Some more family history

A very recent email came to our curator from Trevor. It read,

Could you let me know if the museum is open over the jubilee weekend? I have found out that my Great Great Grandfather came from Market Lavington and would like to see some of the history of the town.

Richard Asher and Ann Holloway born (1812), married (1831) and left about 1847.

The short answer is, ‘yes, we are open Jubilee weekend. We are open each day of the four-day weekend from 2.30 to 4.30, and may be open at other times as well.

But our curator can’t resist a bit of a challenge and also replied.

As soon as I saw the name Asher, I thought ‘non conformist’ because many with that surname were. That maybe why baptisms don’t seem to show up.

The reply came,

First any of my family has been called ‘non conformist’!!!

Actually, our curator had confused Ashers and Ashleys, but even so, it seems he was right,

A few years ago he had permission to look at the graves around the old Independent Chapel in the village. Two proved readable. This is one of them.

A grave at the former Independant Chapel at Market Lavington. It reads,  ‘Sacred to the memory of Robert Holloway died July 16th 1829 aged 48 years. Also of Elizabeth, daughter of Edward and Eliza (surname can’t be read) died February 7th 1843 aged 1 year and 9 months and of Elizabeth daughter of the above (there is more but it is not readable).

It was emailed off to Trevor.

The next reply came –

WOW! You found my Great Great Great Grandfather, Robert Holloway. I had not looked at the Holloway side too much but this has opened a lot of connections on Ancestry.

Thank you very much and I look forward to looking around the museum on Sat.

We are always pleased to be of service.

And here is the other readable grave at the old chapel.

In Memory of Joseph Ashley, died April 3rd 1843 aged 53 years. He was a (can’t read) and respected man. A second name is underneath. It was not readable but the age at death was 32. Even further down the name Ashley recurs.

Tags: family history, genealogy, grave, Market Lavington, Museum