Ann Girling – 1806-1888

Birth

Ann Girling was the first child of William Girling and Mary Cattermole. Her parents were married on October 14, 1805 in Metfield Suffolk and Ann was born the following year on September 25, 1806. She was christened in Mendham Suffolk on October 19, 1806.

There were eight children that we know of in the Girling family, all christened in Mendham, Suffolk:

Child	Christened
Girling, Anne	October 19, 1806
Girling, William	May 01, 1808
Girling, Matilda	April 20, 1810
Girling, Charlotte	March 29, 1812
Girling, James	September 21, 1814
Girling, George	September 21, 1814
Girling, John	June 13, 1818
Girling, Caroline	November 16, 1823

• The two sons, James and George, were twins.
• George Girling is the uncle who emmigrated to Canada and settled outside of Elmira.

Marriage

Ann Girling and William Utley were married in Drayton, Norfolk on Oct 12, 1828, a village northwest of Norwich. William was born near there and the family he was born into lived in Drayton or nearby Felthorpe. William had worked as a shepherd in Wheatacre and it must have been there that he met Ann. There is no explanation why the couple were married in Drayton rather than near Beccles, Suffolk where Ann's family lived.

William had had a previous marriage with Mary Cornwall. They were married in Felthorpe, Norfolk on Oct 8, 1816 with three children: William (1818-1898), Emily (abt 1820-1906) and Eliza (abt 1822-1867).

After his marriage with Ann, the family returned to Wheatacre, Norfolk with William working as an agricultural labourer, possibly a shepherd working with sheep. There were ten more children in William's family with Ann: Jonathan (1829-1895), Nathan (1831-1903), Isaac (1834-1835), Mary Ann (abt 1835-1860), Samuel (1837-1921), Caroline (1839-1979), Abraham (1842-), Sarah (1844-1851), Diana (1846-1913) and a second Isaac (1850-1860).

Ann (Girling) Uttley -- 1806-1888

The picture would have been sent to Nathan from his mother following her 64th birthday in about 1870. The date written is one day from what was recorded in the Drayton Parish records -- this date is probably the correct one. The writing is certainly that of Nathan Uttley. The identity of the younger woman in the picture is also unknown. The picture was taken at the photography studio of Arthur E. Mount in Beccles, Suffolk. The studio building remains today as a row house.

Ann's husband, William, died on August 5, 1864 in Burgh St Peter of liver cancer. In 1871 Ann is a widow and the head of a household with the first son, William, living with her as a lodger. By 1881 the two are still living together, but now in nearby Aldeby.

Death

Ann Uttley was admitted to a workhouse in Heckingham on 16 November 1886 and William followed three days later. We don't know if she went there because of poverty or because she was ill. William left the workhouse at least twice, being discharged at his own request on 23 September 1887 and 1 May 1888. Ann Uttley appears to have remained in the workhouse until her death: she died there on 9 June 1888 and was buried on 13 June. Her age at death was given as 87 years, but 81 years would be the correct age.

Heckingham Workhouse, west view and east view -- in 2001

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Most recent revision March 2011