My 5th Great Grandparents are John MAYHEW and his wife Sarah HARRISON (or HARISS).
John MAYHEW was born in 1801 (possibly Jun-Jul) in Bromham, Bedfordshire. He was the first of two children born to John MAYHEW Snr and his wife Kazey GREY. His younger brother died at only a few weeks old in Apr 1804 followed by his father in Aug of that same year. John’s mother remarried two years later to Samuel STRATTON but they did not have any children (she was about 43 by this time). Sarah HARRISON/HARISS was born c.1800 Eaton Socon, Bedfordshire. She was the first of three known children born to William HARRISON/HARISS and his second wife Jane PARNELL (more evidence is needed on Sarah’s parents).
John and Sarah married on 11th June 1821 at St Mary’s Church in her hometown of Eaton Socon, Bedfordshire when they were about 20 years old. Eaton Socon is about 14 miles from Bromham on the north-east border of Bedfordshire and Cambridgeshire. The couple had five children before Sarah sadly died in 1833 aged 33 and was buried on 25th Jun at St Owen, Bromham.
- Charles Mayhew (b.13 Mar 1822 in Bromham)
- John Mayhew (b.1824 in Bromham)
- Keziah Mayhew (b.7 Nov 1825 in Bromham)
- Ann Mayhew (b. May 1828 in Bromham)
- Emma Mayhew (b. Nov 1830 in Bromham)
John remarried very swiftly to his next-door neighbour Sarah TAYLOR (13 years his junior) just five months later on 7th Nov 1833 in Bromham, and had a further eight children. However, of these eight, only three made it into adulthood. The Mayhew family lived near the corner of Webbs Lane (now Village Road) and Grange Lane in one of the Grade II listed cottages which now make up 45 to 49 Village Road. The cottages belonged to Bromham Hall Estate up until 1924 and were divided into several smaller cottages than they are today.
- Samuel Mayhew (b.11 Sep 1834 in Bromham) d.1841 age 6
- David Mayhew (b.21 Feb 1836 in Bromham) d.1836 age 9m
- David Mayhew (b.29 Apr 1838 in Bromham) d.1855 age 17
- Louisa Mayhew (b.06 May 1841 in Bromham) d. 1852 age 11
- Josiah Mayhew (b.01 May 1848 in Bromham)
- Matthew Mayhew (b.12 Mar 1851 in Bromham)
- William Mayhew (b.1853 in Bromham)
- Sarah Ann Mayhew (b.1855 in Bromham) d.1855 age 3m
John worked as a farm labourer in Bromham and Sarah, like many of the women in the village, was a lacemaker.
Sarah suffered a stroke resulting in paralysis in 1871 and died five years later on 24th Apr 1876 aged 63 with her son Josiah present. She was buried in the local church a few days later on 27th Apr. John suffered a similar fate having a stroke two years later and died three months later on 11th May 1878 aged 76. Present at his death was Mary BROCKET, possibly his 1st cousin 1x removed (nee TEBBUTT). He was buried in St. Owen Churchyard a few days later.