Mary Ann FRYER (Abt. 1815 - 1897)
Mary
Ann(e) FRYER was born in Arlingham, Gloucestershire, in about
1815, the eldest child of Richard FRYER and Ann (nee JONES). In fact,
her name is also spelt as 'Marianne' on some of her children's baptism
records. Her own baptism took place on 26th October 1815 and the
Arlingham parish records noted thar her father was a farmer.
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Mary married Daniel Bailey
PITCHER, brother of her father, Richard FRYER's, second wife, Ann, on
12th May 1835 in St Mary the Virgin's Church, Arlingham. The parish records show
the following...
Daniel Pitcher of the Parish
of Uley in this County, Bachelor, and Mary Anne Fryer of this Parish,
Spinster, were married by License this 12th day of May in the Year 1835
by me John Sayer, Vicar. In the Presence of Thomas Fryer and Hannah
Fryer.
...The witnesses, Thomas and
Hannah FRYER, were possibly Mary's half uncle and aunt, half brother and
sister of her father, Richard FRYER. By now, Richard may have moved
away.
Photographs of the
church at Arlingham can be seen in the Gallery section of this web site.
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The couple's first child was
baptized four months after their wedding so it would appear that Mary
was possibly pregnant when they married.
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The 1841 census shows Mary
living in Overton, Arlingham, Gloucestershire, registration district;
Wheatenhurst, sub-registration district; Frampton. She was aged 25 and
was living with her husband, Daniel, three of her children, three more
people by the name of FRYER, relatives of Mary, and a person called
Betsy GOLDING. John and Henry FRYER were Mary's brothers and George was
her first cousin, son of her uncle and aunt, John and Prudence FRYER.
Below is a list of those living in the household at that time...
Name Age
Daniel Pitcher 30
Mary Pitcher 25
Benjamin Pitcher 5
John Pitcher 3
Mary Pitcher 1
George Fryer 15
Henry Fryer 20
John Fryer 20
Betsy Golding 12 (Female Servant)
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The 1851 census shows that Mary and
her family were still living in Arlingham, Gloucestershire, registration
district; Wheatenhurst, the sub-registration district was called
Haresfield. The name of their farm was Meadowland (spelt Medland Farm on
the census) and by then, Mary and Daniel had four more children. Those
living in the household at that time were...
Household Members: Name, Age
Sarah Ann Butt 13 (Servant)
Benjamin F Pitcher 15
Daniel B Pitcher 3
Daniel Bailey Pitcher 41
John Pitcher 13
Joseph Pitcher 1
Mary A Pitcher 10
Mary Ann Pitcher 35
Richard T Pitcher 6
Sarah E Pitcher 9
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Also, in 1851, Mary and Daniel
had another son but sadly William died the following year. Their
youngest daughter, Fanny, was born in about 1854.
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The 1861 census shows Mary
living in Overton, Arlingham, registration district; Wheatenhurst and
the sub-registration district was Frampton once again. Daughter, Mary
Ann, and sons, Benjamin and Richard, appear to have left home and Fanny
was registered at her boarding school in Frampton on Severn. Three
people by the name of FRYER were staying with the family; Sarah and
Caroline FRYER were referred to as servants and Benjamin FRYER was
described as a nephew. These were more than likely half-siblings of
Mary, children of her father Richard FRYER and his second wife, Ann
Bailey PITCHER (Caroline’s age is unclear on the census). Because Ann
was Daniel's sister, this connection would also mean these individuals
were Daniel’s nieces and nephews...
Household Members: Name, Age
Benjaman Fryer 9
Caroline Fryer 17
Sarah Fryer 31
Daniel Pitcher 51
Daniel B Pitcher 13
John Pitcher 23
Joseph Pitcher 11
Mary A Pitcher 45
Sarah Pitcher 19
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By 1871, the census shows that
Mary and her husband, Daniel, were still living in Arlingham with their
16 year old daughter, Fanny, but the rest of their children had left
home. The farm is mis-spelt on the census as Medaland instead of
Meadowland Farm...
