08.18.07
Farley a Gentleman and Swain a baker
A copy of the marriage certificate for 1855 of William Nix Farley and Elizabeth Swain arrived at my home August 2007.
Another step to the past William Farley is shown as living at Underdown Street, Herne Bay, Kent, son of Thomas Farley a Gentleman. And Elizabeth as living at Charles Street, Herne Bay, Kent, daughter of Gayler Swain a Baker by trade. Gayler Swain and Lydia Farley were witnesses to the marriage.
It appears form internet searching that Gayler Swain was baptised in 1809 at Willesborough, Kent, a suburb of Ashford. William Nix Farley and Elizabeth left England for Australia not long after their marriage as their first child was born in 1856 in Sydney, Australia.
I have used the on line directories to find both Thomas Farley and Gayler Swain listed in 1858 Melville & Co.’s Directory & Gazetteer of Kent. This confirms Thomas Farley is a Gentry and Gayler Swain is a Baker at the stated addresses on the marriage certificate in 1855. I am very pleased to have a little more knowledge.
Terry Wills said,
December 3, 2007 at 7:07 am
Have you ever managed to view a copy of the 1851 census which shows both the families you are interested in living at the addresses you describe?
If not, if you contact me at the e-mail adress shown, I will tell you how to find it or can send you a copy as an attachment.
By way of explanation I am doing some research that slightly involves the Swain family from Willesborough. All The 7 sons in that family were bakers or master bakers in various towns in Kent. Now a days they would have got together and arranged a consortium, but back then I suspect they were just pleased to have food on the table.
Anyway contact me if you are still seeking this information.
Regards
Terry Wills
Chris Allen said,
September 8, 2008 at 7:47 am
Thanks for your email of May this year. I think you saw my tree on Genes Reunited. I agree with you about indiscriminate family history work. I have had cause to question some contacts with links to my tree which turn out to be based on slender assumptions, unchecked family folklore etc. To be fair I’ve also had emails which have put me right on mistakes i’ve made!
My work which led me back to Wye and area and Kent was carried out some years ago by Gillian Rickard who is a leading if not the leading genealogist for Kent.
My ancestor William Allen married Mary Ann Swain at Wye on Oct 4 1849. He was age 36; and she aged 20. Her father was Abraham Swain a baker. In the 1851 census they were living at Bridge St Wye. Mary Ann’s father remarried and was living at Church St with their two children and five of his previous marriage. He was born at Willesborough. The 1851 census lists other Allen and Swain families in Wye.
Gillian traced my Allen ancestors back in Wye to the early 1700’s about as far as its possible to go. I think they had been there for generations before that.
William and Mary were the last generation of my Allens to live in Wye. Driven (I believe) to Canterbury for work, at the time of the agricultural revolution when machines took the work on the land previously done by hand, they went first to Canterbury, the nearest big town, and then the next generation to the growing metropolis of London, where i was born.
Have you visited Wye? Its a lovely place and its size indicates its former importance. There are many Allen tombs in the churchyard and a couple of monuments in the Church.
Good luck
Chris Allen