Phoebe Saunders

c1809-1857

Phoebe Wilder was born in Newbury, the daughter of Edward & Phoebe Wilder (formerly Brunsdon, nee Field) who married in Wallingford in 1809. Phoebe’s mother died aged 32 in 1814 she was buried on the 16^th March at St Nicolas Newbury. Her father remarried in Newbury in 1815, his 2^nd wife was Hannah Carver.

The 1815 census of Newbury records the family as follows:

Abode: west side of Cheap Street Newbury

Edward Wilder aged 40,          Coach and Horses

Hannah Wilder aged 34

Phoebe Wilder aged 6             Daughter of 1^st Wife

The 1830 Pigot’s Directory of Berkshire records Phoebe as a Straw Hat Maker in Cheap Street, Newbury. The 1839 Robson’s Directory of Berkshire also records Phoebe as a Straw Hat Maker, in Chesterton Court, Bartholomew Street, Newbury.

Phoebe married James Saunders (born c1807 in Salisbury Wiltshire) on the 17^th February 1828 at St Nicolas Church Newbury.

James and Phoebe had the following children baptised at St Nicolas:

Phoebe baptised 14^th June 1829, father recorded as a Smith (died aged 13 months in 1830)

Phoebe Ann baptised 27^th March 1831, father recorded as a Smith

James baptised 24^th April 1833 father recorded as an Iron Founder (died aged 8 days)

Amelia baptised 4^th May 1834 father recorded as an Iron Founder (died aged 23 in 1857 buried in the NRC 19^th October)

Twins: James and Thomas baptised 25^th May 1836 father recorded as a Whitesmith. (James died aged 9 in 1845. Thomas died aged 11 in 1848)

Edwin baptised 29^th March 840 father recorded as a Whitesmith

Twins: Clara and Louisa 1842 (no baptisms found) (Louisa died aged 7 weeks in 1842 and Clara died aged 5 in 1848)

Louisa Field baptised 26^th April 1846 father recorded as a Smith

Thomas Field baptised 29^th September 1850 father recorded as a Smith

Twins: Frederick James and George Aubrey 1853 (no baptisms found) (George Aubrey died 2 in 1856, buried in the NRC on the 8^th April and Frederick James died aged 12 in 1865, buried in the NRC on the 9^th August))

The family were living in St Mary’s Hill, Newbury in 1841 and Pleasant Place, Newbury in 1851.

Phoebe died aged 48 on the 4^th July 1857, she was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 8^th July.

James remarried in 1859 his 2^nd wife was a widow, Mary Ann Ashley (nee Clack).  He died aged 54 the following year and was laid to rest in the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 17^th August 1860.

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