Ann Starkey 1809 -

Ann Starkey (1809 - )

Ann Starkey was born on 16 November 1809 in Kegworth, Leicester, where she was subsequently baptised on 1 December. She was the third child of William Starkey and Sarah Marriot. 

On 23 Feb 1826 Ann - at the tender age of 17 - married William Mansfield in Kegworth. We do not have baptismal or parent information for William however there are Mansfields who are Carpenters from Loughborough going back several generations, these are likely candidates.. William Mansfield and Ann had gained a formal license from Thomas Stevenson on 21 Feb 1826. This was necessary because Ann was under 21 and meant that the reading of Banns was not necessary.  The marriage was witnessed by her father William Starkey and her sister Elizabeth Newham.

William and Anne had at least two children :

• Sarah Starkey Mansfield Born 1827 Died 1898. Married Thomas Fullelove 1846
• Robert Mansfield Born 1829. Died 1902. Married Ann Porter 1865

Ann is mentioned in her father will in 1827, where she receives the following bequest - upon the death of her mother.

 ... I give and devise all those my four messuages cottages or tenements with the outbuildings gardens and appurtenances there to belonging an all other my real estate whatsoever situate and being at the top of Mill Lane in Kegworth aforesaid in the several tenures of myself, Henry Young, Robert Osborn and Mary Edan unto John Starkey of Kegworth aforesaid Maltster and Robert Osborn of the same place Brewer their heirs and assigns to and for the several uses trusts and purposes following (that is to say)

Upon trust that they my said trustees or the survivor of them his executors or administrators do and shall permit and suffer my daughter Ann Marnsfield (now the wife of William Marnsfield of Kegworth aforesaid Joiner) after the decease of my said wife to have receive and take the rents issues and profits of the said messuages and herditaments for and during the term of her natural life and from and immediately after her decease upon further trust that they my said trustees or the survivor of them his executors or administrators shall and do as soon as conveniently may be after the decease of my said daughter Ann Marnsfield sell and dispose of the same heriditaments for the best price or prices that they can get or obtain for the same and do and shall pay and divide the money arising from such sale unto and equally amongst the children or only child of my said daughter Ann Marnsfield which shall be living at the time of her decease...

After the baptism of Robert 1829 the family, seems to disappear from records. In the 1841 census We see her children living independent of either her or William and both using the name Starkey (rather than Mansfield)

• her daughter Sarah is living with her mother in Mill Lane, Kegworth
• her son Robert is living with the Edward Goodrich - a cooper - and his family

When she give birth to her daughter - Anns daughter Sarah uses the name Starkey, there is a notation on Sarah Ann Starkey's birth certificate that indicated that her father William Mansfield turned out to be a married man. This would explain why both children were using the name Starkey rather than Mansfield and why there is no discernible record of William - who may have just gone back to his wife. It does not explain where Ann is.

Interestingly Ann's  mother Sarah does not pass away until August 1850, so it is only at this point that Ann - assuming she is no longer with William - would have become recipient of her inheritance, we believe that Ann was deceased by this point, and that the inheritance would have passed to Sarah and Robert.

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