Esther Purdue

c1828-1857

Esther and her brother Henry (died 1829) were baptised in March 1828, at St Mary the Virgin Speen, Berkshire, the children of Samuel and Ann Purdue (nee Shapcott) who were married in 1820 at St Mary the Virgin, Speen.

Her father Samuel was a Cordwainer, he died in 1840 (age at death recorded as 35, NBI records age as 39)

Her mother Ann was born on the 22^nd May 1801, she was baptised on the 14^th June 1801 at St Nicolas Newbury the daughter of Abraham and Elizabeth Shefcott (nee Bowles) who were married on the 20^th June 1790, at St Nicolas Church Newbury (surname recorded as Shapcott)

Samuel and Ann also had the following children:

Harriet baptised 27^th January 1822, at St Nicolas Newbury (dad a Cordwainer)

Samuel Thomas and Esther Ann, baptised on the 24^th December 1826, at St Nicolas Newbury (dad a Cordwainer) (Esther Ann died aged 9 months, in 1827 and Samuel Thomas died aged 16, in 1840)

Maria, baptised 4^th July 1830 in Speen

Henry, baptised 10^th June c1832 in Speen (died aged 3 in 1835)

Dorcas, baptised 7^th September 1834 in Speen

Leah born c1837

Henry born c1839

In 1841 Esther (12) was living in Speenhamland, Berkshire with her mother widowed Ann (30) and her siblings, Harriet (15), Esther (12), (recorded as Hester) Maria (9), Dorcas (6) (recorded as Brown), Leah (4) (recorded as Seab) and Henry (2).

Esther’s mother remarried in 1843, in Speen. Her 2^nd husband was James New.

James and Ann had the following children:

James George, born c1843

Georgina Annie born c1847

The 1851 census records Esther (22) living in Deller’s Buildings, Speenhamland, Berkshire, with her step-father James New, a Labourer, her mother Ann (49), her half-brother James George (8) and her half-sister Georgina Annie (4).

Esther died (age at death recorded as 24) in 1857. She was laid to rest int the Newtown Road Cemetery on the 19^th December.

The 1861 census records Esther’s step-father, James New (58), as a Bricklayer’s Labourer, living in Backway, Speenhamland, with his children, Ann (59), Georgina (14), James George (10), a Bricklayer’s Boy, and a servant.

Esther’s mother Ann New died aged 64 in 1866. She was buried on the 5^th February, at St Mary the Virgin, Speen.

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