Ann Bailey
(1811-1897)

Ann Bailey (later Ann Bowers, and Ann Layton) was most likely the fourth of the eleven children of William Bailey and his wife Elizabeth Bird of Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.

It is possible that she was the 'base born' (meaning 'illegitimate') daughter of Sarah Bailey, instead. Due to the church not noting any fathers on the marriage records at the time, means that there is a possibility that this is incorrect.

Ann married labourer Henry Bowers in 1832, and the couple soon welcomed the first of their eventual eight children, but tragedy struck about a year after the birth of their final child, Eliza, when Ann was widowed at 36 years old, with eight young children under the age of 10 to support.

After what would have been four difficult years providing for her young family, she re-married in 1851 to widower Jackson Layton from nearby Burwell, and she soon became a mother three more times.

By the end of the 1850s, with Ann's new family establishing itself, two of her older children, Emily and Maurice, had emigrated to Australia.

Ann would go on to out-live her first husband by 50 years, and second husband by 8 years, and died in January 1897.

Life Events

Born

• Circa 1811 at Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.

Married

• Henry Bowers (1812-1847) on 27th October 1832 at St. Laurence's Church, Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.
• Jackson Layton (1817-1888) on 28th January 1851 at St. Laurence's Church, Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.

Children

• Emily Bowers (1833-?) married John Cropley (1828-?)
• Isaac Bowers (1835-1863) married Mary Ann Houghton (1834-1872)
• Mary Bowers (1835-1925) married Robert Gibbins Hinkins (1831-?)
• Elizabeth Bowers (1838-?) married Joseph Ely (1835-?)
• Maurice Bowers (1840-1921) married Eleanor Lyddon (1841-1902)
• Sarah Bowers (1841-1920) married George Farby (1839-1920)
• Ann Bailey Bowers (1843-1889) married James Simpson Bishop (1842-1901)
• Eliza Bowers (1846-1924) married Robert Casburn (1852-19??)
• William Bailey Layton (1851-?)
• Sarah Ann Bailey Layton (1853)
• Sarah Ann Bailey Layton (1855-?)

Census and Residence

• 1841: 30yrs, Northup Corner, Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1851: 38yrs, Bedlam Yard, Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1861: 50yrs, Guinea Hall, Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1871: 60yrs, Johnson's Fen Farm, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1881: 71yrs, Guinea Hall, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, England.
• 1891: 81yrs, South side of Main Road, Wicken, Cambridgeshire, England.

Employment

• 1891: Pauper

Death

• 18th January 1897 at Burwell, Cambridgeshire, England, aged 88 years.

Burial

• 21st January 1897 at St. Mary's Church, Burwell, Cambridgeshire, England.