Ann Convine

LIFE GOES ON: AN INTRODUCTION

MY GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS - I - MY GREAT-GREAT-GREAT-GRANDPARENTS

THE SIXTEEN FAMILIES

KNOTT - I - BOWLES - I - WATERS - I - HARRALL - I - PAGE - I - WISEMAN - I - CROSS - I - CARTER

CORNWELL - I - HUCKLE - I - MORTLOCK - I - MANSFIELD - I - REYNOLDS - I - CARTER - I - ANABLE - I - STEARN

CHRONOLOGY - I - DRAMATIS PERSONAE - I - WHERE PEOPLE CAME FROM - I - CALENDAR

MAP OF ELY - I - MAP OF MEDWAY
MAP OF CAMBRIDGE AND DISTRICT

THE WORKHOUSE

WORLD WAR I - I - WORLD WAR II

simonknott.co.uk I home I e-mail

LIFE GOES ON

Ann Convine
born Prickwillow, Cambridgeshire, 1834
died Ely, Cambridgeshire, 1884

on the Page family tree
part of the Cross family story

married to Elijah Carter

Mother of Sarah Ann Carter

Daughter of
William Convine
and Mary Diver

Ann Convine (1834-84). My Father's Mother's Mother's Mother's Mother. My Great-Great-Great-Grandmother.

Ann led a relatively short life, and on the face of it she did not live a very happy one. She was born in Prickwillow on the fen outskirts of Ely in 1834, and her life is relatively well-documented, appearing in every census and regularly in the Parish Registers of Holy Trinity, Ely. In 1856 she married Elijah Carter, and he appears to have been a bad sort, if the number of his convictions for assault and criminal damage are anything to go by. A number of her children died in infancy in the 1860s. Elijah disappears off the scene in the early 1870s, and by the time of the 1881 census Ann described herself as the Head of the Household, although she said she was married, not widowed. She died shortly afterwards.

1834: Ann was born at Prickwillow on the outskirts of Ely, Cambridgeshire. She was baptised on 17th August in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral.

1841 census:

Ann was six years old at the time of the 1871 census. The Convine family were living in Black Wing Drove, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Ann's father William was 35. he gave his occupation as Agricultural Labourer. Her mother Mary was also 35.

There were five other children at home on the night of the census. John was 15, Robert was 10, Mary was 8, Elizabeth was 4 and Thomas was 2.

All the family were born in Cambridgeshire.

1851 census:

Ann is not apparent on the 1851 census. She was not at home with her family. She was 17 years old, and was probably in service somewhere.

The Convine family were living in Padnel Drove, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Ann's father William was 45. he gave his occupation as Farmer's Labourer. Her mother Mary was 46.

There were five children at home on the night of the census. John was 26, Robert was 20, Mary was 18, Betsey (Elizabeth in 1841) was 13 and Rebeckah was 4.

Ann's father William was born in Mildenhall, Suffolk. Her mother Mary was born in Isleham, Cambridgeshire. All the children were born in Ely, Cambridgeshire.

Living next door to the Convine family were James and Rhoda Carter. These were the parents of Ann's future husband Elijah Carter, who was working as an agricultural labourer and living as a lodger in his home village of Wickhambrook, Suffolk.

1855: on 12th May, the Cambridge Independent Press reported that on May 7th one Elijah Carter of Prickwillow had been charged with willful damage to a doorlock, the property of one William Convine of Prickwillow. William Convine was the father of Ann Convine. Carter was confined during Sunday and as a consequence discharged upon payment of court costs and the cost of the damage, which were paid.

1856: on the 15th March, Elijah married Ann Convine in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral. Ann had an illegitimate daughter. She was probably born about a year before they married. A second girl was born and baptised a year after the marriage, along with Ann's first daughter. Curiously, the first child was baptised under Ann's maiden name and without the mention of a father. We must assume that this girl was not Elijah's. The other daughter was recorded under the surname Carter.

1857: On 8th March, Ann and Elijah's daughter Eliza Susan was baptised along with Ann's illegitimate daughter Sophie in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral. The family's address was given as Black Wing Drove.

1858: On 19th June the Cambridge Independent Press reported that Elijah Carter of Prickwillow had been charged with assault on Henry Bolton, butcher, also of Prickwillow. However, he failed to appear in court, and a warrant was issued for his arrest. The same newspaper reported on 26th June that Elijah had receive a Fine of 2s 6d with Costs 7s 4d, or 10 days imprisonment. On the 30th October, a further report in the Cambridge Independent Press noted that Elijah had been convicted of assault on Mary Rust of Prickwillow. Fine 5s Costs 12s or 12 days imprisonment. There would be a number of other such reports through the 1860s and into the 1870s.

1860: the birth of Ann and Elijah's daughter Sarah Ann, my great-great-grandmother, was recorded in the fourth quarter of the year. There is no baptism record in the Ely Holy Trinity parish registers.

1861: on 8th March, Ann and Elijah's son James was baptised in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral. He died, and was buried on 20th March, when his age was given as 'one week', though one month must have been intended.

1861 census: The 1861 census returns for Ely are lost. Ann would have been 27 years old at the time of the 1861 census.

1862: in February, Ann gave birth to a daughter. She was not baptised, and apparently not named, because her burial on 17th March was recorded as 'unnamed child, not baptised, aged 3 weeks'. The family address was Prickwillow.

1863: In March, Ann and Elijah's son James was born. He was given the same name as his brother who died as a baby in 1861. On 19th March he was baptised in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral. However, he also died, and was buried on 25th April, when his age was given as one month.

1864: In March, Ann and Elijah had a son who they again called James, their third attempt at the name. He was baptised on 10th April in the Lady Chapel of Ely Cathedral.

1866: On 13th October, the Cambridge Independent Press reported that Samuel Edwards, a grocer of Prickwillow, was found guilty of assault on Ann, wife of Elijah Carter at Prickwillow.

1871 census:

Ann was was thirty-five years old at the time of the 1871 census. The Carter family were living in Water Side, Ely, Cambridgeshire.

her husband Elijah was 36. He gave his occupation as labourer (general). There were three children at home on the night of the census. Sophie was 16, Sarah was 11 and James was 7.

All the family were born in Prickwillow, Cambridgeshire, which is on the outskirts of Ely. The transcript for their entry is here. Interestingly, the Cross family lived next door, and Sarah would marry Thomas Cross, who was 19 at the time of the census.

1881 census:

Ann was forty-eight years old The Carter family was living in Broad Street, Ely, Cambridgeshire. Her husband Elijah did not appear at home on the night of the census. Ann gave her status as Head of the Household, but as Married rather than Widowed.

There were two children living at home. Sarah was 21 and James was 16. All the family were born in Prickwillow, Cambridgeshire, which is on the outskirts of Ely. The transcript for their entry is here.

1884: In March, Ann died in Broad Street, Ely. She was buried on the 10th March in grave Cb231 at Ely Cemetery, where her age was recorded as 48 years old.