MARIA ENTICKNAP Home   Name Index Personal Born ABT 1809 Farnhurst, Sussex Baptised 2 Jun 1811 Farnhurst, Sussex, England Died 20 Apr 1899 North Ambersham, Sussex1 2 Parents Father WILLIAM ENTICKNAP ( - BEF 1824 ) Mother HANNAH PRIOR ( ABT 1775 - 27 Mar 1852 ) Marriage Top 1 Children: 1. EDMUND ENTICKNAP ( *10 Oct 1830 - Dec 1880 ) 2. Mary ENTICKNAP ( ABT 1832 - *17 Mar 1858 ) 3. Eliza ENTICKNAP ( ABT 1837 - Mar 1875 ) 4. Ruth ENTICKNAP ( 6 Aug 1840 - Dec 1907 ) Events Top Event Date Description Place Residence 1841 Bexly Hill, North Ambersham, Sussex3 Census 1841 HO 107/396/6/6/p5 North Ambersham, Sussex4 Residence 1851 Bexly Hill, North Ambersham, Sussex5 Census 1851 HO 107/1654/217/p5 North Ambersham, Sussex6 Census 1861 RG 9/627/68/p5 North Ambersham, Sussex7 Residence 1861 Bexly Hill, North Ambersham, Sussex8 Occupation 1861 Washing North Ambersham, Sussex9 Occupation 1871 Charwoman North Ambersham, Sussex10 Census 1871 RG 10/1121/70/p1 North Ambersham, Sussex11 Residence 1871 Bexly Hill, North Ambersham, Sussex12 Occupation 1881 Charwoman North Ambersham, Sussex13 Residence 1881 Bexly Hill, North Ambersham, Sussex14 Census 1881 RG 11/1132/77/p7 North Ambersham, Sussex15 Census 1891 RG 12/848/63/p2 North Ambersham, Sussex16 Residence 1891 Bexly Hill, North Ambersham, Sussex17 Notes Top She never appears on a census as either married or a widow, so all of her children are likely to be illegitimate. Death registered by her brother William, present at the death, on 20th April 1899. Registrar: W.H. Thomas (somewhat indistinct, might be Harris). Cause of death given as a) Senile decay 6 months, b) Cardiac failure 2 hours. certified by A.S. Duke LRCP. District: Midhurst Sub-district: Fernhurst Her age is given as 90 on her death certificate, making her born in 1809. Extracts from Willcock's Journal Transcribed by Georgina Clarke from the original held at W. Sussex record office in Chichester: 1893 Wed 7 June - Rather a red letter day for Bexley Hill. Mr Madgwick called on me today, to say that he had purchased old Maria Enticknapp's cottage. Thus a plague spot in dear old Bexley village has been healed, and the cause of much unhappy apprehension of evil to come, removed. For many years, this old cottage, Maria's freehold, had been the home of vice of the worst description; specially, breaches of the seventh commandment; as a private house the brothel, as it, de-facto was, could not be suppressed. Efforts had been made, to get the poverty-stricken old women, [herself a former adulteress] and her brother to enter the workhouse, when the parish authorities would have taken possession of the cottage; but no arguments prevailed with old Maria, and it was feared that, in the event of her death, the succeeding owner would be Maria's grandaughter, who had already two illegitmate children, and was living in adultery with a man in a neighbouring village. This would have perpetuated the nuisance. At length, to the joy of myself and my Bexley Hill people, old Maria accepted Mr Madgwick's offer, to purchase the old cot; on condition, that Maria should occupy it as tenant, at a nominal rent, for life; which in the natural course of things could not be long, as she was almost a nonagenarian. The purchase money was placed, with Maria's consent, in the hands of a gentleman Artist, Mr Dobson, residing at Upperfold house, to be paid to the old woman in weekly instalments. A scandal was thus removed, and the cot made fit for habitation - beside which, old Maria's latter days were made far more comfortable than in the past. 1893 Tues.20 June - Called on old Maria Enticknapp in order to introduce the curious old woman to my visitors. The beautiful scenery, especially the view from Verdley fields, looking down upon the trees in Verdley Wood was much admired, especially by my niece, who had passed her whole life in Staffordshire. Sources Top 1 Midhurst/1899/Jun/2b/249 England and Wales Death Register Index 1837-1983 2 DYB239971 Office of National Statistics - General Records Office (Copy of death certificate) 3 HO 107/396/6/6/p5 England and Wales Census 1841 4 HO 107/396/6/6/p5 England and Wales Census 1841 5 HO 107/1654/217/p5 England and Wales Census 1851 6 HO 107/1654/217/p5 England and Wales Census 1851 7 RG 9/627/68/p5 England and Wales Census 1861 8 RG 9/627/68/p5 England and Wales Census 1861 9 RG 9/627/68/p5 England and Wales Census 1861 10 RG 10/1121/70/p1 England and Wales Census 1871 11 RG 10/1121/70/p1 England and Wales Census 1871 12 RG 10/1121/70/p1 England and Wales Census 1871 13 RG 11/1132/77/p7 England and Wales Census 1881 14 RG 11/1132/77/p7 England and Wales Census 1881 15 RG 11/1132/77/p7 England and Wales Census 1881 16 RG 12/848/63/p2 England and Wales Census 1891 17 RG 12/848/63/p2 England and Wales Census 1891 Last modified 12 May 2007 (c) Steven Berry 2007. All rights reserved.