Aishes to Ashes

My Great Grandparents were Thomas and Emma Napper.
Emma had been born Emma Ash (Sometimes spelt Aish)

Her Great Grandparents were
John Ash (1735 – 24/4/1785) and Mary Gillett (1728 – 1795)
They had been married in Seavington St. Michael 12 June 1759



John and Mary were married before the 1763 Marriage act that raised the marriageable age to 16. Until then boys could marry at 14 and girls 12, as long as they had parental consent. The marriage register states that the couple had parental consent. John was 15 and Mary was aged just 12.

Emma’s Grandparents were:

Thomas Ash (21 Jun 1770 - 12 Feb 1837) & Susanna Hopkins (b1771)


They were married in Seavington St. Michael 29th July 1796


Thomas Ash and Susan Hopkins had the following children

1) William was born in 1794 in Seavington St. Michael. He married Sarah. She was born in 1797 in Hinton St. George.

2) James was born in 1804 in Seavington St. Michael. He married Mary. She was born in 1800 in Seavington St. Mary.

3) Charles (My 3 x great grandfather)

Emma’s Parents were: Charles and Amelia Ash.

Charles Ash was born in 1811 in Seavington St. Michael


He married Amelia Mary Phillips on 23 Aug 1834 (She was born in 1811 in Chard).


Charles Ash and Amelia Mary Philips had the following children:

1) Joseph was born in 1835 in Seavington St. Michael. He died on 12 May 1917. He married Elizabeth Young. She was born 1838 / 9 in Lopen.

2) Thomas was born on 15 Aug 1844 in Seavington St. Michael.

3) Emma (My great grandmother) was born on 26 Apr 1837 in St. Mary Abbott.

Amelia died in 1847 and was buried  on 28th November.


Three years later Charles remarried. And on 24 Nov 1850 he wed Mary Foot in South Petherton. (She was born in 1818 in Tatworth, Somerset.) After her marriage, Mary worked as a weaver.


Throughout his life Charles was employed as an agricultural worker. He lived in various places around Seavington. In 1841 he was in Seavington St, Mary, but by 1851 he was back at the place of his birth: Seavington St. Michael. In 1861 his address is more specific: he lived at Lower Barton, Seavington St. Michael next to Buckerells House (Opposite the Volunteer Inn). In 1871 he was living next door to his son, Joseph. In 1881 Joseph’s address is given more specifically as Malt House.

Charles died in 1880 and was buried 1 December in Seavington St. Michael.


His wife, Mary, now needed to earn a living and became a washerwoman, whilst at the same time looking after her 9 year old granddaughter Flora (Emma’s daughter). By 1891 Flora had moved back to her parents, but now her sister Lena was living her grandmother, Mary. The 73 year old Mary continued to make ends meet by working as a washerwoman. She died in 1897.

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