John Ash & Sarah Cross


John ASH [006]
Sarah CROSS [007]
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    These are the parents of Jane Ash who married James Horn Osborn at Broadclyst Devon in 1839
>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

28/1/1785 to 27/1/1786 - A Sarah Ash (who had a husband John and a dau Elizabeth, and was buried in Broadclyst cemetery Devon in 1856) was born. [c]
    This is undoubtably the mother of Jane Ash, but her own origins are unclear at this time. Of the three options below from the IGI (which could simply mean the right one was never transcribed) I tend towards the dau of WILLIAM CROSS and ELIZABETH ... of Huxham. Huxham is a small "manor estate" parish, two parishes north of Exeter, and two parishes west of Broadclyst, where the first Ash children were bapt. Only the 1851 Census should fix this Place of Birth uncertainty. 

    WILLIAM CROSS may have been the one bapt at St George Exeter 20/5/1759 to John and Mary Cross, and ELIZABETH the one bapt to Joseph and Anne Wills at St Olave Exeter 21/1/1759, and were the ones who married at St Mary Arches Exeter 9/7/1786. This at least puts all three events in adjoining parishes in the heart of Exeter city, and gives the only apparent source for the TWO tries at a `Joseph'-named child of John and Sarah Ash, as this would give Sarah both an uncle and a grandfather named Joseph.  [a] 

    The only down side is that the Sarah born to William and Elizabeth at Huxham was bapt "abt" 24/7/1785 acc to the IGI, a couple of weeks short of one full year before their marriage, although all other children of this couple (all bapt at Huxham) arrive in steady intervals from 1788, although oddly two of these also show an "abt" date on the IGI. What this family group does provide though, is both a brother and a father named William Cross, as per the witness at Sarah's wedding.  [b] 

25/1/1784 - A Sarah Cross was bapt to a Richard Cross and Ann .... at Feniton Devon (10km E of B'clyst)  [a] 

8/7/1785 - A Sarah Cross was bapt to an Edward Cross and Elizabeth Wood at Halberton Devon (15km N of B'clyst)  [a] 

abt 24/7/1785 - A Sarah Cross was bapt to a William Cross and Elizabeth .... at Huxham Devon (3km W of Broadclyst)  [a] 

25/5/1786 to 24/5/1787 - A John Ash (who had a wife Sarah and a dau Elizabeth, and was buried in Broadclyst cemetery Devon in 1874) was born. [c] 

8/4/1786 to 7/4/1787 - A John Ash (who had a daughter Elizabeth, and was living at Broadclyst in 1861) was born in Broadclyst Devon  [h]

    Assuming that both date ranges above are correct, being based on stated ages as at a census and death, there are two possibilities (on the IGI) for John's origins, both shown below. Both places are about 6 parishes west of Broadclyst where `the' John Ash married, had his family, and died, although Huxham (his wife's possibly birthplace) is between these two places, and Broadclyst, implying some kind of `westward migration'? 

8/2/1787 - A John Ash was bapt to a John Ash and Joan .??. of Whitestone Devon (5km W of Exeter)  [a]
    (Other kids - Maria 1784, William 1781) 

18/3/1787 - A John Ash was bapt to a John Ash and Sarah Bradford of Sandford Devon (8km NW of Exeter)  [a]
    (Other kids - William 1791, James 1796) 

9/3/1809 to 8/3/1810 - Jane Ash Osborn (who aged 29 married a James Horn Osborn in Exeter Devon, and had a dau Dinah Sarah], was born to John Ash, a Coachman, in Broadclist Devon.  [f] 

---------- MARRIED ----------- 

1/1/1812 - A John Ash married a Sarah Cross at Broadclist Devon  [a] 

1/1/1812 - A John Ash and a Sarah Cross, both "of this parish", married by banns at Broadclyst Devon, both signed with an "X", witnesses William Cross (prob brother or father, who signed with an "X") and a William Francis.    [ b ? ] 

1/11/1812 - A Jane was bapt at Broadclyst, to John Ash and Sarah ....  [a]  [b ?] 

2/4/1815 - A John was bapt at Broadclyst, to John Ash and Sarah .... [a]  [b ?] 

