Ashby SPICER (1788-1855) and Esther KENT (1790-1862)

Ancestors of Mandy Willard

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Ashby SPICER (1788-1855)

and Esther KENT (1790-1862)

Ashby Spicer and Esther Kent were married by banns on 10 December 1816 at the parish church of St. Nicholas in Brighton, Sussex. They were both then of Brighton. The witnesses to the marriage were Edmund Gibbs and Emma Shrivell. (They were not my direct ancestors. Ashby was most probably a cousin of my 4x Great Grandfather, Richard Spicer who was born about 1780.)

Ashby Spicer was baptised on 2 November 1788 in Brighton. He was the son of John Spicer (1750-1809) and Mary Downer (c1755-1847). Ashby was a carpenter. The death of Ashby Spicer was registered in the first quarter of 1855 in Brighton - I don't know for certain that this was 1788 Ashby's death.

Esther Kent was baptised on 24 May 1790 at St. Nicholas in Brighton. She was the daughter of Thomas Kent and Esther Upton. In 1841 she was a laundress. The death of an Esther Spicer was registered in the third quarter of 1852 and another in the first quarter of 1862 in Brighton. The 1861 census records there was a 78 year old widow named Esther Spicer living in the Brighton workhouse. She was then said to be a laundress who was born in Brighton. Going back to the 1851 census, there only seems to be 1790 Esther living in Brighton, so I think it possible that Ashby's Esther was the one who died in 1862, but I/we need to check either the death certificate or burial register.

When the 1841 census was recorded the family were living in Artillery Street, Brighton. By 1851 they had moved to 16 Suffolk Place in Brighton. In 1847, William Marchant son George Marchant (1820-?) and Elizabeth Redman (1820-?) was born at 16 Suffolk Place (ref. 1). The Marchant family had moved to 2 Suffolk Cottages by the time of the 1851 census. I think Suffolk Place may have been in Cannon Street, which runs parallel, north south, with Artillery Street. The 1851 census records that at 3 and 4 Suffolk Place stood the Hope Inn and on an old map of Brighton the Hope Hotel was at the top of Cannon Street.

Ashby Spicer and Esther Kent had 9 known children:

