Ancestors of Mandy Willard

Richard SPICER (1804-1890)

and Sophia RICH (1806-1894)

Richard Spicer and Sophia Rich were married on 6 August 1827 at the parish church of St. Nicholas in Brighton, Sussex.  Richard was a bachelor and signed his name.  Sohpia was a spinster and made her X mark.  The witnesses to the marriage were William Burchall and John  Pocock who both signed their names.  William Burchall was probably the husband of Richard's half sister, Martha Howell.  (The couple were not my direct ancestors, but Richard was the brother of my 3x Great Grandfather, William Spicer.)

Richard Spicer was baptised on 11 January 1804 in Brighton.  He was the son of Richard Spicer (c1780-?) and Martha Howell (1778-1813).  He was a fisherman.  Richard died in 1890 aged 86 years.  His death was registered in the fourth quarter in the Brighton registration district.

Sophia Rich was baptised on 26 May 1806 in Rottingdean, Sussex.  She was the daughter of William Rich and Jane Marden.  She died aged 88 years and her death was registered in the first quarter of 1894 in the Brighton registration district.  According to the 1851 and 1881 census, Sophia was born in Brighton.

When the 1861 census was recorded the couple were living at 58 Russell Street, Brighton, and they were sharing the house with the family of their daughter and son-in-law, Edward Harman and Jane, and 50 year old Charles Robins and his 51 year old wife Susannah.

Richard Spicer and Sophia Rich had 7 known children:

1. William Richard Spicer was baptised on 26 October 1828 in Brighton.  He was not with his parents when the 1841 census was recorded.

2. James Spicer was baptised on 26 December 1830 in Brighton, and buried there on 9 February 1831.  The burial register records that he was an infant of Little Russell Street.

3. Sophia Spicer was baptised on 25 August 1833 in Brighton and buried there on 9 November 1835.  The burial register records that she died aged 2 years and was of Downs Court, Little Russell Street.

4. Henry Spicer was baptised on 5 June 1836 in Brighton.  He died aged 36 years in 1871.

   Did he marry Rosetta Rusbridge before 1861 or was it the Henry Spicer born in 1832?

   Henry married to Rosetta was a house painter.

   Rosetta was baptised on 5 April 1835 in West Firle, Sussex and was the daughter of William Rusbridge and Mary Burgess (who was a widow when she married William in 1820).

   After Henry's death his widow Rosetta Spicer married Thomas Martin in August 1873 in the Brighton, he was a bachelor.  In 1881 Thomas (aged 38) and Rosetta (aged 40) along with son George Martin (13) and daughters Rosetta Martin (10) and Clara Rose Martin (6), were living at 35 Warwick Street, Brighton and Thomas was a journeyman paper hanger.

   Henry and Rosetta had 5 known children:

   1. Louisa Rose Spicer was baptised on 14 January 1862 at St. Nicholas, Brighton (IGI date).  Her birth was registered in the second quarter of 1861.

   2. Henry William Spicer was born 31 October 1862 in Brighton.  In 1881 he was a plumber journeyman lodging in the home of his soon to be father-in-law Henry Greenfield at 41 Islingwood Street, Brighton.  On 5 June 1881, Henry married Elizabeth Ann Greenfield at St. Peters in Brighton.  She was baptised on 1 June 1862 at St. Nicholas, Brighton and her mother's name was Julia.

   3. Edward Richard Spicer was baptised on 4 October 1865 at St. Nicholas, Brighton.  In 1881 he was an 18 year old paperhanger lodging at the Fountain Inn at 10 Upper Bedford Street, Brighton.  He married in 1890.

   4. George Spicer was born in the third quarter of 1867 in Brighton.

   5. Rosetta Spicer was born 10 March 1870 in Brighton, and according to the IGI she was baptised on 22 October 1879 at St. Peters in Brighton (should this read 1870?).  She married in 1889.

5. Richard Thomas Spicer was born between 1838 and 1840 in Brighton.  He married Harriet Campbell on 16 July 1860 at St. Nicholas in Brighton.  She was born about 1840 in Brighton and was the daughter of Richard Campbell.

6. Jane Spicer was born on 22 February 1842 at 28 Great Russell Street and baptised on 1 May 1842 in Brighton.  (I have a copy of her birth certificate.)

   Jane married Edward Harman on 7 August 1860 at St. Nicholas, Brighton.  He was born about 1833 and was the son of Richard Jeffery Harman.  In 1861 they were living at 58 Russell Street, Brighton, which they were sharing with Jane's parents and another couple.  Edward was then a waterman.  Edward and Jane had the following known children (probably more):

   1. Louisa Sophia Harman was born in 1860 in Brighton.  She was 3 months old at the time of the 1861 census.

7. Louisa Fanny Spicer was baptised on 24 May 1846 at St. Nicholas in Brighton.  She died in 1855.

When the 1841 census was record, Richard, Sophia and sons Henry and Richard were living at 11 Friley Buildings, Brighton.  In 1851 the couple along with Henry, Richard, Jane and Louisa were at 58 Great Russell Street, Brighton.  By 1881 Richard and Sophia were alone at 5 Little Russell Street, Brighton and he was then a net mender.

SPICER