5

March Tree

RICHARD HARRIS and ANNE BONEY(8)

 

RICHARD HARRIS. His marriage in Banstead in 1770 would lead us to expect that Richard was born around 1745. There is only one baptism in the Banstead area that fits that.

Baptism. All Saints, Banstead
1745 Jun 13   Richard son of Richard & Ann Harris.

We do not know the maiden name of Richard’s mother.

This is nearly as far back as we can trace our Harrises. Their records begin with the baptism of Richard’s older sister Mary in 1743.

We have been unable to trace where these Harrises came from, before setting up home in Banstead.

There were Harrises in Banstead before this. In the 17^th and early 18^th century there was a distinguished family of that name, including a Doctor Law, a Doctor of Physick, and a King’s Remembrancer at the Court of Exchequer. Sadly, we not been able to establish a descent of our mid-18^th-century family from these earlier Harrises.

 

ANNE BONEY. We have been unable to find a plausible baptism for Anne.

The age of 73 given at her burial makes her birth date around 1750-1.

 

Marriage. Saints, Banstead.
1770 Oct 15  Richard Harris and Anne Boney of the parish of Banstead.
Both sign with their mark. This supports the view that this is a different family from the distinguished older one.
Witnesses: William Harris his mark. Henry Simmonds.
William Harris is probably Richard’s brother William.

The present church of All Saints, except for the aisles and vestry, was built between 1100 and 1220. The North and South aisles were probably added about a century later. The tower at the West end was built in the 13th century.

There follow the baptisms of seven children at All Saints. After four daughters, they would have been particularly pleased at the birth of their first son.

 Baptisms. All Saints, Banstead.
1771 Mar 24  Jane
1773 Oct 24  Sarah
1776 May 5  Elizabeth
1780 Dec 31  Anne
1785 Sep 25  Richard
1788 born Apr 14, bapt May 11  William~1793 Jan 5  Frances

The spire of All Saints was a guiding marker for the first proper, scientific, mapping baseline made in Great Britain. This was for the Anglo-French Survey (1784–1790) which sought to measure the exact distance and direction between the Royal Observatory, Greenwich, and the Paris Observatory. As a result, precisely scaled mapping of the country was enabled. Several hundreds of yards NNE, a spur of slightly lower upland, Hundred Acres, likely marked with a tower or post, was used to make sightings north to Hanger Hill Tower, south-east to Botley Hill, east to Upper Norwood, and west to St Ann’s Hill, the first and later triangulation points.

Ann died in Banstead in 1824.
Burial. All Saints, Banstead.
1824 Jun 22  Anne Harris  Banstead  73

Richard was not buried in Banstead. We find the following on the Find a Grave website.[1]

Richard Harris
Birth. 1744
Banstead, Reigate and Banstead Borough, Surrey, England
Death. Feb 1829 (aged 84–85)
Seale, Guildford Borough, Surrey, England
Burial. St Lawrence Churchyard
Seale, Guildford Borough, Surrey, England

The information comes from Barbara Warren, who is Richard’s great-granddaughter. We would not normally expect to find a burial for Richard Harris of Banstead in Seale, 24 miles away. This is 6 m west of Guildford, at the foot of the Hog’s Back. There may be family information that records his move to Seale. Or it may just be that the Banstead baptism was the nearest one that fitted his age at death, and assumed to be the right one.

If correct, then Richard probably moved after Ann’s death to live with one of his children. We have not yet found such a link with Seale.

This leads us to the following entry in the burial register.

Burial. St Lawrence, Seale.
1829 Feb 18  Richard Harriss  Tongham in Seale  85

 

[1] https://www.findagrave.com/memorial/281222438/richard-harris#source

 

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