Samuel & Mary Elphick of Pevensey

Samuel Elphick was probably born around 1725 but no baptism has been found.

Mary Wenham, daughter of William and Mary, was baptised in Pevensey on 6th October 1737.

Mary had an illegitimate daughter baptised in Pevensey. No father was named but it could well have been Samuel Elphick as they married the following year:

Jane Wenham

16 Sep 1759

On 20th May 1760 Samuel Elphick married Mary Wenham in Pevensey where they had the following children baptised:

John

2 Aug 1761

born 19 July

Richard

1 Jul 1763

born 7 June

Samuel

4 Nov 1765

born 8 October

Mary

8 Oct 1767

born 19 September

Ann

28 Dec 1769

born 28 December

William

5 Jul 1772

born 21 June

Elizabeth

1 Jan 1775

born 5 Nov 1774

Edward

1 Jan 1779

Samuel was buried in Pevensey on 1st August 1784, aged 59.

Mary was buried in Pevensey on 24th December 1803, aged 65.

Of their children:

  • John married Benedicta Gearing, a minor, in Westham on 30th June 1781 and they had the following children:

    Benedicta

    2 Jun 1782

    Willingdon

    George

    8 Feb 1784

    Willingdon

    Barbara

    2 Mar 1786

    Willingdon

    Cassandra

    1 Jan 1788

    Hailsham

    Elizabeth

    25 Oct 1789

    Hailsham

    James

    26 Feb 1792

    Willingdon

    Jemima

    4 Aug 1793

    Willingdon

    John

    26 July 1795

    Willingdon

    Ruth

    11 Jun 1797

    Willingdon

    John was buried in Willingdon on 23rd January 1811 and Benedicta re-married, to Richard Mewett, in 1818. In 1841 she was in Westham and William Elphick and Hannah Wood were in the same house. William was the husband of Benedicta’s daughter Jemima, and Hannah was Benedicta’s grand-daughter, the daughter of Elizabeth. Benedicta was buried in Willingdon on 27th November 1845.

  • Richard married Sarah Wratten and lived in Wartling.

  • Samuel married Elizabeth Ticehurst in Wartling on 7 June 1796 and the ceremony was witnessed by a William Elphick, probably his brother. Samuel and Elizabeth had two children baptised in Wartling:

    Jane Eliza

    8 July 1798

    Herstmonceux

    Samuel

    15 Jun 1799

    Wartling

    Edward

    8 Jul 1803

    Wartling

    It is possible that they moved to Herstmonceux, although no further children appear there, as a Samuel of Herstmonceux aged 68 was buried in Wartling on 28 November 1832. Elizabeth, aged 67, was buried in Wartling on 30 October 1833.

  • William married Elizabeth Walters in Wartling on 10 December 1792 and the marriage was witnessed by William's brother Richard. William and Elizabeth had a number of children baptised in Wartling, where he worked as a farmer:

    Samuel

    17 Mar 1793

    Mary

    16 Aug 1795

    Elizabeth

    21 Jan 1798

    Sarah

    8 May 1803

    Edward

    1 Dec 1805

    Walter

    15 May 1814

    The Sussex Poll Book for 1837 shows William at Marsh Foot and Tindal's Marsh. In 1841 William and Elizabeth were at Marsh Foot with their son Edward. Also there were George Elphick who was Elizabeth’s illegitimate son baptised in Wartling on 26th November 1820, and James Elphick. James was baptised in Wartling on 19th March 1826, the son of William and Mary Elphick but how they were related to William and Elizabeth is not known. Marsh Foot Farm still exists.

    Elizabeth was buried in Wartling on 8th November 1846 and William on 11th December 1849.

  • Edward and his wife, Sarah, had 5 children baptised in East Grinstead:

    Jane Austin

    2 May 1819

    Louisa Maria

    6 May 1821

    Walter

    8 Dec 1822

    Charlotte

    5 Dec 1824

    Edward Henry

    8 Jul 1827

    Three of their children; Jane Charlotte and Edward were recorded in East Grinstead in 1841 but their parents were not present and have not been found.

    In 1851 Edward was a butcher living in High Street, East Grinstead, with Sarah, daughter Louisa Simes, son Edward and 2-year-old grandson Austin Channing.

    Edward was buried in Ditchling, aged 81, on 27th January 1860.

    In 1861 Sarah was a ‘fancy shop keeper’ in Ditchling. She was buried in Hurstpierpoint, where her daughter Jane Channing lived, on 30th August 1870 aged 76.