Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Charles FAIRS (1754-1832)

and Sarah WALKER (c1752-1832)

Charles Fairs and Sarah Walker married by licence on 5 April 1777 at St. Margaret's in Westminster, Middlesex.  Charles was then said to be a bachelor of East Grinstead, and Sarah a spinster of the parish of St. Margaret's.  (They were not my direct ancestors.)

Charles Fairs was baptised on 7 February 1754 in West Grinstead, Sussex.  He was the son of Richard Fairs (c1715-1788) and Mary Haybittle (1716-1800).  He died aged 78 years and was buried on 1 April 1832 in West Grinstead.

Sarah Walker may have been born about 1752.  The West Grinstead burial register records that a Widow Fairs died aged 80 years and was buried on 5 June 1832.

Charles and Sarah were buried together.  Their headstone notes that he died on 26 March 1832 aged 78, whilst she died on 1 May 1832 aged 80, as per a Sussex Family History Group transcript.

I am speculating, that compared to other Fairs families around at the time, Charles and Sarah were better off, as they were able to afford several headstones for their children.  Sadly they out lived 6 of their 7 children, although at the moment I don't know what became of their daughter Mary, who was born in 1782 and married in 1805.  Is it possible Charles left a will?

Charles Fairs and Sarah Walker had 7 known children:

1. Sarah Fairs was born in 1778.  She died aged 20 years on 27 November 1798, as per the headstone she shares with her 3 sisters.  The headstone in West Grinstead churchyard also notes that all 4 girls were the daughters of Charles and Sarah Fairs.  (I have not found her baptism in the IGI.)

2. John Fairs was baptised on 21 March 1779 in West Grinstead.  He died aged 42 years in Brighton and was buried on 7 February 1821 in West Grinstead.  His headstone records that he died on 2 February 1821, aged 42 years and that he was the son of Charles and Sarah Fairs.  The headstone also remembers John's son also named John Fairs who died aged 6 months on 9 January 1818.

   John may have married Ann Newington by banns on 29 September 1803 in Brighton.  He was then a bachelor and she a spinster and they were both of Brighton.

   Another John Fairs was born in West Grinstead in 1777 and yet another John Fayers was born in Nuthurst in 1778.  One of the John Fairs was named as the putative father of a daughter, Rebecca Stoner who was born on 3 February 1801 in the Cowfold poorhouse to Sarah Stoner and baptised on 15 March 1801 in Cowfold.

3. Mary Fairs was baptised on 10 November 1782 in West Grinstead.

   Mary married Henry Boniface by banns on 16 April 1805 in West Grinstead.  The witnesses to the their marriage were Charles Fairs and William Gratwick.

   Henry was baptised on 27 August 1780 in Woodmancote, Sussex and was the son of James Boniface (1750-1829) and Ann Stearley (1755-1838).  He died or was buried on 30 January 1850 in Nuthurst.

   Henry and Mary had the following children:

   1. Sophia Boniface was baptised on 13 October 1807 in Nuthurst.  She married Henry Martin by banns on 11 July 1834 in West Grinstead.  The witnesses to their marriage were Henry Boniface and Mary Boniface.

   2. Charles Boniface was baptised on 1 October 1809 in Nuthurst.  He may have married Eliza Jupp on 26 December 1832 in Nuthurst.  They were both then of Nuthurst.

   3. Mary Boniface was baptised on 19 April 1812 in Nuthurst.

   4. Catherine Boniface was baptised on 1 February 1818 in Nuthurst.

      Catherine married Charles Nathan Stoner by banns on 8 February 1837 in West Grinstead.  He was then a widower of Henfield.  The witnesses to their marriage were Henry Simmonds and Mary Boniface.

      Charles had previously married Eliza Eamey Knight on 3 December 1834 in Henfield.  He was born on 23 April 1812 and baptised on 10 May 1812 in Henfield, the son of John Stoner and Bethia (probably Elizabeth Evans).

4. Elizabeth Fairs was baptised on 6 January 1785 in West Grinstead.  She died aged 18 years on 25 August 1803, as per the headstone she shares with her 3 sisters.

5. Charlotte Fairs was baptised on 7 June 1786 in West Grinstead.  She died aged 29 years and was buried on 28 October 1816 in West Grinstead.  The headstone she shares with her 3 sisters notes that she died on 23 October 1816.

6. Ann Fairs was baptised on 25 March 1788 in West Grinstead.  She died aged 1 year and 8 months on 3 December 1789, as per her headstone which she shares with her 3 sisters.

7. Susannah Fairs was baptised on 1 October 1790 in West Grinstead.  She may have married James Coates on 6 June 1813 at the Catholic church in West Grinstead and/or by banns on 7 June 1813 at St. Nicholas in Brighton, at which time she was a spinster and he a bachelor and they were both of Brighton.

Charles most probably took on the following children:

1. John Turrell on 17 June 1816, as an apprentice.

2. John Turl on 11 February 1817, as an apprentice.

3. Alex Turl on 14 March 1822 was boarded out to Charles, and again on 23 February 1823.

4. William Gates on 17 February 1824 was boarded out to Charles, and on 15 February 1825, and again on 6 April 1826 when he was aged 15.  He was baptised as William Agate on 4 August 1810 in West Grinstead, the son of Thomas Agate (c1782-1842) and Mary Bacon (c1787-1861).

5. Mary Gates aged 13 years on 6 April 1826 was boarded out to Charles, and again the following year on 6 April 1827 when she was 14 years old.  She was baptised as Mary Agate on 18 October 1812 in West Grinstead, the daughter of Thomas Agate and Mary Bacon.

6. Leauazer Osborne aged 14 years on 6 April 1829 was boarded out to Charles.

7. Hannah Jackson may have been boarded out to Charles on 17 February 1824, but the SRS poor law database records that it was G. Fairs.

8. William Hillman may have been boarded out to Charles on 6 April 1827, but the SRS poor law database only records he went to Mr. Faires.

9. James Stringer (I couldn't find him in the poor law database).

Several other poor children of the parish of West Grinstead were apprenticed or boarded out to Thomas Fairs.  Thomas, although married had no children of his own.  Therefore, both Thomas and Charles most probably had room in their households to take in children, and also in need of cheap labour on their land.

FAIRS