Household Members: Name, Age
Daniel B Pitcher 61
Fanny Pitcher 16
Mary A Pitcher 56
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According to the 1881 census,
Mary was living at Overton Lane Farm House in Arlingham with her
husband, Daniel, and daughter, Fanny. Meadowland is situated in Overton
Lane so it is possible that this is the same farm as before although there
are other buildings situated on the opposite side of the road from
Meadowland which might have fitted the description. Their son Joseph,
who was by now widowed, was living back home with his parents together
with his own son, Henry...
Household Members: Name, Age
Daniel Pitcher 71
Fanny Pitcher 26
Henry Pitcher 9
Joseph Pitcher 31
Mary Ann Pitcher 65
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The Arlingham Enclosure Act of
1801 reveals that Mary's grandfather, John FRYER of Overton (abt.
1762-1816), was one of a few substantial landowners in Arlingham at that
time. A map of the original Act demonstrates that he owned several
fields adjacent to the location of present day Meadowland (formerly
Meadowland Farm).
The older barn in Meadowland
bears a carving in a beam, ‘JF 1791’. When Richard FRYER (abt.
1730-1792) died, his son, John (abt. 1762-1816), had already married Phoebe
TAYSUM the year before. Perhaps John took over the running of the farm
at that time and made improvements to the barn, leaving his initials in
the beam for posterity. The extension on the house, built
later, has a carving in the bricks, ‘18. RF. 20’. John’s son Richard
(abt 1792-1862), quite likely moved to Meadowland in about 1816/17 after
the death of his father. His first wife, Ann (nee JONES), died in 1822
and Richard and his second wife, Ann (nee PITCHER), moved away around
the time that Richard’s eldest daughter, Mary, married Daniel Bailey
PITCHER. This would appear to confirm that Daniel and Mary's home was a
FRYER homestead for at least three generations of FRYERS and who knows
how many before them and to the land itself, even perhaps before the
house was built?
It is feasible there may have
been a financial arrangement or a marriage settlement whereby Meadowland
Farm came into Daniel PITCHER'S possession. Reasons pointing to this are
that Richard FRYER had set up home in the Forest of Dean where he continued to
farm, having started a new family with his second wife. Daniel's father
was a yeoman from Uley but his older brother, James, later inherited his
father’s farm. This would presumably have meant that Daniel would have
had to make a living elsewhere. Lastly, Mary’s younger brother, John,
lived very close to Meadowland, possibly on the same land, but his
occupations listed on the majority of the censuses were a waterman and a
gardener. He does not appear to have farmed Meadowland except for when
he was living with Daniel and Mary in 1841, even though he was
Richard’s eldest son.
The book, 'Arlingham - A
Snapshot in Time', compiled by the residents of Arlingham for the
Millenium, describes what became of Meadowland...
"...The front of the
house was built in 1821; the back is 18th century or earlier. Formerly a
farmhouse, it was used as a police station at the turn of the century.
It now has a glass engraving studio where the St Mary's Millenium Window
was created."
(See Daniel
Bailey Pitcher's Biography page for a map showing the location of
Meadowland.)
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In 1891, Mary was 76 years old
and lived in the High Street, Arlingham, with her husband, Daniel.
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Mary's death was registered in
1897, between April and June, in the district of Wheatenhurst,
Gloucestershire. She lived to the age of 81.
Mary was the last in her line
of Fryers to have spent the majority of her life living in Overton,
Arlingham.
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Mary Ann FRYER's story is
included in the document, The Fryer Family of
Overton Arlingham, Gloucestershire, available for download in the
Shop.
A copy of Mary's signature
can be found in the 'Resources > Fryer
Miscellany' section.
Photographs of Arlingham can be seen in the Photo Gallery > Collections > Places >
Arlingham, Gloucestershire section
and a video clip of the view overlooking Arlingham can be seen in the 'Videos' section of this web site.
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