James Salter (1808 – 1876)

                                    Dorcas Salter (1808 – 1885)

James Salter was born on 21 November 1808 in Greenham, the son of John and Elizabeth. He was baptized on 25 December 1808 at St Mary in Greenham.

Dorcas Cozens was born circa 1808 in Wiltshire, the daughter of Charles and Hannah. She was baptized on 1 May 1808 at St Nicolas in Bromham near Devizes.

James and Dorcas married on 15 August 1830 at St Mary in Thatcham. James was recorded as resident of Greenham and Dorcas from Thatcham.

In the 1841 census James and Dorcas along with children James aged 10, Hannah aged 8 and Charles aged 6 were living in Montagu Place, Newtown Road in Newbury, James was recorded as an agricultural labourer.

There was a report in the Reading Mercury dated 10 August 1850 about an assault on Dorcas Salter who was the landlady of the Bull and Dog Public House in Newbury. She was still the landlady in July 1855 as she was mentioned in a report in the Reading Mercury about a stolen table cloth which she had agreed to buy.

James and Dorcas along with their son James aged 20, a servant and a lodger were recorded living in Bartholomew Street in Newbury in the 1851 census with James senior a publican and his son a carpenter.

Ten years later in the 1861 census James and Dorcas along with grandson William Gibbs aged 9 were living in Fair Close, Hereford Place in Newbury with James a labourer and Dorcas a laundress.

In the 1871 census James was recorded living by himself in Old Road in Newbury and working as a labourer. Dorcas was recorded in Commercial Road in Wood Green, London.

James died on 12 January 1876 in Newbury Union Workhouse and he was buried on 14 January at Newtown Road Cemetery. An announcement appeared in the Newbury Weekly News dated 13 January as below.

SALTER – Jan 12, at the Union Workhouse, Newbury, James Salter, aged 68.

In the 1881 census Dorcas was living as a lodger at The Wash in Newbury, the head of the house was Ann Briant who was a widow.

Dorcas died on 6 May 1885 in Newbury Union Workhouse and she was buried on 11 May at Newtown Road Cemetery. An announcement appeared in the Newbury Weekly News dated 14 May as below.

SALTER – May 6, at the Workhouse, Newbury, Dorcas Salter, aged 79 years.

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