edward ashton + sarah lang
Edward Ashton was born c.1795 in the village of Broadway near the market town of Ilminster in the south of the county. Broadway is an ancient agricultural settlement that appears in the Doomsday Book of 1086 as Bradewei while the parish church of St Aldhelm and St Eadburgha dates from the 13th century and several 16th century buildings including the Manor House, cottages and almshouses remain in the village today.
Edward Ashton married Sarah Lang on 18 December 1820 at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Donyatt, two miles from Broadway. They remained in Donyatt following their marriage and had twelve children but only four have been traced into adulthood. Four of their children died before the age of four while the remaining four have not been traced.
Five months after their wedding, their first child, William, was baptized on 26 May 1821 at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Donyatt. James was born on 19 February 1823 in Donyatt, Elizabeth on 4 December 1824 and Mary Ann in 1826 and all three were baptised on 19 November 1826 along with William who was baptised a second time. Sadly, Mary Ann died aged only four years and was buried in the local church yard on 31 March 1830.
Sarah was baptised on 8 March 1829 followed by Edward Paul, baptised on 3 April 1831, and Abraham born in 1833. Edwin was baptised on 31 March 1833 but no further records have been found relating to him. John Lang was baptised on 8 March 1835 but died four months later and was buried in Donyatt on 24 July 1835. Alfred was baptised on 21 August 1836 and John on 7 October 1838.
By early 1841, Edward, Sarah and their four surviving children had moved four miles south of Donyatt to the growing mill town of Chard, a center for lace manufacturing that supported two large mills, Bowdens Old Lace Factory and Gifford Fox. Edward may have moved his family in the hope of greater economic prosperity but instead, the family suffered a double tragedy when Sarah and her young son, Alfred, died within months of each other. Sarah died shortly after the birth of their twelfth child, Charles, and was buried in the church yard in Donyatt on 23 February 1841 while Alfred was buried in the same church yard one month later.
When the 1841 Census was taken on 7 June, Edward was living on Bath Street in Chard along with three of his children: Elizabeth, John and baby Charles. Daughter Sarah does not appear with her family in 1841 but there is a possible match in the census for a Sarah, working as a servant, in nearby Ilmister. Edward was working as a Blacksmith and several doors down lived a Simon Ashton aged 36 who was also employed as a Blacksmith. Subsequent census records list Simon’s place of birth as Broadway so it is very likely they were related, possibly even brothers.
Following her mother’s death, Elizabeth likely acted as the primary caregiver to her brothers, 3 year old John and 4 month old Charles. Edward’s eldest son, 8 year old Abraham, was living in Broadway with 82 year old William Ashton and 30 year old Ann Ashton. The relationships are not listed in the 1841 Census but it seems likely that William was Abraham’s grandfather and Ann his aunt or cousin and he may have been sent to live with relatives to ease the burden of care on his young sister. Sadly, baby Charles died six months later and was buried in the church yard in Donyatt on 12 September along with his mother.
The family was still living in Chard when the 1851 Census was taken but they had moved to a house on the High Street; Edward was still working as a Blacksmith and Abraham as a Shoemaker while 14 year old John was attending school. His daughter, Elizabeth, had married in 1846 and both she, her husband James and their four young children were also living in the home.
Over the next ten years, Edward’s sons left Chard to start families of their own — Abraham moved to Cheltenham in Gloucestershire and John to Charmouth in Devon. Sixty nine year old Edward continued living with his daughter Elizabeth and her family but by 1861 he had retired, likely for health reasons. He lived in Chard until his death in early March 1870 and was buried at the Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Donyatt with his wife and at least five of his children.