Edward & Susanna Manser of Westham

Edward Manser, son of Thomas and Frances, was baptised in Willingdon on 1st November 1713.

Susanna Wood, daughter of Thomas and Elizabeth, was baptised in Westham on 12th September 1712.

Edward Manser married Susanna Wood on Westham on 20th November 1735, although the register records him as Thomas. At their first child’s baptism Edward was again recorded as Thomas but every other record has him as Edward. Perhaps this was a mistake in the registers or maybe his middle name was Thomas, after his father, although there is no proof of that. Nevertheless, Edward and Susanna clearly had nine children baptised in Westham:

Dorothy

14 July 1736

Westham

Susannah

1 Sep 1738

Westham born 28 July

William

7 Aug 1740

Westham

Thomas

10 May 1743

Westham bur. 4 Jan 1743/4

Ann

10 May 1743

Westham bur. 24 May 1744

Mary

28 July 1745

Westham

Elizabeth

2 Jan 1747/8

Westham

Thomas

25 Dec 1752

Westham

Edward

30 Mar 1755

Westham born 4 Feb

John Nicholl, the vicar of Westham, carried out a mini census of the parish in July 1751 and Edward Manser was one of the householders recorded in Hankham, the most populous part of the parish in those days. With him were 2 women, 1 boy and 2 girls. As anyone over the age of 14 was considered an adult the 2 women would have been his wife, Susanna, and probably Dorothy who would have been 15. The children would have been William, and 2 of the other 3 girls. Also recorded in Hankham were a Mr Wood with 1 man and 1 woman; presumably relatives of Edward’s wife.

Edward and Susanna were both buried in Westham; Susan on 27th January 1783, aged 71, and Edward on 2nd February 1793, aged 80.

Of their children:

  • Dorothy, of Dallington, married Edward Easton in Warbleton on 5th May 1761, witnessed by Edward Manser, presumably Dorothy’s father. They had eight children baptised in Warbleton:

    Edward

    8 Oct 1762

    Warbleton bur. 24 Jan 1764

    John

    28 Feb 1764

    Warbleton

    Ann

    18 Jun 1765

    Warbleton

    Edward

    10 Apr 1767

    Warbleton

    Mary

    9 Mar 1769

    Warbleton

    Thomas

    17 Apr 1771

    Warbleton bur. 6 Sep 1772

    Sarah

    7 Jan 1774

    Warbleton

    Thomas

    21 Jun 1775

    Warbleton

    Dorothy died shortly after the birth of Thomas and was buried in Warbleton on 4th August 1775.

  • Susannah married Joseph Mercheant in Pevensey on 15th December 1758.
  • William married Sarah Vitler in Westham on 15th November 1762 but she died in childbirth and was buried in Westham on 18th March 1763. He then married Elizabeth Dennis, by licence, in Westham on 25th June 1765 and he was recorded as a labourer. William and Elizabeth appear to have had eight children:

    Edward

    1 Sep 1765

    Westham born 10 Aug

    William

    22 Mar 1767

    Westham born 7 Mar

    Mary

    3 Dec 1768

    Westham born 2 Dec

    Elizabeth

    5 July 1770

    Westham

    Susannah

    5 July 1772

    Westham born 15 Jun

    Lucy

    Jan 1774

    Westham born 20 Dec 1773

    Sarah

    ca. 1776

    Westham

    Thomas

    20 Jun 1779

    Westham born 30 May

    Their daughter Susannah was buried on 7th June 1791, aged 18.

    William’s wife, Elizabeth, was buried in Westham on 10th February 1820, aged 82, and William on 20th April 1826, aged 85.

  • Mary married Thomas Clapson in Westham on 12th November 1771. They appear to have had one child in Brightling but have not been traced after that:

    Hannah

    31 May 1772

    Brightling

  • Elizabeth married James Brook in Westham on 17th January 1768, where they had seven children:

    Ann

    5 Jun 1768

    Westham born 20 May

    Bett

    28 Jul 1771

    Westham born 27 Jun

    James

    5 Dec 1773

    Westham born 1 Nov

    Thomas

    28 Apr 1776

    Westham born 6 Apr

    William

    20 Jun 1779

    Westham born 1 Jun

    John

    2 Jan 1782

    Westham born 27 Feb

    Edward

    10 Mar 1884

    Westham born 8 Sep

  • Thomas married Sarah Earle, of Friston, in Westham in March 1774 and they had one child baptised:

    Ann

    21 Sep 1775

    Westham

    However Sarah died and was buried in Westham on 27th June 1778, aged 28. Thomas then married Ruth Dan in Westham on 12th April 1779 and they went on to have ten children baptised:

    Naomi

    22 Jan 1780

    Ripe

    Ruth

    29 Jan 1782

    Westham born 9 Jan

    Thomas

    27 Janr 1784

    Westham born 30 Dec 1783

    John

    23 May 1786

    Westham born 9 Apr

    Joseph

    17 Oct 1788

    Westham born 13 May

    Orpah

    20 Nov 1789

    Westham born 24 Jun

    Francis

    20 Jan 1791

    Westham

    Elizabeth

    14 Jul 1793

    Westham born 3 Mar

    Spencer

    27 Mar 1796

    Westham born 21 Dec 1795

    Abraham

    2 Dec 1798

    Westham born 13 Sep

    Thomas died, aged 45, before Abraham was born and was buried in Westham on 22nd April 1798.

  • Edward married Susannah Ling in Westham on 7th October 1778 and they had thirteen children:

    Anne

    17 Nov 1778

    Westham born 16 Nov, bur. 22 Nov

    Elizabeth

    19 Dec 1779

    Westham born 3 Dec

    Hannah

    29 Jan 1782

    Westham born 18 Jan 1782

    Edward

    11 May 1784

    Westham born 22 Feb

    Susannah

    28 Jan 1787

    Westham born 26 Dec 1786

    Frances

    12 Oct 1788

    Westham born 18 Aug

    David

    14 Nov 1790

    Westham born 11 Oct

    Emma

    3 Feb 1793

    Westham born 1 Jan

    Robert

    23 Nov 1794

    Westham born 1 Oct

    William

    2 Oct 1796

    Westham born 6 Aug, d. 1797

    Charles

    9 Sep 1798

    Westham born 14 Aug

    Harriet

    14 Dec 1800

    Westham born 11 Nov

    Thomas

    20 Jun 1802

    Westham born 29 Apr

    Edward was buried in Westham on 28th November 1805, aged 50.