Ann Farr

c1825-1872

Ann, her parents and siblings:

Ann was baptised on the 24^th April 1825, in Oare/Chieveley, Berkshire the daughter of Jeremiah and Jane Smith (nee Vokins) who were married on the 2^nd December 1822, Lambourn, Berkshire.

Ann’s father Jeremiah was baptised on the 7^th August 1796, in Chieveley, Berkshire, the son of William and Judith Smith (nee Aubery/Awbry) who were married on the 2^nd November 1779 in Chieveley, Berkshire.

Ann’s mother Jane was baptised in 1799, in Lambourn, Berkshire, the daughter of William and Mary Vokins (nee Angel/Angell) who were married in 1796, in Lambourn.

Ann’s siblings were (all baptised in Chieveley):

Jane, 12^th January 1823

Vashti, 27^th March 1831

James, 8^th November 1835

Mary, 4^th January 1840

Ann in later life:

Ann gave birth to an illegitimate daughter Harriet Smith born in 1847, baptised 2^nd January 1848, in Oare, Berkshire. She also had an illegitimate son William Smith, born in 1851 in Greenham, baptised as William Bailey in 1853 in Greenham.

In 1851 Ann (28) was recorded as a Domestic Servant, visiting a John Bailey aged 42, a Chelsea Pensioner, in Stroud Green, Greenham. Her two children Harriet Smith (3) and her son William Smith, aged 3 days, were also recorded in the household. (Ann’s son was recorded as unchristened, visitor’s son, no Christian name recorded).

 Ann married in 1851

Marriage details:

Place: Greenham Chapel, Thatcham, Berkshire

Date: 1^st November 1851

Groom: John Bailey, aged 43, bachelor, occupation, Pensioner, abode, Stroud Green

Bride Ann Smith, aged 27, spinster, abode, Stroud Green

Fathers: Jeremiah Smith, a Labourer and John’s father recorded as deceased.

Witnesses: James Boyles and Eliza Boyles

(John Bailey was baptised on the 2^nd April 1809 in Newtown, Hampshire, the son of James and Sarah Bailey (nee Bates) who were married on the 16^th September 1805, in Newtown, Hampshire. John served in the 76^th Foot Regt. and became a Chelsea Pensioner on the 13^th November 1849, aged 40).

John and Ann had a daughter, Sarah Ann, born in 1854.

Ann was widowed in 1856, John died aged 48. (Death registered in the December quarter, in Newbury).

Ann gave birth to the following two daughters after John’s death (father’s unknown)

Ellen Elizabeth, c1858,

Alice, 1860

The 1861 census records Ann Bailey (35), a Laundress and her children, Harriet Smith (14), William Bailey (9), Sarah Bailey (6), Ellen Bailey (3) and Alice Bailey (8 months), living in Shaw Road, Speenhamland, Berkshire.

Ann gave birth to a son Albert George Bailey, c1866 (father unknown, possibly James Farr)

By 1870 Ann was living with James Farr in Back Lane Newbury, Berkshire.

Ann married James Farr in 1870

Marriage details:

Place: St Nicolas Church Newbury

Date: 28^th March 1870

Groom: James Farr, full age, widower, occupation, Labourer, abode, Newbury

Bride: Ann Bailey, full age, widow, abode, Newbury

Fathers: James Farr and Jerry Smith, both Labourers

Witnesses: Esther Hamblin and John R. Stillman

(James was baptised on the 25^th October 1807, in Hampstead Norris, Berkshire, the son of James and Martha Farr (nee Church) who were married in 1806, in Hampstead Norris. He married Mary Ann Warman in 1828, in Aldworth, Berkshire. They had the following children, Thomas, 1829 (died 1829), Elizabeth, 1830, Wiliam, 1832, George, 1834, James, 1837, John,1839 and David, 1841. James was widowed in 1854. He remarried in 1858. 2^nd wife, Elizabeth Barnes. Elizabeth died in 1862)

The following was reported in the Reading Mercury on the 2^nd April 1870:

ST NICOLAS CHURCH. – A somewhat singular wedding took place in the Church at about 10 o’clock on Monday morning. James Farr, an invalid, 62 years of age, living in Back-lane, was united in wedlock with Ann Bailey, a woman about 20 years his junior. The most singular fact, however, associated with the event was that Farr was wheeled through the streets to and from the Church, by the bride, and it was only with the assistance and that of other persons in the Church, that he could make his way up the nave. The Rev. C. Boyd, senior curate, was the officiating clergyman.

Sadly, Ann was widowed 8 days after she was married. James died aged 62 on the 5^th April, he was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 9^th April 1870.

The following was reported in the Reading Mercury on the 9^th April 1870:

The married life of James Farr, of Back-lane, whose somewhat singular wedding was noticed last week, has proved very brief, his death having taken place on Tuesday. The parties had lived together previously, and Farr being very infirm, in fact quite bed-ridden, desired to be married to the woman, who wheeled him to Church and home again.

In 1871 Ann (50) was recorded as a Charwoman, living in Compasses Yard, Newbury, with her children, William Bailey (21) a Pork Butcher’s Labourer, Ellen Bailey (12), Alice Bailey (10) and Albert Bailey (5).

Ann died aged 50, in 1872, she was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 4^th March.

http://www.fnrcnewbury.org.uk/persondetails.asp?PersonID=3037

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