Hezekiah SHARPE (1793-1872)

and Lucy MOORE (1789-1833)

and Ann AKHURST (c1811-1892)

Hezekiah Sharpe and Lucy Moore married on 20 September 1814 in Capel, Surrey.  (They were not my direct ancestors.  Lucy was the Great Grand Niece of 2 of my 6x Great Grandmothers.)  As a widower, Hezekiah married Ann Akhurst on 1 February 1835 in Upper Beeding, Sussex.

Hezekiah Sharpe was baptised on 27 December 1793 in Horsham, Sussex.  He was the son of John Sharpe and Hannah Munnery.  He died aged 78 years and was buried on 20 August 1872 in Cowfold, Sussex.

Click on the images for a larger view.  From left to right they are:  (1) Hezekiah may have lived in the house at some time.  The lower roof was once the Smithy and is now a shop.  His grave is not the one in the foreground, but the one right near the house in front of the bush.  It is the only one by the church path to the Lytch Gate.  (2) The Crab Tree public house was most probably Hezekiah's local.  According to his death certificate he died near the pub.  (3) Hezekiah's headstone with some flowers placed their by his 3x Great Granddaughter.  (4)  Crabtree Smithy  Thanks to Rita for the photographs.  (After viewing the larger images, click on your back arrow to return to this page.)

Lucy Moore was baptised on 13 September 1789 in Cowfold.  She was the daughter of James Moore (1762-1843) and Mary Dale (c1765-1811).  Lucy died aged 43 years and was buried on 16 July 1833 in Cowfold.

Ann Akhurst was born about 1811 in Cowfold, as per the census, but her baptism does not seem to have been recorded in the Cowfold parish register.  She died aged 81 years on 22 February 1892 in Hurstpierpoint and was buried on 27 February 1892 in Cowfold, along with her husband.

The 1841 census records that Hezekiah and Ann along with his 6 children were living in Lower Beeding.  When the 1851 census was recorded Hezekiah was a 56 year old blacksmith and gave his place of birth as Horsham.  Ann was then 40 years old and the couple and his 2 sons were then living in Dudney's Cottage in Cowfold.  In 1861 the couple were living alone at Crabtree in Cowfold.  Hezekiah was then a 66 year old blacksmith and he was employing 1 man.

St. Peter's Church, Cowfold - thanks to Rita for this photograph

Hezekiah Sharpe and Lucy Moore had 9 known children:

1. William Sharpe was baptised on 9 October 1814 in Cowfold.  The baptism register records that his father was a blacksmith.

   William married Anne Wakeford.  Banns of marriage were published in April 1838 in Twineham, Sussex, at which time William was said to be a bachelor of Cuckfield and Ann a spinster of Twineham.

   When the 1851 census was recorded William was 35 years old and Ann 39.  They were living at Thatched Barn in Lower Beeding along with 5 children.  William was then an agricultural labourer.  Ann's place of birth may have been recorded as Dunton, Sussex.

   William and Ann had the following children:

   1. William Hezekiah Sharp was baptised on 31 March 1839 in Bolney, Sussex.  He was an 11 year old at the time of the 1851 census.  William married Ann Boniface on 19 April 1862 in Nuthurst.

   2. Ellen Sharp was baptised on 7 May 1841 in Bolney.  She was 9 years old in 1851.

   3. Caroline Gainy Sharp was baptised on 13 October 1844 in Lower Beeding, at which time her father was a labourer.  The 1851 census records that she was 6 years old.

   4. Reuben Sharp was baptised on 29 August 1847 in Lower Beeding, at which time his father was a labourer.  He was 3 years old in 1851.

   5. Frederick Sharpe was baptised on 25 December 1849 in Lower Beeding, at which time his father was a labourer.  At the time of the 1851 census he was a year old.

   6. Harry Sharp was baptised on 30 July 1854 in Lower Beeding, at which time his father was a labourer.

2. George Sharpe was baptised on 24 November 1816 in Cowfold.  The baptism register records that his father was a blacksmith.  He died aged 55 years and was buried on 27 June 1872 in Lower Beeding.  The 1841 census records that he was a 20 year old blacksmith and the eldest of his siblings living at home.

   George married Ann Feist in the second quarter of 1844 in the Horsham registration distict.

   Ann was born about 1824 in Nuthurst, Sussex.  She died aged 67 years and was buried on 13 March 1891 in Lower Beeding.

   In 1851 George, Ann and 2 daughters were living in Lower Beeding, either with or next door to William Feast (c1786-?) and his wife Mary (c1789-?) at Hop Garden.  When the 1861 census was recorded the couple and their 5 children were living in Maplehurst within the parish of Nuthurst, along with an unmarried 67 year old boarder, George Carman who was a blacksmith from Epsom, Surrey.  George was then a 45 year old blacksmith and Ann was a 37 year old beer shop keeper.

   George and Ann had the following children:

   1. Emily Sharp was baptised on 22 December 1844 in Lower Beeding, at which time her father was a blacksmith.  She was a 6 year old scholar in 1851.  In 1861 she was a 16 year old domestic servant and she was living at home with her parents.

   2. Harriet Sharp was baptised on 8 November 1846 in Lower Beeding, at which time her father was a blacksmith.  She died aged 2 years and 5 months at Plummers Plain and was buried on 21 March 1848 in Lower Beeding.

