Rectory Lane Cemetery, Berkhamsted

Ezra Briant

d.11/11/1910

Farm labourer, father of seven.

• Vivien Benson

Ezra was born in Cuddington, Buckinghamshire.

His occupation was as a farm labourer, specifically, as a feeder for a threshing machine.

He married Elizabeth Briant, nee Monk.  Together they had four sons and three daughters.  One son died as an infant.

Elizabeth Briant

d.08/05/1939

Mother of seven children

• Vivien Benson

Elizabeth Monk was born in Northfield Aldbury, Berkshire.  She married Ezra Bryant, a farm labourer, and together they had seven children.

Mary Dean

1827 –10/09/1909

Mother of Charles Dean

Relatives

Charles Dean — son

• David Squire

Mary Dean (Eames)

Mary Eames was born in 1827 in Kings Langley, with her father being William and mother Jemima.  William was an agricultural labourer, with the family recorded as living in Bourne End, Berkhamsted in the 1841 census. Mary was the eldest within a large family, having 11 siblings.

Mary married William Dean in November 1847 at St Albans Abbey. The couple settled in Watford and by the 1851 census they were living at 4 Railway Terrace, with William working on the railway as a labourer. There were 2 young children in the family, George and Mary Ann.

By the time of the next census in 1861 the family had moved to New Road, Northchurch, with Emily, Isabel, James (died young) and Sarah having been added to the family. Interestingly the family had a lodger, James Bryant, who is listed as being a “Chelsea out Pensioner. William continues to work as a labourer on the railway.  

The 1871 census shows the addition of 4 sons over the previous 10 years – William, Herbert, Joseph and Charles. The family has moved to Caitlin Street, Hemel Hempstead and has been joined by daughter Emily, her husband, Alexander Mason and their son, John. William has now become a plate layer, still on the railway.

In the 1881 census the family remained resident in Hemel Hempstead, with only the 3 youngest sons living at home and Mary continuing as the homemaker having raised a large family and William still working as a plate layer.

The 1891 census shows that Mary is now a widow, living at Ellesmere Road, Northchurch. Her youngest son, Charles, remains at home and is listed as working as a chemical worker (presumably at the Coopers’ factory) and she is also looking after 2 granddaughters, Elizabeth and Florence Dean. Her grandson, John Mason, is living next door, with his small family, wife Emily and daughter, Annie.

By the 1901 census, Mary is 75 and is living with her son, Charles, at 11 Provident Place, Berkhamsted, with his wife, Lizzie and their daughter, Nellie.

The last record of Mary is her death on 10^th September in 1909, where she is still listed as living at 11 Provident Place, Berkhamsted, having living a long life.