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James and Elizabeth Fordham (nee Bussey)

James Fordham was born c.1773 in Hepworth, Suffolk.

On 12th November 1802 he married Elizabeth Bussey in Bardwell, Suffolk

Elizabeth Bussey had been born c.1772 in Stanton, Suffolk.

They had several children, many of whom died in their infancy - it is tricky from the parish records to identify which children were which, but it would appear that there were at least  two sets of twins both named James and John, both pairs sadly died and only two of their children made it to adulthood.

As far as I can ascertain it their children were as follows:

Mary Fordham, buried 18th April 1804, Coney Weston, infant
John Fordham, born December 1804, baptised 6th October 1805, Coney Weston church, buried 24th December 1805, Coney Weston, aged 12 months
James Fordham, buried 22nd December 1805, Coney Weston, infant (twin of John - above?)
John Fordham, buried 15th July 1807, Coney Weston, infant
James Fordham, baptised 22nd March 1807, Coney Weston church, buried 30th May 1807, Coney Weston, infant
Maria Fordham, born about 23rd March 1809, baptised 21st May 1809, Coney Weston church, buried 10th August 1809, Coney Weston, 20 weeks old
George Fordham, born c.2nd July 1810, buried 10th September 1810, Coney Weston, 12 weeks old
William Fordham, born end September 1811, baptised 10th October 1811 Coney Weston church, buried 20th December 1811, Coney Weston, aged 3 months.
Charlotte Fordham (survived to adulthood) married March 1843, John Middleditch, Coney Weston church
Adam Fordham, baptised 15th January, Coney Weston church, married 17th November 1838 to Mary Ann Bloomfield, Coney Weston Church, died 19th November 1887, buried Coney Weston churchyard.

The 1841 Census records (ages in this census were generally rounded off) living in Coney Weston:

James Fordham    aged 60    Agricultural Labourer

Elizabeth Fordham    60

Charlotte Fordham    20

The 1851 Census records in Coney Weston:

James Fordham        79    Head    Pauper, formerly agricultural labourer    Born Hepworth, Suffolk

Elizabeth Fordham    78    Wife    -                                                                    Born Stanton, Suffolk

 

Throughout the church records at Coney Weston there are numerous spellings of Elizabeth's maiden name: Bussey (1802, 1804, 1809), Bassy (1805), Bussy (1811, 1814).  I have accordingly adopted the most frequently used of BUSSEY.

James died 30th April 1854, aged 81 and is buried in Coney Weston Churchyard - there is a headstone to him and Elizabeth who died soon after on 15th February 1855 aged 83.

James's death certificate records the death as taking place after the date on the headstone - 3rd May 1854 - registered by Elizabeth with a mark (ie she could not write) and James is listed as a husbandman (i.e. he rented land to farm off of).