Mrs Elizabeth Coxeter

DEATH OF A CENTENARIAN

From the Newbury Weekly News of November 30th. 1876.

Submitted by Margaret Pattison.

"On Monday evening Mrs. Elizabeth Coxeter of King John's Almshouses, Newbury passed away from this life at the age of One Hundred years and nine months. The deceased was born on the lst February 1775 at Witney in Oxon. Her maiden name was Collier, and on the 5th December 1792, being nearly 18 years of age, she was married at Witney to Mr. Coxeter of the same place. Her family consisted of 11 children, six of whom were born at Greenham Mills, to which place her husband removed for the purpose of carrying on business as a Clothier. In 1811 his fame as a Clothier having become well known, he was entrusted by Sir John Throckmorton, Bart., to make a coat from wool off sheeps' backs between sunrise and sunset, and as our Readers well know, accomplished the task and so won Sir John a wager of one thousand guineas. Mr. Coxeter died in 1816 and though the business was carried on by the eldest son it did not prosper as when the father was alive. Mr Coxeter was undoubtedly a man of energy and enterprise and his death at the early age of 43 terminated what promised to be a prosperous career as he employed no fewer than a hundred hands at Greenham Mills. The house now occupied by Mr John Fidler was built by Mr. Coxeter as his residence. The deceased lady was a widow for a period of 60 years, 40 of which were spent in King John's Almshouses, to one of which she was elected in her absence from the town. and without effort on her part, as a testimony to the high respect in which her husband was held as a large employer of labour. Mrs. Coxeter joined the Baptist Church in Northcroft Lane in 1815, being baptised early in the morning of the first Sunday in May by Mr. Welch the Pastor, a Miss Adnams of St. Mary Hill being baptised at the same time. For a period of 61 years Mrs. Coxeter continued to be identified with the Baptist Church of this town as a member, though for several years past she had been unable to attend the services. Of the family there now survive a daughter aged 72 who continued to live with her mother, rendering her all the assistance she required; a son in business in Abingdon, also a daughter at Abingdon: a son who is a surgical instrument maker in London, and Mr. Samuel Coxeter of this town. It is somewhat remarkable that the 3 sons and the husband of the daughter are all Deacons of Baptist churches. An interesting circumstance in connection with the old lady is that she distinctly remembers when a girl, having listened to the earnest preachings of John Wesley in a room near her father's residence in Witney. John Wesley we may add died in the year /1791. Her death was simply the decay of nature. She passed peacefully away without pain and retained her faculties to the last, being able to repeat numbers of hymns, and portions of the Scripture from memory. She will be buried at the Cemetery on Saturday next.

To be sold - Photographs of the late Mrs. Coxeter to be had of Thos. B. Howe, Northbrook Street."

With thanks to the Newbury Weekly News for permission to reproduce this extract.

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