   3. Eliza Sharp was baptised on 22 August 1848 in Lower Beeding, at which time her father was a blacksmith.  The 1851 census records that she was a year old.  She was a 12 year old scholar in 1861.

   4. George Sharpe was born about 1851/2 in Nuthurst.  In 1861 he was a 10 year old scholar.  He died aged 74 years on 17 April 1925.  Please click on the image to the right for a larger view of his headstone - thanks to Rita for this picture.

      George married Harriet Vinall by banns on 19 February 1876 in Lower Beeding.  He was then a 24 year old sawyer from Brighton, whilst she was a 25 year old spinster.  Their fathers were named as George Sharpe and William Vinall.  The witnesses to their marriage were Harry Vinall and Clara Eveline Vinall.

      Harriet was baptised, along with her twin sister Margaret Vinall, on 2 June 1851 in Lower Beeding, at which time their father was a bricklayer.  The twins were the daughters of William Vinall and Ann Woolgar.  She died aged 81 years on 17 July 1932 and was buried with her husband in the church yard of Holy Trinity Church, Lower Beeding.  When the 1861 census was recorded Harriet and Margaret were 9 years old and living with their parents in Mill Lane, Lower Beeding.  Their father was then a 70 year old bricklayer from Cowfold and their mother was 54 years old and she was born in West Grinstead.  Their parents were buried in Lower Beeding.  Their mother died aged 67 years and was buried on 27 December 1874 and their father died aged 92 years and was buried on 8 November 1877.  (William was baptised on 24 July 1791 in Cowfold and was the son of John Vinall and Ann Richardson.  Ann was baptised on 10 April 1808 in West Grinstead and was the daughter of Stephen Woolgar and Margaret Packham.)

      George and Harriet had the following children:

      1. Agnes Rose Sharp was born on 15 June 1885 and baptised in August 1885 in Lower Beeding, at which time her father was a carrier.

      2. Dorothea Margaret Sharp was born on 21 January 1895 and baptised on 3 March 1895 in Lower Beeding, at which time her father was a coal merchant.  She died as a child and was buried in Lower Beeding.

      3. Frederic Ralph Sharp was born on 6 September 1896 and baptised on 1 November 1896 in Lower Beeding, at which time his father was a coal merchant.

   5. John Sharpe was born about 1855 in Nuthurst.  He was 6 years old in 1861.

   6. Mary Ann Sharpe was born about 1857 in Nuthurst.  At the time of the 1861 census she was 4 years old.

   7. William Sharpe was baptised on 14 August 1864 in Lower Beeding, at which time his father was a smith. 

3. Harriet Sharpe was baptised on 11 November 1819 in Cowfold, at which time her father was a blacksmith.

   Harriet married James Sayers on 10 July 1836 in Upper Beeding, Sussex.  (Note, before 1840 Lower Beeding and Upper Beeding records were combined.)

   James may have died aged 45 years and have been buried on 5 May 1847 in Lower Beeding.

   James and Harriet had the following daughter:

   1. Eliza Sayers was baptised on 4 September 1842 in Lower Beeding, at which time her father was a labourer.  When the 1851 census was recorded she was 8 years old and living with the family of her mother's sister, Eliza.

4. Eliza Sharpe was baptised on 1 July 1821 in Cowfold, at which time her father was a blacksmith.  She married Edmund Mitchell in 1841.  (They have their own page.)

5. James Sharpe was baptised on 26 October 1823 in Cowfold, at which time his father was a blacksmith.  Like his father he was a blacksmith.  In 1841 he was said to be a 15 year old labourer living at home.  He married Mary.

6. Emily Sharpe was baptised on 23 April 1826 in Cowfold, at which time her father was a blacksmith.

7. Daniel Sharpe was baptised on 30 December 1827 in Cowfold, at which time his father was a blacksmith.  He was 13 years old at the time of the 1841 census.  In 1851 he was living with his father and step mother and he was then a 24 year old agricultural labourer.

8. Joseph Sharpe was baptised on 1 December 1830 in Cowfold, at which time his father was a blacksmith.  A transcript of headstones in Cowfold churchyard records that Joseph died aged 74 years on 7 April 1906.  He was 10 years old in 1841.  In 1851 he was a 22 year old blacksmith and living at home with his father and step mother.

   Joseph married Ann Woolven by banns on 2 July 1859 in Cowfold.  He was then a bachelor and blacksmith, whilst she was a spinster.  Their fathers were named as Hezekiah Sharp a blacksmith and Thomas Woolven a labourer.  The witnesses to their marriage were Peter Woollven and Charlotte Ann Williner.  The banns were published in Cowfold on 12, 19 and 26 June 1859.

   Ann was buried with her husband and their headstone records that she died aged 47 years on 4 April 1884, therefore, she was born about 1837.

   Joseph and Ann had the following children:

   1. James Aubrey Sharp was baptised on 8 January 1860 in Lower Beeding, at which time his father was a blacksmith.

9. Mary Sharpe was baptised on 1 December 1830 in Cowfold.  She was 10 years old in 1841.

   Mary married Richard Comber on 15 November 1851 in Slaugham.

   Richard was baptised on 26 December 1824 in Slaugham, Sussex and was the son of John Comber (1795-1839) and Sarah Wood (1795-1850).  He died in 1898.  Richard was a mason.

AKEHURST          SHARPE