I decided to research the lives of each of the victims of the 1832 Bicester cholera epidemic, who are named on a memorial stone in St Edburg's churchyard. This is still a work in progress, so please check back over the coming weeks to see more information added! 

NO.1 - JAMES GEORGE, AGED 53 YEARS.

James George married Maria Beer in Bicester on 3rd November 1806; James was 'of Waddesdon, Bucks', and Maria was 'of this parish'.

Using this information, it was easy to confirm that the baptism of James George which took place in Waddesdon on 15th December 1779 (son of William George and Elizabeth George, née Moulder), was definitely his.

James and Maria lived in the Market End part of Bicester, and baptised the following children at St Edburg's:

1. Elizabeth George, bapt. 1807.
2. Eliza George, bapt. 1809.
3. Mary George, bapt. 1811.
4. John George, bapt. 1812.
5. Eliza George II, bapt. 1814.
6. Eleanor George, bapt. 1817.
7. Thomas George, bapt. 1820.
8. Sarah George, bapt. 1823.
9. Elizabeth George II, bapt. 1826.

Sadly, poor James succumbed to cholera, and was buried in St Edburg's cemetery on 7th June 1832 - his death was actually the first recorded on the memorial. Maria survived the epidemic, with her death being registered in Bicester in July 1850.

NO.2 - WILLIAM WESTBURY, AGED 19 YEARS.

I have been unable to find a likely baptism for William, but he was born circa 1813, and was possibly the son of either Joseph Westbury and Mary Lynes, or Samuel Westbury and Grace Nichols (both couples were baptising children in Bicester around this time). All other baptisms for William Westburys in and around Oxfordshire have been ruled out.

William never married, and died prior to the first census (1841), so sadly there is little known about his life. If anyone reading this knows more about him, please feel free to let me know, and I'll update this post!

William was the second victim to be added to the cholera memorial, and was buried in Bicester on 9th June 1832. According to his burial record, he was 'of Bicester Market End'.

NO.3 - SAMUEL CLARK, AGED 67 YEARS.

Although his age at the time of his death indicates an approximate birth year of 1765, it seems likely that Samuel was baptised in Bicester on 10th January 1773 - the son of Samuel Clark and Elizabeth Guy. Samuel Sr and Elizabeth married in Bicester in 1760, when Samuel was said to be 'of Marsh Gibbon, Bucks', and Elizabeth was 'of this parish'.

It is not all that unusual for dates of birth/baptism to vary, as many people did not actually know their date of birth, or perhaps the person providing the information at the time of their death wasn't 100% certain. It was also fairly common for children to be baptised a few years after they were born.

He married Alice Piddington in Bicester in March 1799, when they were said to be 'both of this parish'.

I cannot find any children baptised by Samuel and Alice, nor can I find a death/burial record for Alice... Which is a bit strange! 🤔 I shall keep digging!

However, there is a marriage between a widower called Samuel Clark 'of Stratton Audley' and Esther Kinch 'of St Giles, Oxford' in October 1800... So it would appear that first wife Alice sadly died! No other baptism for a Samuel Clark baptised in or around Stratton Audley fits, so I am confident that the Bicester baptism is correct.

Samuel and Esther baptised the following children:

1. Anne Clark, bapt. 1801 in Stratton Audley.
2. William Clark, bapt. 1802 in Bicester.
3. Elizabeth Clark, bapt. 1804 in Bicester.
4. Samuel Clark, bapt. 1806 in Bicester.
5. John Clark, bapt. 1810 in Bicester.

Samuel 'of Bicester Market End' was buried on 10th June 1832 in Bicester, and was the third name to be added to the cholera memorial. I cannot find a burial record for Esther, nor a second marriage for her, but she does not appear on the memorial, so it seems that she survived the epidemic.

NO.4 - JOHN EDMONDS, AGED 18 YEARS.

There are several possible baptisms for John, including:

1. 11th August 1811 in Sulgrave (approx. 17 miles from Bicester) - son of John & Hannah.
2. 6th December 1810 in Norton, near Daventry (approx. 29 miles from Bicester) - son of William & Jacosa (?) Edmonds.

Other baptisms in the locality cannot be correct, as these Johns appear on censuses or burial records after 1832.

Sadly, due to John's young age at the time of his death, no marriage record exists for him, and he didn't have any children. He may have been a relative of the Richard Edmonds who also appears on the memorial, but I cannot find any records linking the two thus far.

John (who was 'of Bicester Market End') was buried on 13th June 1832, making him the fourth victim recorded on the memorial.