Ashby Thomas Spicer was baptised on 2 March 1817 at St. Nicholas, Brighton, at which time the family were living in Bedford Row. He died aged 51 years and his death was registered in the second quarter of 1869 in the Brighton registration district.
Ashby Thomas married Catherine Harvey in the second quarter of 1845 in the St. George Hanover Square registration district.
When the 1851 census was recorded Ashby Thomas and his 26 year old wife Catherine were living at 3 Princes Row in the parish of St. George, Hanover Square, Westminster, London and he was a 34 year old painter. She was born in Pimlico, Middlesex.
Ashby Thomas and Catherine had 3 known children (possibly more):
1. Catherine Spicer was born about 1846 in Chelsea, Middlesex. In 1851 she was a 5 year old scholar.
2. Esther Spicer was born about 1849 in Pimlico. She was 2 years old in 1851.
3. Ellen Spicer was born in 1851 in Pimlico. When the 1851 census was recorded she was 3 months old.
Richard Spicer was baptised on 21 February 1819 in Brighton, at which time the family were living in Upper Russell Street. When the 1841 census was recorded he was a brass founder and living with his parents.
Samuel Richard Spicer was baptised on 4 March 1821 in Brighton, at which time the family were living in Upper Russell Street. He was not living with his parents in 1841.
Thomas Spicer was baptised on 29 June 1823 in Brighton, at which time the family were living in Suffolk Place. In 1841 he was a carpenter.
Thomas married Jane Collins Gillam on 9 October 1843 at St. Nicholas, Brighton. She was the daughter of Jacob Collins Gillam.
Did Thomas also marry Elizabeth?
Thomas may have had the following children:
1. Thomas Spicer was born about 1841 in Brighton.
2. William Spicer was born about 1843 in Brighton.
3. Jane Spicer was born about 1844 in Brighton.
4. Rhoda Spicer was born about 1846 in Brighton and baptised on 9 November 1853 at St. Nicholas.
5. Elizabeth Esther Spicer was born about 1851 in Brighton and baptised on 9 November 1853 at St. Nicholas.
6. Ashby Matthew Spicer was baptised on 1 February 1858 in Brighton.
When the 1851 census was recorded the family were living at 11 Suffolk Place.
Esther Ann Spicer was baptised on 8 January 1826 in Brighton, at which time the family were living in Suffolk Place. She died aged 50 years and her death was registered in the fourt quarterof 1875 in the Brighton registration district.
Esther Ann married Henry Parker Harman on 6 December 1846 in Brighton. At the time of their marriage Henry was a Carpenter of 3 Black Lion Street and Esther was of 5 Artillery Streeter. They were both of full age. Henry signed his name whilst Esther made her mark. The witnesses were William Spicer (marked) and John Shelley (signed).
Henry was baptised on 27 July 1823 in Brighton and was the son of Henry Parker Harman (a fisherman) and Ann Shrivell (1800-?). At the time of his baptism his father was a fisherman and the family were living in Black Lion Street.
Henry and Esther had 4 known children:
1. Henry Spicer was baptised on 1 June 1845 at St. Nicholas, Brighton, at which time his mother was of Artillery Street.
2. Thomas Parker Harman was baptised on 6 December 1857 in Brighton.
3. Richard Ashby Harman was baptised on 23 April 1860 in Brighton.
4. Esther Elizabeth Harman was baptised on 5 May 1862 in Brighton.
William Spicer was baptised on 10 February 1828 in Brighton, at which time the family were living in Suffolk Place.
William married Catherine Godley on 17 June 1849 at St. Nicholas, Brighton. At the time William was a carpenter of 5 Artillery Street and Catherine was of 80 Kings Road. The witnesses to the marriage were Henry Parker Harman and Mary Godley.
Catherine was baptised on 20 May 1827 in Southwick, Sussex and was the daughter of Stephen Godley, a shepherd, and Mary Ann Gower.
William and Catherine had 4 known children:
1. William Ashby Spicer was born about 1849 in Brighton. He married Martha Read on 30 August 1870 in Brighton. She was born about 1854 in Kingston, near Lewes, Sussex and was the daughter of Henry Read.
2. Catherine Elizabeth Spicer was baptised on 6 April 1851 in Brighton.
3. Emma Henrietta Spicer was baptised on 17 July 1853 in Brighton.
4. Anna Maria Spicer was baptised on 17 September 1854 in Brighton.
Mary Spicer was baptised on 20 February 1830 in Brighton and buried there on 28 February 1830, at which time the family were living in Suffolk Place.
Henry Spicer was baptised on 15 January 1832 in Brighton, at which time the family were living in Suffolk Place. He may have died aged 48 years and his death registered in the third quarter of 1879 in the Brighton registration district. When the 1851 census was recorded he was a carpenter living with his parents.
Did he marry Grace Harris Geary or Hornsberry on 26 October 1851, or Louisa Burchell in 1851? (I haven't seen either marriage certificate for the names of the fathers.) Another Henry Spicer was also born in 1832.
When the 1861 census was recorded, Harry, Grace and their 3 children were lodging in the home of Samuel Harmer and his wife Caroline at 7 Wellington Place, Brighton. Harry was then a 29 year old carpenter and Grace a 26 year old laundress. In 1871, Henry was the head of the household at 7 Wellington Place and he was then a 44 year old carpenter. Grace was then said to be 39.
The 1881 census records that a 40 year old widow, Grace Spicer was living in the Brighton workhouse as a charwoman.
Henry and Grace had 9 known children:
1. Esther Spicer was baptised on 18 April 1852 in Brighton.
2. Elizabeth Spicer was baptised on 20 February 1854 in Brighton. In 1861 she was a 7 year old scholar. She was a 19 year old ironer in 1871 and living at home. Elizabeth married William Long on 23 December 1873 at St. Nicholas, Brighton. He was born about 1849 and was the son of William Henry Long.
3. Henry Spicer was born in 1856 in Brighton. He was a 5 year old scholar in 1861 and a 15 year old fisherman in 1871.
4. Eliza Emma Spicer was baptised on 21 March 1858 in Brighton.
5. George Spicer was born in 1860 in Brighton. He was a year old at the time of the 1861 census. His death may have been registered in the fourth quarter of 1861 in Brighton.
6. William Spicer was born in 1862 in Brighton. In 1871 he was a 9 year old scholar.
7. Fanny Mercy Spicer was baptised on 31 July 1864 in Brighton. In 1871, Mercy was a 7 year old scholar. Mercy married twice, firstly to Joseph Thomas Johns in 1886 and then to William Charles Avery in 1906.
8. Frederic Spicer was born in 1867 in Brighton. In 1871 he was a 4 year old scholar.
9. Charles Spicer was born in 1870 in Brighton. He was 6 months old at the time of the 1871 census.
Many thanks to Bob Johnson for details about the children of Henry and Grace.
Harriet Hannah Spicer was baptised on 13 October 1833 in Brighton. In 1851 she was 17 years old and living at home with her parents and elder brother.

Ref. 1 - many thanks to Angela Emmerton for telling me that William Marchant was born at 16 Suffolk Place in 1847.

SPICER