Mary Fry [f.2.3.1]

Mary Fry was the first child of William Fry & Elizabeth Stanbridge born April-June 1839 at Slougham, East Grinstead, Sussex.

In 1861 Mary was living at home at Berry Farm, Ardingley, Sussex.

Mary married Henry Lewry on December 3rd, 1862 at Ardingley. Henry was born at Slaugham in 1839, the son of Hannah & Henry Lewry, a farmer, & christened 12th August 1839.

In 1871 Mary & Henry were living at Lywood farm, Ardingley where Henry was a farmer employing 2 men & 1 boy. They had 6 children Henry (8), Walter (6), Alice (5), Annie (3), Mary (1) & Catherine (3 months). Living with them was Henry’s brother Joseph Lewry (24), a carpenter & a servant Mary Simmonds (15) & 2 carters, Henry Downer (23) & John Budgen (16).

By 1881 they were living at Cooks Farm, Nuthurst where Henry was a farmer of 165 acres employing 3 boys. Sons Henry & Walter were helping with the farm, & Annie, Mary & Kate (Catherine) were still at home. 4 more children had been born – Albert (8), Adelaide (6), Earnest (3) & Annie Laura (7 months). There was also a farm servant – James Burchell (15) with them. Daughter Alice had moved to Preston, Brighton & was a housemaid to a widow Jane Halford.

Cooks Farm, Nuthurst -2005

By 1891 Henry was no longer a farmer of substance & was now described as an agricultural labourer & he and Mary were no longer at Cooks Farm but were still in the village of Nuthurst. With them were children Alice, Albert & Earnest, both agricultural labourers, & Laura. (The family were indexed as Sewry in Ancestry.co.uk!) At the time of the census daughter Annie Lewry (23) was visiting her recently widowed aunt Annie Summarsell (nee Ann Fry) (46) in Brighton who had 7 children at home. Also there was Annie’s grandmother, Elizabeth Fry (76) & her aunt Esther Fry (married to John Fry). Daughter Mary Lewry (21) was a parlour maid for a curate Edward Francis who lived at Brunswick Place, Hove. Catherine Lewry (20) had moved to Brighton & was a housekeeper for widower William Davey, a builder.

In 1901 Henry & Mary were again found at Nuthurst but apparently living in separate houses. Mary was listed as head of the household at Nuthurst St with her daughter (Annie) Laura aged 20. Laura was a post office assistant. Henry (60) was living nearby at Bottings farm where he was a carter on the farm of recently widowed Annie Walder (51) who had a daughter Beatrice (15) & son James (14). The Sussex Agricultural Express of March 19th, 1901 reported on the death of Annie’s husband, James. James was found by his farm lad, Walter Davey, lying near the door of the granary having sustained a gunshot wound. James had apparently shot himself after having been in a very depressed state of health.

Daughter Adelaide Lewry (26) was recorded in the 1901 census as a parlour maid for John Smith & family, a farmer living at Croydon. Daughter Annie Lewry was living with her aunt Annie Summarsell & cousin Walter Summarsell, a grocer, at Mersham, Reigate, where she was a general servant.

Mary died on April 13th, 1910 aged 71, at Nuthurst. Probate was granted on September 29th, 1910 to son William Walter Lewry, gardener. Her effects were £116.17s.2d.

In 1911 widowed Henry was living at Nuthurst St, Nuthurst with daughter Laura. Henry was described as an agricultural labourer & they had a 25 year old boarder, Walter Davey, the farm labourer mentioned above.

Henry died Oct-December, 1916, aged 77, at Horsham.

The children of Mary Fry & Henry Lewry were:

f.2.3.1.1 William Henry Lewry christened March 8th, 1863 at Ardingley
f.2.3.1.2 William Walter Lewry christened November 27th, 1864 at Ardingley
f.2.3.1.3 Alice Lewry christened May 27th, 1866 at Ardingley
f.2.3.1.4 Annie Lewry born Oct-Dec 1867, christened February 23rd, 1868 at Ardingley
f.2.3.1.5 Mary Lewry christened September 26th, 1869 at Ardingley
f.2.3.1.6 Catherine (Kate) Lewry christened March 26th, 1871 at Ardingley
f.2.3.1.7 William James Albert Lewry born April-June 1873 at Ardingley
f.2.3.1.8 Adelaide Lewry born July-Sept, 1874 at Ardingley
f.2.3.1.9 William Ernest Lewry born July-September 1877 at Nuthurst

f.2.3.1.10 William Arthur Lewry born Oct-December 1878 at Nuthurst; died Oct-December 1878 at Nuthurst

f.2.3.1.11 Annie Laura Lewry born Oct-Dec 1880 at Nuthurst

f.2.3.1.12 William Edwin Lewry born Oct-December 1885 at Nuthurst; died Oct-December 1885 at Nuthurst