Person:Ann Priestley (1)

Ann Priestley was born around 1830 at Asgarby near Sleaford in Lincolnshire, daughter of Elizabeth Priestley, formerly Peach, and her husband William Priestley, a ground keeper. Ann appears in the 1841 census living in Asgarby with her parents and siblings.

By 1851 Ann had left home and was working as a servant for a farmer called Naaman Roberts in the nearby village of Heckington.

Ann's next sighting is on 13th November 1853 when she had a daughter named Elizabeth Ann Priestley baptised at Heckington in Lincolnshire. The baptism record does not name the baby's father, but a newspaper report from the following July does name him. He was Edward Turner, another farmer from Heckington. Edward was a widower, having lost his wife in 1850. Apparently, Ann had gone to his house to be paid an allowance for the maintenance of the baby, but Edward assaulted her. He was charged with assault, but the case was settled out of court.

In 1857 Ann had another child, a son called Edward. The fact she chose to call him Edward may be a clue that Edward Turner was also his father, despite Edward Turner having previously been charged with assaulting Ann. However, young Edward was not born in the Heckington area, but some 40 miles away in Nottingham.

Ann has not been found in the 1861 census. Her daughter was being raised by Ann's parents in Heckington, whilst her son was described as a lodger in Nottingham. Later that year, on either 23rd or 24th September (sources conflict on the exact date) Ann was married at St Mary's church in Nottingham to an iron moulder called Frederick Bateman. He was a widower, with at least one daughter from his first marriage. Ann and Frederick do not appear to have had any further children together.

A couple of months later, in November 1861, Ann's son Edward was badly scalded after falling into a pan full of hot water which Ann had placed on the floor. Edward had to be treated in hospital, and the incident was reported in the Nottingham Journal.

The 1871 census finds Ann and Frederick living with her son Edward and his daughter Mary at Henry Place in Sneinton, in the eastern suburbs of Nottingham, although just outside the borough boundary at that time. The area would be absorbed into the borough in 1877. Frederick worked in an iron foundry.

In 1872 Ann's daughter Elizabeth Ann was married in Lincolnshire, then moved with her husband to Yorkshire, where Ann's first known grandchild was born in 1873. Ann's daughter appears to have had eleven children in Yorkshire between 1873 and 1895.

By 1881 Ann and Frederick had moved a little further north-east in Nottingham's suburbs to Ball Street, appearing there at number 11 in the 1881 census and at number 53 in the 1891 census. It would appear that Ann's son Edward died in 1895, when he was 37 years old.

Frederick died in 1900, aged 67.

The 1901 census finds Ann still living at 53 Ball Street, described as 'living on own means'.

Ann died in 1907, aged about 77, and was buried at Nottingham's Northern Cemetery at Bulwell on 10th June 1907.

1. ↑ England. 1841 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 614; Book 7; Folio 2; Page 4, 6 Jun 1841.

   Address: Asgarby, Lincolnshire
   William Priestley, male, 45 [1791-6], Ground Keeper, born in county
   Elizabeth Priestley, female, 45 [1791-6], born in county
   George Priestley, male, 15 [1821-6], born in county
   Jane Priestley, female, 12 [1828/9], born in county
   Ann Priestley, female, 11 [1829/30], born in county
   William Priestley, male, 9 [1831/2], born in county
   Eliza Priestley, female, 8 [1832/3], born in county
   Mary Priestley, female, 6 [1834/5], born in county
   Emma Priestley, female, 4 [1836/7], born in county
   Salina Priestley, female, 3 [1837/8], born in county
   Frances Priestley, female, 2 [1838/9], born in county

2. ↑ ^2.0 2.1 England. 1851 Census Returns for England and Wales. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class HO107; Piece 2101; Folio 220; Page 61, 30 Mar 1851.

   Address: Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Naaman Roberts, head, male, 33 [1817/18], Farmer 67 Acres, b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Mary Roberts, wife, female, 33 [1817/18], b. Ancaster, Lincolnshire
   Joseph Roberts, son, male, 10mo [1850], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Ann Priestley, servant, female, 20 [1830/1], b. Asgarby, Lincolnshire
   Rob[er]t Newcombe, servant, male, 21 [1829/30], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Geo[rge] Carr, servant, male, 17 [1833/4], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire

3. ↑ England. England and Wales. 1871 Census Schedules. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG10; Piece 3505; Folio 12; Page 17, 2 Apr 1871.

