Above: The family of Mary Anne Sanders Marsh in the 1841 census.
Mary Anne Sanders was born in c. 1788 at Enfield, Middlesex, the eldest daughter of farmer William Sanders and his wife Mary.
In c. 1808, Mary Anne married James Marsh, a man whose occupation seemed to be a farmer or farm labourer. They lived at Clayhill in Enfield, where they raises a large family, losing three children along the way to the terrible disease small pox.
The children of James Marsh and Mary Anne Sanders were as follows:
Mary Anne Marsh: baptised December 31, 1809, St. Andrews, Enfield. Daughter of James and Mary Anne Marsh
William Henry Marsh: baptised October 27, 1811, St. Andrews. Son of James and Mary Anne Marsh. Aged about 2 months.
Sarah Marsh: baptised June 27, 1813, St. Andrews, Enfield. Daughter of James Marsh, labourer at Clayhill, and Mary Anne. Born June 4, 1813.
James Marsh: born December 24, 1814. Baptised May 14, 1815, St. Andrews, Enfield. Son of James Marsh, a labourer, Clay Hill, and Mary Anne.
John Marsh: born December 25, 1817. Baptised September 24, 1817, St. Andrews, Enfield. Son of James Marsh, labourer, of Clayhill, and Mary Anne.
Charles Henry Marsh: born November 24, 1818. Baptised January 31, 1819, St. Andrews, Enfield. Son of James Marsh, Clayhill, a labourer farmer, and Mary Anne.
Sarah Marsh: baptised April 2, 1820, St. Andrews, Enfield. Daughter of James Marsh, a farmer, Clayhill, Enfield, and Mary Anne.
Rebecca Sanders: baptised October 7, 1821, St. Andrews, Enfield. Daughter of James Marsh, of Clayhill in this parish, a farmer, and Mary Anne.
John Richard Marsh: baptised June 27, 1824, St. Andrews,Enfield. Born April 8, 1824. Son of James Marsh, of Clayhill, a labourer, and Mary Anne.
Charles Marsh: Born June 9, 1825. Baptised July 3, 1825, St. Andrews, Enfield. Son of James Marsh, farmer, of Clayhill, and Mary Anne.
Eliza Marsh: baptised January 27, 1828, St. Andrews, Enfield. Daughter of James Marsh, Clay Hill, a farmer, and Mary Anne.
Small Pox claimed its first victim in the Marsh household in 1813. In October of that year, four month old Sarah Marsh contracted the disease and died. She was buried at St. Andrews, Enfield, on October 13, 1813, and the register noted that she was the daughter of James Marsh, labourer, of Clayhill.
In February of 1820, the James and Mary Anne Marsh received a double blow when they lost two small sons to small pox. John Marsh, aged 3 years 2 months, and his 15 month old baby brother Charles Henry were both buried on the same day- February 18, 1820- at St Andrews, Enfield.
As can be seen from the 1841 census return above, the Marsh family was still living at Clay Hill, Enfield. Their younger children were living with them-Charles, 12, and Eliza, 11, as well as Charlotte, 12, and John, 2. The latter child is definitely not a son of James and Mary Anne due solely to Mary Anne being too old to bear children in 1841...a grandchild, perhaps? I cannot locate a baptism for Charlotte Marsh with parents James and Mary Anne either...there is a Charlotte Marsh born to Thomas and Sarah Marsh of Enfield in 1827, but she is accounted for in the 1841 census with her parents.
The 1841 census is the only one in which Mary Anne Sanders Marsh appears, as she died before the 1851 census came around. On March 30, 1848, Mary Anne Marsh was buried at St Andrews, Enfield, aged 60 years.
Her husband James Marsh appears in the 1851 census:
Rose Cottage, Clay Hill, Enfield.
James Marsh/ head/ widower/ 72/ annuitant/ born Clerkenwell
John Marsh/ son/ married/ 29/ fishmonger/ born Enfield.
Ellen Marsh/ daughter-in-law/ 22/ dressmaker/born Tottenham
John Marsh/ grandson/ 2/ born London
Mary Ann Sayer/ daughter/40/ married/ annuitant/ born Enfield
Francis Albert Sayer/grandson/12/scholar/ born Middlesex
Mary Anne Marsh, eldest daughter of James and Mary Anne, married hairdresser Noah Sayer at St. Andrews, Holborn, on November 12, 1829. They had two children:
Eliza Sayer born December 6, 1834. Baptised January 4, 1835, St. Andrews, Holborn. Daughter of Noah Sayer, hairdresser, 22 Windmill Street, Finsbury, and Mary Anne.
Francis Albert Sayer: born January 19, 1840. Baptised December 1, 1844, St. James, Clerkenwell. Son of Noah Sayer, hair dresser, 5 St. Johns Square, and Mary Anne.
