Fay Sampson’s Family History
This site is a work-in-progress. There is a massive amount to cover. I have included both male and female lines, and some go back 30 generations. Keep coming back for more.
I have numbered the generations working backwards from my own as (1)
SARAH MAY (5)
Elizabeth Ann May (4) named one of her daughters Sarah Sackett Cory. This helps us to identify her mother as the unmarried Sarah May, who later married Edward Sackett.
Sarah May was baptised in Deal on 5 June 1811, the daughter of John and Elizabeth May. We know from her marriage certificate that her father was a fisherman. She was the second youngest in a family of 13.
Her mother’s maiden name was Elizabeth Lambert.
When her younger brother was born, the family were living in Dolphin Street.
The next record we have for her is the baptism of her daughter.
Baptism. Deal.
16 Jan 1835 Elizabeth Ann May Illegitimate d. of Sarah, Alfred Square.
Sarah would have been 24.
Alfred Square lies at one end of Dolphin Street.
This area consists of mainly Georgian terraced houses clustered around Middle Street and extending up to High Street or Beach Street. The press gang operated around these streets and smugglers’ hiding places are still being found in local houses.[2]
Sarah has not been found in the 1841 census, but 5-year-old Elizabeth is living in Alfred Square with her pauper grandmother Elizabeth May and eight other members of the May family..
On 12 July 1842 Sarah May married Edward Lawrence Sacket in the parish church of Deal. Edward was a soldier, son of the tailor Jeremiah Sacket. He was a bachelor and of full age. He signs his own name.
Sarah is a spinster, also of full age, daughter of John May, fisherman. She signs with an X. No occupation is given for her.
The witnesses are James Worthington and Mary A Worthington.
It seems unlikely that Edward Sacket would have been the father of Elizabeth Ann, born more than 6 years earlier.
Sarah was about ten years older than Edward, and may already have been pregnant with their son.
We find a baptism for Edward Lawrence Sackett in Ramsgate on 30 Sept 1827, son of Jeremiah Sackett, tailor, and his wife Charlotte. The surprising thing about this result is that, if this is the year of Edward’s birth, he would have been under 15 at the time of the marriage, despite the statement that he was of full age. But the details of his baptism and marriage entries make it hard to deny the connection.
Considerable further light is shed on Edward Sackett by his army discharge papers.
It appears that Edward joined the 6th Regiment of Foot in Canterbury on 21 April 1840. He was born in the parish of Ramsgate. He gave his age as 18 years and 6 months. If this is correct, this gives him a birth date of October 1822. In that case, he would have been 5 when he was baptised.
He was 5 ft 8½ in tall, with brown hair, grey eyes, fair complexion and no distinguishing marks. He held the rank of private and the trade of tailor. He had evidently been trained by his father. At the time of his discharge in June 1845 he had grown to 5 ft 10 ins.
On joining he was given a bounty of £30.17.6d.
He was discharged on the grounds of disability. His character and conduct are described as “indifferent”.
In fact, he had deserted at Portsmouth on 27 Mar 1843, less than a year after he married Sarah, and rejoined at Chester on 10 June 1844. He was tried and sentenced to 115 days imprisonment and lost his service entitlement of 2 yrs 340 days. He was released on 4 Jan 1845, and served until 30 June of that year, when he was discharged in Dublin.
There could be a reason for his desertion. The regimental surgeon reported that “This man suffers from constant Dyspnœa (shortness of breath) with violent palpitations of the Heart, the impulse of the latter can be seen and felt over all the anterior part of his Chest and extending down to the Umbilicus – his sufferings are increased on taking exercise, carrying his pack, etc. His present complaints came on in 1840, after having experienced a severe wetting. He is quite incapable of performing the active duties of a Soldier. His present disability is not attributable to either vice or intemperance.”
Sarah and Edward’s son Edward Richard Sackett was born in the first quarter of 1843. He was baptised in Ramsgate, and said to be the son of Edward Sackett, tailor of Ramsgate, and his wife Sarah. The Sackett Family Association believe this to be the youngest son of Edward Sackett and Sarah Sage.[3] But this couple already had a living son named Edward. This is more probably the child of Edward Lawrence Sackett and Sarah May. If so, then it was during the period of Edward’s desertion. He seems to have returned to his former occupation as a tailor in Ramsgate.
Edward was discharged in Dublin in June 1845. He may have crossed to Liverpool and found himself without the means or inclination to return to his wife and son in Kent, choosing instead to take work as a tailor in Lancashire.
It is here that we find him in the 1851 census. He is a lodger in Bamford Rd, Heap, Bury, Lancashire. He is married, aged 28, and a tailor, born in Ramsgate.
Meanwhile, Edward junior was living with his mother and half-sister Elizabeth. Sarah was back in Dolphin Street, Deal, where she was probably born. Both her children are said to have been born in Ramsgate.
1851 Census. 19 Dolphin Street, Deal.
Sarah Sackett Head Mar 38 Deal
Elizabeth May Daur Un 17 Dressmaker Ramsgate
Edward Sackett Son 8 Scholar Ramsgate
Edward senior appears to have returned to Ramsgate near the end of his short life. On 31 Jan 1859, Edward Sackett, aged 37, was buried in St George’s churchyard.
Sarah became a housekeeper to a boatman and his son in Deal, following the death of Thomas Erridge’s wife.
1861 Census. 123 Middle Street, Deal
Thomas Erridge Head Mar 46 Boatman Deal
William Erridge Son 8 Deal
Sarah Sackett Unm 48 Housekeeper Deal
1871 Census. 123 Middle Street, Deal
Thomas Erridge Head Wdr 56 Mariner Deal
William Erridge Son Unm 19 Mariner Deal
Sarah Sackett Serv W 55 Housekeeper Deal
Thomas Erridge may have been uncertain of Sarah’s marital status in 1861 and her age in 1871.
We find a possible Sarah Sackett in the Eastry workhouse in 1881.
1881 Census. District Union Workhouse. Eastry.
Sarah Sackett Inmate Widow 71 Deal
Again, the age is not quite right, but that was not uncommon in censuses, especially when the information was supplied by others.
A Sarah Sackett died in the first quarter of 1889, aged 73. The death was registered in the Eastry district. The age is younger than our Sarah would have been, but in a large institution, mistakes could be made.
Elizabeth Ann married the Deal boatman Thomas Cory.
Sarah’s son Edward Richard Sackett joined the Navy.
1861 Census. Point Padron River, Congo, West Coast of Africa. Royal Navy.
Night of Sunday, April 7th 1861. Her Majesty’s Ship Sharpshooter.
Edward R. Sackett Ordinary Single 20 Ramsgate, Kent
[1] © Copyright Marathon and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
[2] Copyright Marathon
[3] www.sackettfamily.info/p11142.htm
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