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| John Nex (1818-?) | ||
| HENRY NEX----- 1847-? | | | | | | | |
| MaryAnn Nex ---------------------------- 1865-? Emily Nex -------------------- | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | | Mary Ann Hodge (1815-?) |
| John Nex --------------------- 1870-? | | | | | | | |
| Emma Nex----- 1874-? | | | | | | | |
| Ellen Nex----- 1877-? | | | | | | | |
| Emma Langabeer 1844-1924 |
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Henry Nex was in fact born Henry Hodge, according to his birth certificate - so given that he's my husband's great-great-grandfather, perhaps our family surname ought to be Hodge! The reason for this anomaly is that he was in fact illegitimate, born to his spinster mother Mary Ann in 1847(5) just a few months before her marriage - though a contradicting record has his baptism in 1845 (1). There's no particular reason to believe that Mary Ann's husband, John Nex, was not his father, though I suppose there might be a question mark. He was born and lived for the rest of his life in and around Tiverton, in rural Devon. He worked as a farmer, or sometimes (e.g. 1901) listed as a waggoner on a farm or agricultural labourer.(1) In 1865 he married Emma Langabeer(3), though not in Thorverton,(1) and the pair had at least five children - four girls and a boy, John, my husband's great-grandfather. Other little details about his life: he lived just around the corner from his father, John, and later moved in to John's house, Ford Cottage in Thorverton. Possibly at this time, his father also began to live with them (he was there by 1881).(4) He died in 1901, aged just 56.(1) (1) From research carried out by Ian Stoyle, Thorverton (Devon) archivist. (2) Marriage certificate for his son, John Nex. (3) 1871 census for Bidwell Cottage, Thorverton, Devon. (4) 1881 census for Ford Cottage, Thorverton, Devon. (5) Probable birth certificate record found in BMDs - Henry Hodge b Tiverton &C –Mar 1847 ref 10 269 - to be ordered for checking |