Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Thomas ALFREY (1796-1872)

and Catherine PICKNELL (c1801-1856)

Thomas Allfrey and Katherine Picknell married by banns on 9 October 1818 at the parish church of St. Cosmas and St. Damian's in Keymer, Sussex.  He was then a bricklayer of Clayton, Sussex and she a spinster of Keymer.  The witnesses to the marriage were John Randell, Mary Picknell (possibly Katherine's mother?) and Richard Tully.  (They were not my direct ancestors.  Thomas was the brother of my 5x Great Grandmother, Ann Alfrey.)

Thomas Alfrey was baptised on 4 September 1796 at the parish church of St. Peter's in Henfield, Sussex.  He was the son of Philip Alfrey (1754-1835) and Mary Botting (c1753-1833).  He died aged 75 years on 30 March 1872 at Fair Place, Keymer.  He was then a retired builder and died from paralysis (a stroke?).  His death was registered by George Alfrey.

Catherine Picknell was baptised on 20 July 1801 at the parish church of Holy Trinity in Cuckfield, Sussex.  She was the daughter of Samuel Picknell (1769-?) and Mary Knight (1770-?) - see notes below.  She died on 28 June 1856 at St. Johns Common and her death certificate records that she was Catherine wife of Thomas Allfrey a bricklayer.  Her cause of death was bronchitis (21 days).  William Allfrey registered the death - he was probably her son, but he may have been her grandson.

When the 1841 census was recorded the family were living at Fordins in Clayton and Thomas was then a mason.  Also with them on census night was 20 year old agricultural labourer, William Williams (his name may have been wrongly recorded by the census enumerator and he was probably Thomas and Catherine's son William).  The previous household in the census return, also at Fordins, comprised of Mary Vinson (should be Vincent) aged 75 and Aldry Sheppard (Audrey) aged 24 years (probably grandmother and granddaughter).  By 1851 the family had moved to Keymer and Thomas was a bricklayer employing 4 men.  His mother-in-law, 80 year old widow, Mary Picknell was also living with them in 1851 and she was in receipt of parish relief from Cuckfield.  At the time of the 1861 census, Thomas was a 64 year old widower and bricklayer employing 10 men and 3 boys, and he was living in Saint John's, Keymer along with 2 of his children.  In 1871 Thomas was living with the family of his son George at Rose Cottage in London Road, Keymer.

Thomas Alfrey and Catherine Picknell had 8 or 9 children:

1. John Alfrey may have been part of this family.  He died aged 11 years and was buried on 17 August 1830 in Clayton.

2. William Allfrey was born about 1821 in Clayton.  He married 3 times, firstly to widow Audrey Sheppard in 1841, then Sarah Coles in 1851 and finally to Sarah Dale in 1856.  (They have their own page.)

3. Mary Alfrey was baptised on 23 July 1824 in Clayton.  In 1841 she was the eldest of her siblings living at home.

   Mary married Samuel Dufphoy on 15 January 1844 at St. Nicholas in Brighton.  Their fathers were named as Charles Dufphoy and Thomas Allfrey.

4. Henry Alfrey was born about 1827.  In 1841 he was 14 years old.

5. Catherine Allfrey was baptised on 5 April 1829 in Clayton and may have died as an infant.

6. Jane Alfrey was baptised on 10 July 1831 in Clayton.  She was 10 years old in 1841.

7. Catherine Alfrey was baptised on 18 May 1834 in Clayton.  The 1841 census records a 7 year old Caroline Alfrey was part of the family.  In 1861 she was 26 year old Caroline Allfrey and she was then unmarried and living with her father as his housekeeper.

8. Thomas Alfrey was born about 1837.  He was 4 years old when the 1841 census was recorded.  In 1851 he was a 14 year old errand boy living in the home of William Hollamby and his wife Sarah in the High Street, Hurstpierpoint.

   Thomas married Eliza Avery on 6 May 1859 in Keymer.  They were both then 21 years old and their fathers were named as Thomas Allfrey and Thomas Avery.

9. George Alfrey was born about 1840 in Keymer.  When the 1841 census was recorded he was 9 months old.  In 1851 he was a 10 year old scholar.  The 1861 census records that he was a 20 year old agricultural labourer living with his father and elder sister.

   George married Lucy Hendley in the third quarter of 1863 in the Lewes registration district.

   Lucy was born about 1840 in Chailey, Sussex.  (I have checked a transcript of the Chailey baptism register and could not find her baptism.)  She was the daughter of Samuel Hendly (c1804-?) and Mary Knight (c1810-?), who had married on 11 October 1832 in Chailey.  When the 1841 census was recorded Lucy was a year old and living with her parents on South Common, Chailey.  Samuel was then a labourer.  In 1851 she was an 11 year old scholar living with her parents at Ovensdean in Chailey and her father was then a labourer in a brickyard.  In 1861 Lucy was a 21 year old housemaid in the home of the Rector of Chailey, Francis R. Hepburn, at the Parsonage.

   When the 1871 census was recorded the family were living at Rose Cottage in London Road, Keymer and George was a master carpenter employing 3 men and an apprentice.  His father was also living with them at that time, and they also had a servant, 13 year old Emma Jupp.  The family were still living in Rose Cottage in 1881 and George was still a master carpenter.

   George and Lucy had the following known children:

   1. George Charles Allfrey was born about 1865 in Keymer.  He was a 6 year old scholar in 1871.  In 1881 he was a 17 year old carpenter.

   2. Catherine E. Allfrey was born in the first quarter of 1866 in Keymer.  She was a 5 year old scholar in 1871.  In 1881 she was 15 years old

   3. Thomas Henry Allfrey was born in the first quarter of 1869 in Keymer.  He was a year old when the 1871 census was recorded.  In 1881 he was 11 years old.

   4. Frank Egbert Allfrey was born in the second quarter of 1872 in Keymer.  In 1881 he was 9 years old.

   5. Lucy Maude M. Allfrey was born in the second quarter of 1873 in Keymer.  She was 8 years old in 1881.

Notes

Samuel Picknall and Mary Knight married by banns on 19 January 1790 in Lindfield, Sussex.  Samuel was then of Cuckfield and Mary of Lindfield.

Samuel Picknell was baptised on 1 February 1769 in Ardingly, Sussex and was the son of Samuel Picknell and Mary.  (The IGI implies that this Samuel married Ann Burnes or Bourn  by banns on 11 November 1794 in Cuckfield.  He was then a bachelor and she a spinster and they were both of Cuckfield.  It seems more likely to me that Ann's husband was baptised on 20 February 1767 in Cuckfield, the son of John Picknell and Ann.)

Samuel Picknell and Mary Huborn married by banns on 23 April 1765 in Ardingly, Sussex.  They were both then of Ardingly.  Samuel and Mary had another son, Edward Picknell, born in 1781 and he is mentioned elsewhere in this site.

Mary Knight was baptised on 11 January 1770 in Lindfield and was the daughter of Edward Knight and Elizabeth.

Edward Knight and Elizabeth Illman married on 15 April 1762 in Lindfield.

ALFREY