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Ann (4) Woodhurst was born around 1809-10 - possibly in Frindsbury - to parents John (3) Woodhurst and his wife Mary Ferris. No christening record for her has yet been found.
She is presumed to have been the "Woodhouse girl" and the "Ann Woodhouse" mentioned as receiving relief in several entries in the Eastling Parish Overseers' Accounts during the 1820s.
On January 2nd 1828 she married as "Ann Wooders" to William Clough at St. Olave, Southwark [IGI: Batch M022721]. It is not known why they married there rather than in Kent. Ann (4) was then under-age but, if lacking the consent of her parents, may have exaggerated her age without challenge at St. Olave.
By William she produced at least the two children listed below.
In 1840 William died [Death Index: Milton 5 285, 1840 (Dec)].
The 1841 Census finds Ann (4) at (rounded) age "30" living with just her two young children Ann Rebecca and Joseph in Flushing Street, Milton (-next-Sittingbourne) and with no occupation. Next door to her was the family of a mariner Thomas Clough who was probably William's brother.
On October 20th 1841 she remarried as Ann Clough to a widower James (1) Blackman [IGI: Batch I013221]. The marriage certificate [Marriage Index: Milton 5 521, 1841 (Dec)] states that they married in Milton, that Ann (4) was residing there and that James (1) - occupied as a waterman - was residing in Halstow (situated a few miles NE of Milton). Her father is named as a labourer John Woodhurst and his as a labourer William Blackman. The witnesses were Maria Clough - the wife of the above-mentioned Thomas Clough - and Richard Child Barnard. The latter was the schoolmaster at Milton's National School whose schoolmistress was Jane Hobbs, the sister of the wife Frances of Ann (4)'s brother Edward (1).
James (1) Blackman - born around 1796-97 in Rainham, Kent to parents William and Sarah (nee Brooks) - may have been related to the wife Rebecca (nee Blackman) who had married in Frindsbury to John (3)'s presumed brother William (9).
The 1851 Census finds Ann (4) living in the Wall district of Sittingbourne with James (1) and her son Joseph and James (1)'s son James (2) Blackman by his former wife. James (1) and his son were both occupied as mariners. Ann (4)'s birthplace is given as Frindsbury, as also is James (2)'s birthplace.
Ann (4) may have died in 1852 [Death Index: Faversham 2a 322, 1852 (June)], and James (1) may have died in 1857 [Death Index: Faversham 372, 1857 (Dec)].
In 1857 James (2) Blackman married Maria Chapman [Marriage Index: Tendring 4a 299, 1857 (June)]. He has not yet been found in the 1861 Census, but Maria was then living in Harwich St. Nicholas, Essex with two children. The 1871 Census finds James (2) aged "42" living with his family in Rochester St. Margaret and occupied as a "master of barges".
Ann Rebecca was christened at Milton-next-Sittingbourne on August 25th 1833 [IGI: Batch I010595]. The 1841 Census finds her living with her mother. In 1850 she married Henry Ratcliffe [Marriage Index: Maidstone 5 486, 1850 (Dec)]. The 1851 Census finds them living at Tovil Hill, Maidstone where Henry - born around 1829-30 in Maidstone - was occupied as a miller. The 1861 Census finds them living with six children in Loose, a village about two miles south of Maidstone. The 1871 Census finds them still living there, now with eight children. Henry died aged "48" in 1878 [Death Index: Maidstone 2a 403, 1878 (March)]. The 1881 Census finds Ann Rebecca widowed and living with five children at 62, Upper Stone Street in Maidstone. She has not yet been found in the 1891 Census. She died aged "65" in 1897 [Death Index: Maidstone 2a 446, 1897 (Sept)].
Joseph was born at Milton in 1839 [Birth Index: Milton 5 343, 1839 (June). The 1841 and 1851 Censuses find him living with his mother. He has not yet been found in the 1861 Census. In 1862 he married Elizabeth Lewis [Marriage Index: Milton 2a 933, 1862 (June)]. The 1871 Census finds him aged "30" in Dover Harbour on board the vessel Alexander of which he was the Master; Elizabeth was living with several children in Priory Street, Preston-next-Faversham. The 1881, 1891 and 1901 Censuses find the family continuing to live at 12, Priory Street. Joseph died in 1905 aged "53" [Death Index: Faversham 2a 522, 1905 (June)].