John Sturgess

c1799-1862

John Sturges was born in Berkshire he was baptised in Kintbury Berkshire on the 25^th August 1799 the son of William and Mary Sturges (nee Grove) who were married on the 22^nd April 1782 in Kintbury.

William and Mary also had the following children baptised in Kintbury:

William Sturgess 19^th April 1783

George Sturges 1^st May 1785

Thomas Sturges 13^th January 1788

Jane Sturges 23^rd February 1790

Sarah Sturges 12^th February 1792

Ann Sturges 4^th May 1794

Harriet Sturges30^th October 1796

Elizabeth Sturges 25^th April 1802

John was an Agricultural Labourer and was married four times.

His 1^st wife was a spinster, Eleanor Phillips they were married on the 24^th December 1821 at St Mary’s Church Greenham Berkshire (John’s surname was recorded as Sturgess at the time of his marriage).

They had the following three children baptised at St Mary the Virgin Speen Berkshire:

Louisa Sturgess baptised 9^th May 1824 (Abode: Shaw)

Charlotte Sturgess baptised 11^th June 1826 (Abode: London Road)

Eliza Sturgess baptised 19^th October 1828 (no abode recorded) (Eliza died aged 7 months, buried 17^th May 1829 in Speen)

John was widowed in 1830 Eleanor Sturgess died aged 26 she was laid to rest on the 8^th August in Speen

John remarried seven months later, his 2^nd wife was Sarah Haines (a spinster), both were from Greenham but they married at St Mary’s Church Thatcham on the 6^th March 1831. (John’s surname was recorded as Sturges and Sturgess on FMP and Stringer on Harwicke Marriage Index)

They had two children:

Sarah Sturgess (later known as Sarah Ann) baptised on the 25^th September 1831 at St Mary the Virgin Speen (Abode: London Road)

John Sturgess (later known as John William) baptised on the 25^th May 1834 at St Andrew Boxford

Sarah Sturgess died aged 22 in 1835 she was laid to rest on the 18^th July at St Andrew Boxford. (Possible birth, Sarah Haines born 28^th February 1813, baptised 9^th March 1813 at Northbrook Street Wesleyan Newbury, daughter of Jno and Elizabeth Haines not proved)

John remarried the following year. His 3^rd wife Hannah Green was also a spinster, they were married at St Andrew’s Church Boxford on the 24^th September 1836

Hannah Sturgess died aged 35 in 1838 she was laid to rest on the 1^st June at St Andrew Boxford

In 1841 John (46) (surname recorded as Stenger on Ancestry) was recorded living in Westbrook Boxford with his children, Louisa (17), Charlotte (15), Sarah (9) and John (7).

The 1851 census records John (50) (surname recorded as Stingley on ancestry) lodging in Wash Common Newbury Berkshire.

He married for the 4^th time in 1855. His last wife was a widow, Mary Collins (nee Moss born c1814 in Newtown Hampshire. Previous husband James Collins married in 1846 in Newbury)

The 1861 census records John Sturgess (65), Mary (47) and Mary’s illegitimate daughter Fanny Moss (24) (recorded as Taney on Ancestry), living in West Field Newbury

John died (age at death recorded as 74) in 1862 he was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 26^th December

His widow Mary died aged 49 the following year she was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 14^th October 1863

www.fnrcnewbury.org.uk/persondetails.asp?PersonID=9262

Sources: as above