Eliza must have died in infancy, as I can find no other trace of her. In the 1841 census, Mary Anne, her husband Noah and son Francis were living at St. Luke, Chelsea:
Noah Sayer/ 30/ perfumer/ not born in county
Mary Sayer/ 30/ b in c
Francis Sayer/ 1/ b in c
Mary Anne and Noah separated some time in the 1840s, as by the 1851 census she and Francis were living with her father, James Marsh, and Noah was lodging in St. James, Westminster. Both stated they were married, and Noah was still a perfumer.
Mystery solved...I had a feeling that something was shonky with this Noah character, so I checked for any references to him in the British Newspapers 1600-1900 collection. There were three...the first in 1851 for deserting his wife and family; the second in 1854 for indecently assaulting a girl; and the third in 1862, which was a condescending article entitled "Beautifying A Darkey".
"AGGRAVATED CASE OF DERSERTION OF A WIFE- Mr. Noah Sayer, hairdresser and perfumer, of 27 Sherrard Street, Gordon Square, St. Pancras, was brought before Mr. Combe, charged with deserting his wife and family.
Mr. Wakeling prosecuted at the instance of the parish of Clerkenwell.
Mrs. Sayer stated that 20 years ago she was married to the prisoner, who left her two months back, telling her he was going to America, and she would see him no more. She had since become chargeable to Clerkenwell parish, and received relief towards the maintenance of herself and children. She had discovered her husband residing with another woman, and carrying on an excellent business.
Mr. Combe asked the defendant if he had any offer to make to the parish?
Prisoner said he was willing to allow his wife 10 shillings a month.
Mr. Combe- Come, that is good. Why did you not say 10 shillings a year? A little of the treadmill might do you good.
Mr. Wakeling said the defendant's conduct had been very bad indeed, and he should press for a punishment.
Prisoner was committed for a month to the House of Correction, and to go there again if that should not do."
- The Standard (London, England), Monday, January 06, 1851.
It is interesting to read the reference to Mary Anne and her "children"...I can still only find baptisms or births for two children born to Mary Anne and Noah Sayer- Eliza and Francis. Of Eliza there is no other mention, and only Francis appears with his parents in the 1841 census, and then with his mother in the 1851.
Noah Sayer's bad reputation was enhanced when in 1854 he was found guilty and sentenced to four month's imprisonment for unlawfully and indecently assaulting 8 year old Annie Maria Walter. In the 1851 census, freshly out of gaol, Noah had returned to his lodgings at 27 Sherrard Street. Information given on the census form stated that he was born in Cheshunt, Herts; was 41 years old; married, and a perfumer. Also lodging in the house was 21 year old tobacconist Jane Pearson..I wonder if she was the "other woman" in question?
It is obvious that Noah and Mary Anne never reconciled- the 1861 census found Noah liiving at Wellclose, Middlesex, 51 years old and a perfumer. Living with him was 21 year old servant Mary Ann Golder from Norfolk. Mary Anne was visiting a house in Northampton Street, Clerkenwell, the head of which was William Rapley, a 62 year old jeweller. Also living there was his 65 year old wife Elizabeth. Mary Sayers, visitor, was 50 years old, married, a sempstress, and born in Enfield,
The 1871 census was interesting...Noah had moved to New Windsor, in Berkshire. He described himself as a widower, even though his wife Mary Anne was still alive, and was a 61 year old hairdresser. Two people were living with him:
Miss Golder/ visitor/ unmarried/ 28/ dress maker/ born London Middlesex
Albert Golder/ son of above/ 9/ scholar/ born London.
There was only one birth of an Albert Golder registered for the correct period- Albert Francis Golder born March 1/4 1862, London. A baptism for Albert Francis Golder appeared ten years later in the registers of Christ Church, Camden: May 17, 1872, Albert Francis Golder, son of Mary Jane Golder, 39 Redhill Street, spinster."
Could the Mary Jane Golder who had a son Albert be the same woman as Mary Ann Golder who appeared in the 1861 census as Noah Sayer's servant? And is this Albert the son of Noah Sayer? I'd say most likley to both questions, but since this is an off-shoot line of my original subjects, the Sanders family, I had better not devote too much time to chasing interesting- but time consuming- stories.
After Mary Anne Sanders Marsh died in 1848, I could not find her husband James beyond the 1851 census. The only death I could find for a suitable James Marsh of the right age and location was:
James Holder/ Holden Marsh, buried St. Andrews, Enfield on March 5, 1859, aged 81 years. This James was the son of Thomas and Mary Marsh, bpatised May 8, 1777, St. John The Baptist, Islington, Clerkenwell.
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