NO.5 - HANNAH PALLETT, AGED 39 YEARS.

It would appear that Hannah was baptised on 2nd June 1799 in Bicester - daughter of Thomas and Selina Pallett, making her a spinster at the time of her death.

Hannah had an illegitimate son:

1. William Pallett, bapt. 1820 in Bicester.

I can't seem to find out what happened imminently to William, who would've been 12 at the time of his mother's demise; however, by the time of the 1851 census, he was lodging in the parish of St Martin's, Birmingham, so it would appear that he managed to build a life for himself.

Hannah Pallett 'of Bicester Market End' was buried on 13th June 1832 at St Edburg's.

NO.6 - MARY ANN MASON, AGED 7 YEARS.

I can't seem to find a likely baptism record for little Mary Ann, but it is possible that she was the daughter of Thomas Mason & Anne Foster, who were baptising children in Bicester around that time; other possible baptisms don't seem to fit! There are quite a few gaps in the records available online, so if anyone knows differently, please let me know!

She was the sixth victim of the cholera epidemic recorded on the memorial.

NO.7 - MARY PRITCHETT, AGED 16 YEARS.

Mary was possibly the same Mary Pritchett baptised in 1815 in Woodstock - daughter of John and Patience Pritchett - but I am uncertain. Alternatively, she may have been an older sister of Ann Pritchett, who also appears on the memorial (Ann was the daughter of John Pritchett and Mary East, who married in Bicester in 1808).

Mary was buried at St Edburg's on 15th 1832, making her the seventh victim of the cholera epidemic.

NO.8 - ROBERT SPENSER/SPENCER, AGED 50 YEARS.

Robert was baptised in Bicester on 18th February 1781 - the son of Richard Spencer and Ann Pitts.

It appears that Robert married Elizabeth Fennimore/Fennemore in Oxford in 1803, when they were both described as 'sojourners' (not natives of that parish). It seems likely that Elizabeth was baptised in Bicester in 1779, indicating that this couple were the same Robert and Elizabeth Spencer baptising the following children in Bicester:

1. Eliza Spencer, bapt. 1803.
2. John Spencer, bapt. 1807.
3. Harriet Spencer, bapt. 1810.
4. Mary Spencer, bapt. 1813.
5. Eliza Spencer II, bapt. 1818.
6. Caroline Spencer, bapt. 1820.

Robert was buried on 16th June 1832. His widow, Elizabeth, was living alone in Crockwell, Bicester, at the time of the 1841 census. In 1851, she was residing in Chesterton with her daughter Caroline (who had by now married William Nelson). Elizabeth was buried at St Edburg's, Bicester, in December 1851.

NO.9 - JANE HORWOOD, AGED 21 YEARS.

Jane was baptised in Bicester on 26th March 1812 - the daughter of Thomas Horwood and Mary Hancock. When Thomas and Mary married in Bicester in November 1811, they were said to be 'both of this parish'.

She was buried on 19th June 1832, and was the ninth victim of the cholera epidemic. According to her burial record, she was 'of Bicester Market End'.

NO.10 - HANNAH ASTON/AUSTIN, AGED 12 YEARS.

Hannah was baptised on 26th December 1815 in Bicester - the daughter of Emmanuel Austin and Martha Carthen/Carthew.

She was buried at St Edburg's in June 1832, making her the tenth victim of the cholera epidemic. She may have been related to Sarah Aston, who also appears on the memorial.

NO.11 - ANN PLESTER, AGED 2 YEARS & NO.12 - THOMAS PLESTER, AGED 4 YEARS.

Both Ann and Thomas were the children of Edward Plester and Maria Platt of Bicester.

The poor little mites both appear on the cholera memorial, as they were both buried at St Edburg's during June 1832. It must have been heartbreaking for their parents to lose two children within such a short period of time.

NO.13 - LEVI DORMER, AGED 4 YEARS & NO.14 - MATILDA DORMER, AGED 1 YEAR.

Both Levi and Matilda were children of labourer Dominick Dormer and his wife Hannah Dormer, who married at Thame in 1810; the couple were probably cousins.

Levi was born on 25th March 1828, and baptised at the Bicester Congregational (Non-Conformist Church), which appears to have been situated on the corner of Chapel Street and Wadley Court in Bicester - click here for map: https://ukwells.org/wells/bicester-congregational-chapel#

Matilda, however, was baptised at St Edburg's on 1st January 1832.

Sadly, both Levi and Matilda were victims of the cholera epidemic, and were buried in St Edburg's in June 1832.