Jane's second eldest daughter, Emma Eileen May Waddell nee Reid (known as May) married Murray Aubrey Waddell who served with the RAAF, Royal Australian Air Force.

Murray Aubrey Waddell -
enlistment photo
Photo courtesy of the National Australian Archives.
Photo in public domain.

Alice Joyce (Joy) Lenehan nee Coldwell
Photo courtesy of Robert Waddell
(my 3rd cousin once removed)

Mary Jane's third eldest daughter, Alice Joyce Lenehan nee Coldwell (known as Joy) served in the CMF, the Citizen Military Force.  

Alice enlisted in 1943 when she was 18 years old, and served as a Bombardier with the Australian Womens' Army Service.

Alice Joyce Coldwell -
enlistment photo
Photo courtesy of the National Australian Archives.
Photo in public domain.

Alice married William Harold Lenehan in 1951.  

William had enlisted in with the RAAF in 1943.  He had served with the 100 Squadron and was discharged in 1946.

The Story of Mary Ayears (Airs)

My post this week tells the story of my paternal Great Great Great Great Grandmother, Mary Ayears  or Airs  (1770 - 1858).

Before proceeding with Mary's story, I'll add a cautionary note ... she has been a troublemaker when it comes to my ability to uncover loads of definitive, accurate information about her life.  

First of all ....

Researching an ancestor who was born in England the same year as Beethoven and Wordsworth can be a very hit and miss affair, as civil registration was only introduced in 1837.  

The period before 1837 is often referred to as the pre-Victorian era (as Queen Victoria ascended the throne mid-1837) and anyone attempting to trace their English ancestors during this period basically needs to rely on church registers.  

Unfortunately these church records contain far less genealogical information than the civil records and were handwritten, making them quite hard to decipher most of the time.  

Second of all ...

I've found that the surname Ayears appears to have different variations, spelt in a few different ways including 'Ayers' and 'Airs'.  This has led to a long, long road of assumption and guessing when it comes to records relating to my 4x great grandmother!  I've spent many, many, many months trying to cross-reference with family trees on Ancestry.com and as many records as I could find on several sites such as Family Search and Find My Past.  It's been a messy and confusing journey.

Thirdly ...

I've found that researching female ancestors going back two generations and more is always a little troublesome.  The details of their lives are rarely captured in the records that are available, unless you're fortunate enough to have treasures such as diaries or family stories passed down.  All I've managed to uncover are a few facts from a couple of very short periods of time - between 1797 and 1808, and then between 1851 and 1858.  So here's what I think I know about parts of Mary's story!

When Mary Ayears was born around 1770, her father Samuel Ayears was around 20 years of age, and her mother Mary Vicary was about the same age.  

Old Church of St Mary Major - with the square tower
By Beatrix F. Cresswell (1862-1940) - httpwww.archive,orgdetailsexeterchurches00cres, 
Public Domain, httpscommons.wikimedia.orgwindex.phpcurid=41190059

My research led me to a baptism record showing a Mary Airs was baptised at the Church of Saint Mary Major in Exeter, Devon, England in August of 1770.

I don't have an exact date of birth for this Mary, and I admit I followed information from family trees on Ancestry.com to track down this record.  

Whether or not it's really my 4x great grandmother is probably debatable, but other information leads me to believe it's quite likely.

Later records, which are definitely more reliable,  indicate that Mary was likely born around 1768, so that places the Mary Airs from this baptism record at approximately the right time.  Records of Mary's marriage later on and the baptism records for her children show that all these events happened in Exeter, so again I think it's highly likely that Mary herself was born and baptised in that same town.




Around 1770, Exeter was a economically powerful city with a very strong trade of wool.  The reigning monarch at this time was King George 111, and it was in August of 1770 that Captain James Cook claimed the entire east coast of New Holland for Great Britain.  It was of course later to become Australia, and the home for descendants of one of Mary's daughters Anne (known as Nancy) my 3x great grandmother, and for descendants of her grandson Joseph Hutton.


Apart from a possible birth year, baptism date, baptism place, and parent names, I have no information at all about Mary's childhood.  The next fact I do know, and am sure about, is that Mary Airs/Ayears married John Littlejohns in December of 1797 when she was around 27-29 years old.  On the marriage record, Mary's maiden name was spelt as 'Ayears'.

According to information sourced from other descendants' family research, Mary and John already had three children before they married.

Well, the assumption is that these are John's children as well as they were given the surname of Littlejohns.

Son Henry was born in 1794, but sadly died when he was less than a year old.
Daughter Frances, known as Fanny, was born in 1795.
Daughter Mary Ann was born in April of 1797.

Interestingly, Mary's father, Samuel Ayears, died on the 14th of December 1797; and Mary married on the 19th of December.

I could make all sorts of assumptions about this fact, one of which would be that Mary had been living out-of-wedlock with John for a number of years likely as a result of her father's objection to the match.  Mary was however old enough to marry without her father's consent, so I'm not sure that would be an accurate assumption.  Anyway, very shortly after father's death, Mary seems to have married the father of her children.

After the marriage of Mary and John in December that year, the family grew.

Jane was born mid-1800, but unfortunately passed away in September.
Anne, known as Nancy, Littlejohns (my 3x great grandmother) came along in November of 1801, when Mary was aged around 31-33.
John was born in May of 1803, but he died in February the following year.
John Edwin was born in 1807.  Mary was now around 37-39 years old.

By the year 1808, out of the seven children that Mary gave birth to, there were three daughters and one son who had survived their infancy.  