4/1/1818 - A Joseph was bapt at Broadclyst, to John Ash and Sarah .... [a]  [b ?]
     (Appears to have died as an infant) 

16/1/1820 - A Joseph was bapt at Broadclyst, to John Ash and Sarah .... [a]  [b ?]
    (Some bapt records show father John as a "Labourer" - where did I get this??  Sons John, and both Josephs above, show parents "of Thurleigh [hard to read, could even be `Etherlis' or something similar] Bridge". Unfortunately the 1841 Census header which also mentions a bridge is also indistinct). [b][e] 

4/10/1823 - A Mary was born at Silverton, to John and Sarah Ash [b ?] 

5/10/1823 - A Mary was bapt at Silverton, to John Ash and Sarah .... [a] 

26/4/1829 - An Elizabeth was bapt at Silverton, to John Ash and Sarah .... [a]  [b ?] 

8/4/1829 to 7/4/1830 - Elizabeth Ash (who had a father John Ash, and was living with him at Broadclyst in 1861) was born at Silverton in Devon  [h] 

9/3/1838 to 10/4/1839 - Jane Ash Osborn (who had a father John Ash and a dau Dinah Sarah), married in Exeter Devon aged 29, to James Horn Osborn.  [f] 

27/5/1839 - A `James Horn Osborne' married a `Jane Ash' in Broadclyst parish church (just NE of Exeter) in Devon.  James shown as `Full Age (ie, over 21), Bachelor, 'Yeoman' of Starcross (a village 2km south of Kenton, but appeared to be in the Kenton parish until separate church est 1828?), father John Osborne a `Sailor'.  Jane was `Full Age, Spinster' of Broadclyst, father John Ash, a `Labourer'.  Their witnesses were William Kente[r]beer and Mary Ash [probably Jane's younger sister, and I have a note "aged 16" - where from? ].  [g] 

6/6/1841 - A John Ash and his wife Sarah, both in the "55" age group (that is, from 55 to 59), lived in Budlake Devon (between Broadclyst and Silverton), with an Elizabeth Ash (11), a Jane Osborn (25), and a Hannah Osborn (1). [e]

    (In the 1841 Census children 15 and under showed their correct age, adults 16 and over were rounded down to the nearest 5 years. "55" implied 55-59, or born abt 1782-1786, "25" implied 25 to 29, or born 1816 to 1820 [Jane would have been abt 28]. The `Hannah' listed would have been born between July 1839 and June 1840.  But why `Hannah'? 'Dinah' mis-heard?)

     (The Census area header refers to "...from the milestone on the Exeter Road to [unclear] Bridge, including the cottages at Killerton..." - an estate near Budlake)  [e] 

31/3/1851 - Living at "Budlake" (within B'clist) was a John Ash, Head, 65, Ag Lab, born Huxham, wife Sarah, 64, born Huxham, son John unm, 36, Ag Lab, and dau Elizabeth, unm 21, both born Broadclist  [j] 

31/3/1851 - Living in Topsham Devon was Joseph Ash, Head, bn 1821 in Broadclist, his wife Mary A bn 1827 in Bradninch, and dau Mary A born 1850 in Topsham  [j]
    (Can't find a Mary Ash of ap age anywhere - married? dead?) 

27/1/1856 - A Sarah Ash (who had a husband John and a dau Elizabeth), died aged 70, and was buried in Broadclyst cemetery Devon. [c]
    ("of Budlake")  [ b ? ] 

-------------- DEATH OF SPOUSE ------------- 

Jan to Mar 1856 - A Sarah Ash died, at "St Thomas"  [d] 

3/2/1859 - A John Ash died (aged 40 ?) (parents John and Sarah Ash ?)  [b ? ] 

7/4/1861 - A John Ash living at Lower Lodge Broadclist, Devon (Head, widower, 74, a "Carter", born Broadclist) with daughter Elizabeth Ash (unm, 31, born Silverton)   [h] 

7/11/1870 - An Elizabeth Ash (who had a father John and a mother Sarah), died aged 40, and was buried with her mother in Broadclyst cemetery Devon. [c] 

24/5/1874 - A John Ash (who had a wife Sarah and a dau Elizabeth), died aged 87, and was buried in Broadclyst cemetery Devon, with his wife and daughter Elizabeth. [c] 

Apr to Jun 1874 - A John Ash died, at "St Thomas" aged "87"  [d] 

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SOURCES ...

[a]  IGI
[b]  Devon CRO
[c]  Headstone (Broadclyst cem)
[d]  St Caths Index - SAGHS
[e]  1841 Census
[f]  Dau Jan's death certif
[g]  Dau Jane's mar certif
[h]  1861 Census
[j]  1851 Census