   Address: Henry Place, Snenton, Nottinghamshire
   Frederick Bateman, head, married, male, 37 [1833/4], Laborer In Iron Works, b. Granby, Lincolnshire
   Ann Bateman, wife, married, female, 50 [1820/1], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Edward Priestley, son, male, 13 [1857/8], Lace Clipper, b. Nottingham
   Mary J. Bateman, daughter, female, 12 [1858/9], Lace Clipper, b. Shelford, Nottinghamshire

4. ↑ England. 1881 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands: . (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG11; Piece 3358; Folio 5; Page 4, 3 Apr 1881.

   Address: 11 Ball Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   Frederick Bateman, head, married, male, 47 [1833/4], Iron Foundry Labourer, b. Granby, Nottinghamshire
   Ann Bateman, wife, married, female, 50 [1830/1], b. Heckington, Lincolnshire
   Edward Priestley, son, unmarried, male, 23 [1857/8], Lace Warehouse Porter, b. Nottingham, Nottinghamshire

5. ↑ England. 1891 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG12; Piece 2697; Folio 80; Page 6, 5 Apr 1891.

   Address: 53 Ball Street, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   Frederick Bateman, head, married, male, 57 [1833/4], Moulder, employed, b. Granby, Leicestershire
   Ann Bateman, wife, married, female, 61 [1829/30], b. Asgarby, Lincolnshire

6. ↑ England. England. 1901 Census Schedules for England and Wales, Isle of Man and the Channel Islands. (
   Kew, Richmond, Greater London TW9 4DU, United Kingdom:
   The National Archives (abbreviated TNA), formerly the UK General Register Office.)
   Class RG13; Piece 3176; Folio 44; Page 13, 31 Mar 1901.

   Address: 53 Ball Street, Wells Road, Nottingham, Nottinghamshire
   Ann Bateman, widow, female, 72 [1828/9], Living on own means, b. Asgaby [sic], Lincolnshire
   Clara Nicholson, lodger, single, female, 35 [1865/6], Lace Worker, worker, working at home, b. Arnold, Nottinghamshire

7.   Deaths index, in General Register Office. England and Wales Civil Registration. (London: General Register Office).

   d. Ann BATEMAN, June Quarter 1907, Nottingham Registration District, Volume 7b, page 254, aged 78 [1828/9]

8. ↑ Northern Cemetery (Bulwell), Nottingham register (Nottingham City Council), in Deceased Online.

   bur. 10 Jun 1907: Ann Bateman, aged 78, Section J4, Plot 7

9.   Stamford Mercury, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
   Page 2, 7 Jul 1854.

   SLEAFORD TOWN-HALL, June 26, before the Revs. C.B. Otley and A.E. Welby.
   Ann Priestley, of Heckington, charged Edw. Turner, farmer, with assaulting her. It appeared that complainant had had a child by defendant, and went to his house for payment of the allowance towards its maintenance, when the assault complained of took place. Settled out of court.

10.   Nottingham Journal, in United Kingdom. The British Newspaper Archive
    Page 2, Friday 15 Nov 1861.

    CHILD SCALDED.-On Wednesday afternoon an infant named Edward Priestly, four years of age, residing with its parents in Sussex-street, was severely scalded by falling into a panful of hot water which its mother had placed on the floor. The child was taken to the General Hospital where remedies were applied to its wounds, which were not of a very serious character.

11. ↑ Baptism records for Asgarby for the period around when Ann was born do not appear to be available or transcribed online. Judging by the 1841 census it would appear that Ann's parents were William Priestley and Elizabeth Peach, who had married at Kirkby la Thorpe in 1815. Their daughter Frances / Fanny who appears with them in 1841 was born after birth certificates were introduced, and her entry in the birth index in Sleaford district in 1839 confirms that her mother's maiden name was Peach.