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Peter and Mary Beuzeville


Peter Beuzeville (1742-1812) married Mary Griffith Meredith (1744-1811) at St. Martin in the Fields, London, on 16th January, 1768. Rev. Samuel Beuzeville (Peter's Uncle) officiated. The couple had fifteen children, only five surviving beyond infancy. Samuel and Charlotte died young and three daughters remained:   Bridget (1770-1828) Marianne (1776-1829) and Esther (1786-1851).

In the early days of their marriage Peter and Mary lived at Hackney, and Peter followed his father's occupation as a silk weaver in Spitalfields.

In 1789, two years after the deaths of Samuel, aged 8 years 8 months, and Charlotte, aged 5 years, the family moved to Cheshunt in Hertfordshire, but retained a town house, presumably in Hackney, where Peter lived during weekdays with Bridget his eldest daughter who kept house for him there.  Each Saturday Peter and Bridget travelled to Cheshunt and remained with the family there until the following Tuesday when they returned to London.  In 1793 the family moved back to Hackney. It is of interest to note that until the time of the French Revolution conversational French was used by the family, and French customs were preserved.


Mourning Brooch commemorating Samuel and Charlotte Beuzeville

In 1797 the family moved to  Henley-0n-Thames and Peter set up  his silk weaving looms at Twyford, nearby.  At Henley the family lived at Southfield House which was situated in Reading Road (Duke Street) on the site of the present mail exchange. Emma Byles describes it as standing back from the road and surrounded by a wall of mellow brick which enclosed a garden with some fine trees. It was very close to the Independent Chapel.

Emma Byles writes "I do not suppose the Beuzevilles were rich, but they must have been people of substance and good taste.  They must have given their children what for those days was a good education, and their home must have been supplied with good and tasteful furniture, silver and china and
Henley church records indicate that the Beuzevilles had at least two servants.  

Their goods have been divided and re-divided among their ever-increasing descendants; but if in a family home a particularly nice bit of Sheraton or Chippendale is seen, or some old-fashioned silver or good china, it is pretty sure to have come from the Beuzevilles".  Emma Byles states that she had in her possession two silver salt cellars (two of a set of four) which came from their home which were so large that she used them for sugar basins.

"A Catalogue of all the Household Furniture, Upwards of 200 Ounces of Plate, Library of Books, Prints, China and Glass, and other effects of Peter Beuzeville, Esq. of Duke-Street, Henley. (lately deceased). To be sold by auction by Mr. Cloase, on Friday the 21st of August, l8l2".

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