Wixey, Mrs.

Gender: Female

Cecil Sharp visited Mrs Wixey on 6 April 1909 at Buckland when she sang him Geordie, Rosetta and A Sailor Courted A Farmer’s Daughter. He stated that she was aged 90 but on writing up the song he said that she was 96. Percy Grainger also visited Mrs Wixey ‘aged 77’ at Buckland on 31 July 1909 when she sang Bold Bonny Boy, British Man O’ War and Geordie.

Mrs Wixey was born Ann Tand(e)y on 22 January 1819 in Buckland, the daughter of Joseph and Mary Tandy. Joseph was an agricultural labourer born in Childswickam and Mary was born in Stanton. She had at least three brothers and sisters, Thomas born 1809, Sarah born 1811 and Mary Ann born 1823, all born in Buckland. Ann Tandy married Thomas Best, a labourer, on 22 November 1845 in Buckland. Joseph signed the register and Ann and witness Sarah Tandy, probably Ann’s sister, signed by mark. By 1851 Ann was working as a glover and living in Buckland with two children, Thomas born 1846 and Mary Ann born 1848. Although Ann was stated to be ‘married’ Thomas was not in the house at the time of the census. At that time Ann’s father, Joseph, was still an agricultural labourer and living in Buckland with his wife and daughter, Sarah, who was also working as an agricultural labourer. By 1861 Ann had moved in with her sister, Sarah, and mother, Mary, in Buckland with her children, Thomas and Mary Ann. On 31 July 1869 Ann, then a widow, remarried in Buckland to Henry Wixey, a widower and labourer who was born in Kineton, near Temple Guiting and was living in Barton, Guiting Power. Both signed the register by mark. On the same day, and also in Buckland Church, her daughter, Mary Ann, married Henry Irish, a labourer from Buckland who was born in Rous Lench, Worcestershire. By 1871 Ann and Henry were living in Temple Guiting, where Henry was working as an agricultural labourer, with Henry’s three children, presumably from a former marriage, John aged 15, Ann aged 9 and Joseph aged 6, all born in Barton, just outside Temple Guiting. By 1881 Ann and Henry, an agricultural labourer, were still living in Barton, Temple Guiting. The only child remaining at home with them was Henry’s son, Joseph. By 1891 Ann and Henry Wixey were living on their own in Barton, Temple Guiting as Joseph Wixey had also left home by then. In 1901 Ann Wixey, a widow was living with her daughter, Mary Ann’s family in Buckland. She died aged 92 and was buried 13 October 1910 in Buckland.

Mrs Wixey’s children

Ann’s daughter, Mary Ann Irish, after her wedding to Henry Irish on 31 July 1869 had a daughter, Lucy, who was baptised on 12 December 1869 at Buckland. In 1871 they were living in Wormington where Mary Ann was working as an agricultural labourer and her husband, Henry, was working as a carter. By 1881 Mary Ann Irish, had moved back to Buckland with her husband, Henry, who was working as a farm labourer and they then had three children, Emily baptised 11 August 1872, Edmund baptised 21 November 1875 and Henry Thomas baptised 23 March 1879. They then had another two sons, George baptised 18 June 1882 and William baptised 27 May 1888. All the children were baptised in Buckland. Mary Ann and Henry were still in Buckland in 1901. Their son, Henry Thomas Irish was still living at home and he and his father were both working as ordinary agricultural labourers. Ann Wixey was visiting them and by then was a widow. In 1911 Mary Ann was still living in Buckland where her husband, Henry was working as an agricultural labourer. They had been married for 42 years and had 6 children of whom four were still alive. Mary Ann died in 1939 in Cheltenham.

Mary Ann’s daughter, Emily Irish, had left home by 1891 and was working for William and Mary Ann Baker as a general domestic servant at Mount Pleasant Farm in Childswickham. Emily Irish married William John Farman, a labourer who was born in Lyttleton, Worcestershire and living at the time at 5 Jakeman Walk, Balsall Heath. They were married in Balsall Heath, Birmingham on 10 September 1899. At the time she was living at 5 Vicarage Road Edgbaston. By 1901 Emily Irish was living in Spungfield Avenue, Balsall Heath with her husband William Farman whose work was laying water pipes. They had also taken in a boarder, David Andrews, also a water pipe layer. In 1911 Emily was still living in Balsall Heath at 2 Back, 48 Wenman St, with her husband William who was then working as an inspector in the Corporation water department. They had been married for 10 years and had no children. Emily died in 1945 in Birmingham.

In 1901 Mary Ann’s son, Edmund Irish, married Maud Sophia Packer, born in Halesowen, in the Evesham registration district and that year they were living at Fir Tree Hill, Charlecote St Leonard with Maud’s brother, George Packer, also born in Halesowen and Maud’s sister, Ellen Packer, born in Broadway. Edmund was working as a cowman on a farm and George as an agricultural labourer. By1911 Edmund and Maud had moved back to Buckland with three children, Violet Annie born 1907 and Ellen Maud born 1909. Both children were born in the Winchcombe registration district. Edmund was working as a farm labourer. Violet Anne married William H Reavenall in 1926 in Coventry and died there in 1992. Ellen married Frederick Wankling also in Coventry in 1942. Ellen died in Penzance in 1999 and Edmund died in 1954 in the Warwick registration district.

After his mother married Henry Wixey, Ann’s son, (Henry) Thomas Irish, stayed in Buckland and was living there in 1871 with his aunt, Sarah Tandy. He married Irene Lodge at the end of 1905 in the Upton on Severn registration district. By 1911 they were living in Buckland where Henry Thomas was working as a bricklayer’s labourer. They had one daughter, Irene, born in 1907 in Buckland. They also had a boarder, Henry Troughton, a carter. Henry Thomas’ wife, Irene, died on 1 May 1965 while living at The Lane, Buckland. Probate was granted to Henry Thomas, then described as a retired estate worker. Henry Thomas Irish died later the same year in Cheltenham.

Notes by Carol Davies May 2015