It's very difficult to glean information about Mary's adult life around the time of and after the birth of her children, but clues from records later on point to the fact that it's likely Mary, her husband John and their family of four, had a hard life and were probably amongst the poorer class in Exeter society.

John worked as a 'fuller', often referred to as a 'tucker', which was not a well-paying job and the conditions of employment were very tough.  A fuller (tucker) worked long hours every day.  It was their job to clean wool cloth during the cloth making process to eliminate dirt and oil, and make it thicker.  Before the cloth got to the fullers (tuckers) it was soaked in urine!  John's job would have been back-breaking and extremely unpleasant.

I imagine Mary worked in some lowly, poorly paid job in the mills of Exeter as well, but I have not yet found any proof of that, and likely never will. Records of women's working life from that era are rare.

Mary and John were married for about 44 years until John died sometime around 1841.  Mary was aged around 71-73 at that time.

By then, Mary's eldest daughter Fanny was a widow as well.  She had married Joseph Perkiss Hutton, and had given birth to three children, but only two had survived into adulthood.  Fanny's son Joseph, Mary's grandson, had been transported to the colonies ten years earlier at the young age of 17.  He had in fact been sentenced to death, but his conviction had been commuted to transportation for a period of 14 years.  In reality, transportation to Australia really was a life sentence.  He lived out the rest of his life in Australia and probably had very little contact with either his mother or his grandmother Mary.

Mary's youngest daughter Anne (known as Nancy) had married William Henry Browning almost twenty years before, in the same church as Mary and John.  By 1841 though, Anne was in Australia, having migrated with her husband and six children.  She lived the rest of her life in the colonies, far away from her mother.

By 1851, ten years after the death of her husband, Mary was living in the Almshouses in Exeter, with another daughter Mary Anne Harris (nee Ayears).

1851 Census - St David's, Exeter, Devon, England

Mary was recorded as being an "Almsperson / Tucker's Widow".  Almsperson basically meant "one who is dependent on the receipt of alms", a "a pauper". The census record indicates she was now aged 83.  She was living in the Atwills Almshouses on New North Road in Exeter, with her daughter Mary Anne who was listed as an "Upholstress".  It seems that daughter Mary Anne's husband had died by this time, as she was now living with her mother.

An excerpt from the book 'A Topographical Dictionary of England' published in 1833 states:

"Atwill's almshouses were founded and endowed by the corporation, with the arrears of Mr. Atwill's charity in 1717, for fifteen aged woollen manufacturers, appointed by the corporation:  the annual income of this charity amounts to about £320."

Almshouses were generally houses or property left to a parish by a community-minded benefactor who was acting philanthropically, and were outside government control.  People who were accepted into these almshouses were approved in some way.  They would no have been vagrants or outcasts, but were likely to have been regarded as respectable and part of a network of obligation which ensure their admission.  

In Mary's case, she was the widow of a 'tucker', another name for a fuller, and the Atwill's Almshouses were by that time earmarked for "poor and aged" woollen trade workers as mentioned in the excerpt from information on the website Genuki: Almshouses, Devon, Exeter, 1850:

ATWILL'S ALMSHOUSES, in New North road, are neat stone dwellings on an elevated site. In 1588, Lawrence Atwill left about 320 acres of land, and several houses, &c., in the parishes of St. Thomas, Whitstone, and Uffculme, to the Corporation of Exeter, upon trust to apply the yearly profits thereof in setting the poor to work. As the charitable intentions of the testator could not be strictly or beneficially carried into effect, a new scheme was sanctioned by the Court of Chancery in 1771, directing that in future the rents and profits of the charity estate should be applied in the erection and support of almshouses for the reception of poor aged woollen weavers, &c., of the city, who should be provided with looms, &c., and small weekly stipends. Accordingly, 12 almshouses were built in 1772. In consequence of the increased income of the charity, these almshouses were enlarged in 1815, at the cost of £425; and again in 1839, at the cost of £160. They are now occupied by 24 almspeople, who are provided with coals in winter; but only 16 of them have weekly stipends of 2s. 6d. each, and none of them are provided with looms. The charity estate is let to fifteen tenants, at rents amounting to about £250 per annum, and large sums are occasionally received for the renewal of leases and the sale of timber.

I believe that Mary and her daughter Mary Anne were two of the 24 almspeople mentioned as living in the Atwill's Almshoues in 1850, and it's likely neither of them were receiving the weekly stipend.  It's more likely that Mary was relying on the income of her daughter to provide food and other essentials.  On a positive note though, at least they had a home, more or less guaranteed, and were provided with coal in winter!

This is photo of the almshouses from around 1900, which is a little while after Mary was living there but certainly gives an idea of what the almshouses looked like during Mary's time as a tenant.

There were 24 houses (more akin to flats) in 3 blocks that were designed in a gabled Tudor style.

The 'houses' were likely to have consisted of one or two rooms with a fireplace.  It would have provided Mary and her daughter with a private space so they would have been able to live quite independently, despite their economic dependence.

Mary died at the Almshouses in April of 1858 at the age of 90, as indicated on her death certificate.  The cause of death was listed as "natural decay", so it sounds as though she was not ailing in any way or suffering at the end of her long tough life.

She was buried five days later in the Parish of St. David and her death notice, albeit brief, does describe her as "greatly respected by all who knew her".

Mary was survived by her three daughters, Frances Hutton nee Littlejohns, Mary Anne Harris nee Littlejohns, Anne (known as Nancy) Browning nee Littlejohns; and her son John Edwin Littlejohns.