Bexley Profiles
John Bexley
b. 1759 in Great Bookham
m. to Grace Brown on 1st July 1794 in Felpham, Sussex
d. c1830 Leatherhead, SurreyParents: (probably) Richard Bexley and Mary Bexley, formerly Frost
There were three John Bexleys born at the right time to be 4x Great Grandfather but research into the family names and the other John's lines, suggests John born 1759 in Great Bookham is the correct John. John's father Richard died in 1768, leaving Mary with four sons to bring up on her own. John left Surrey for Sussex for reasons not yet found, but married in 1794, aged 35 to Grace Brown. He was a labourer by trade, probably an agricultural labourer. John and Grace had a son John in 1795 in South Bersted, where Grace's sister Hannah and her family lived. The family then moved back to Surrey, settling eventually in Epsom where Charles was born in 1800. James was born in 1803 and then Henry in 1805 with Charlotte born in 1808. We know they lived in the Parish of St Martin's. The younger John joined the 56th Regiment of Foot in 1811 and did not return to Epsom until around 1830. Henry died in 1818 and was buried in Epsom, so we know the family were still in Epsom at that time. James married in 1825 in St Leonard's, Shoreditch to Hannah Bartlett and he did not return to Epsom. Charles married in Malden in 1827 to Jane Rowley and lived in Woodcote End and New Inn Road, Epsom. John, Grace and Charlotte moved to Leatherhead between 1825 and 1830. John died sometime before 1841. Charlotte married John Schooling in around 1830 and they lived in Leatherhead with Grace for a number of years until moving to London before 1851. Grace continued to live in Leatherhead until she died in 1852 aged 88 years. For more information, see: Bexley Family Research and Bixley/Bexley Timelines.
Links:
St Mary's Church, Felpham:
http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/52694British History Online - Felpham:
http://www.british-history.ac.uk/report.asp?compid=22943John Bexley
b. 1795 South Bersted, Sussex
m. to Charlotte Wallis on 21st May 1827 in Manchester, Lancashire
d. 1878 CroydonParents: John Bexley and Grace Bexley formerly Brown
John joined the 56th Regiment of Foot on 1st May 1811 in Huntingdon at the age of 16. He served in the army for fifteen years and 65 days, 14 years of which was spent in the East Indies. He returned to England in June 1826 and married Charlotte Wallis on 27th May 1827 in Manchester. Charlotte was born in Partington, Yorkshire. John was discharged on 14th May in 1828 in consequence of Rheumatism and being worn out. In the discharge papers, his conduct is stated as being 'very good' and he described as follows:
'He is about Thirty Three Years of Age, is Six Feet one and ¾ Inches in height, Light Hair, Grey Eyes, Fair Complexion, and by Trade or Occupation a Labourer'
There's a gap in our information until 1837 when John and Charlotte's daughter Eliza was born in Epsom. Their son John was also born in Epsom in 1839 and at the time of the 1841 census, John and Charlotte are with tehir children in Sculcoates, Yorkshire. John is a labourer. Their second son, James Henry Bexley was born in Hull in 1844. By the 1851 census, John, Charlotte and family have returned to Surrey and were living in Croydon where the family and succeeding generations continued to live.
Charles Bexley
b. 1800 Epsom, Surrey
m. to Jane Rowley on 5th June 1827 in Malden, Surrey
d. 1874 EpsomProfile to follow...
Henry Bexley
b. 1834 Epsom, Surrey
m. to Eliza Hatch on 3rd January 1858 in the Parish Church, Sutton
d. 1895 EpsomProfile to follow...
William James Bexley
b. 16th November 1864
m. Jane Ware in Epsom
d. 1922 EpsomProfile to follow...
James Bexley
b. 25th October, 1905 - Washington Flats, Cheam Road, Sutton, Epsom
m. Hilda May Smith in 1932 St Martin's Parish Church, Epsom
d. 1948 EpsomParents: William James Bexley and Jane Bexley, formerly Ware
James was born in Sutton. He had older two sisters and three older brothers. After he was born, the family soon moved to Brickbat Alley, Leatherhead. James played football for a Leatherhead football club, thought to be called Leatherhead Wednesday - but this may have been Leatherhead Rose Football Club. He worked for the railways and became and Engine Driver. He met Hilda May Smith who worked as a children's nanny in Ashtead for Sir John Stainer, the barrister who was the son of Sir John Stainer the composer. They married in 1932 and had two sons James Robert in 1934 and David in 1936. They lived in Albert Road, Epsom. James died in 1948.