Ann (Stayley) Gyte (1811 - 1858)

Born 13 May 1811 in Alfreton Poor House, Derbyshire, England

Ancestors

Wife of James Gyte — married 2 Jul 1827 in Winster, Derbyshire, England

Descendants

Died 1858 at about age 46 in Swanwick, Derbyshire, England

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Biography

Ann (Stayley) Gyte was born in Derbyshire, England.

Ann (Stayley) Gyte was a lead miner's wife and mother of two coal miners

Ann (Stayley) Gyte 's son, George, was killed in the Ripley Colliery Explosions on 5-Oct-1857

Ann was born in 1811 in Alfreton Poor House, Alfreton, Derbyshire. She was illegitimate daughter of Sarah Staley from Winster, Derbyshire.

Ann Staley, was only 16 years of age when she married James Gyte in Winster Church on the 2 July 1827. ^[1] On the day of their marriage, Ann was already expecting a child but when a son, George, was born in late 1827 he only survived a few months. At Winster in 1832, happier events unfolded when a daughter, Mary Ann (1832), was born. James and Ann Gyte had four more children; George (1835), Sarah (1838), Hannah (1841) and Abraham (1845).

When the1841 census was taken Ann and James lived with their family at Youlgreave, Derbyshire. James Gyte was a lead miner.^[2]

Ann's husband, James, died in 1846 from typhus fever at the age of 46,^[3] It is surprising that no other family member died at that time.

However, it left Ann Gyte a widow, age 34, with five children aged between thirteen year and one year to support. The 1851 census for Youlgreave shows that Ann is no longer living there. The family would be in poor financial circumstances without James Gyte as the main bread winner. Up until 1846 anyone in such a plight in need of parish relief would have to return to their place of birth in order to receive what little relief there was to be given by the Poor Law Commissioners. The 1846 law, stating that anyone residing in a place for five years or more should qualify for relief in that parish and that widows were irremovable for twelve months after the death of their husband ought to have allowed Ann Gyte to stay in Youlgreave. However, we find in the 1851 census for Alfreton, that Ann Gyte, aged 40 years, was living at Swanwick with her children, George (16), Hannah (12) and Sarah (9) and Abraham (6). ^[4] Maybe the new law was not being strickly interpreted or very likely there was more work for a woman in the industrial area around Alfreton. She was working as a lace runner to support her family. These were women who had been employed since the later years of the 18th Century to put in ornamental threads by hand on machine-made lace. Hand run patterned lace is found throughout the 1840's and int the 1850's but entirely machine made lace is by far the most commonly found sort after the middle of the 19th Century. Ann's son, George, at the age of 16, was working as a coal miner.

On the 5th October 1857, Ann's son, George was injured in an explosion of gas at the Ripley Colliery operated by the Butterly Company. He died ten days later on the 15th October 1857, aged 22 years. ^[5]

The Gyte family must have been devastated by George's death but worse was to follow when eight months later, on 11th June 1858, Ann died from chronic debility, suffered for three months, and congestion of the brain for the previous ten days.^[6]

Ann's children, Sarah Gyte (19 years) and Hannah (16 years) were probably at Wensley, having joined their sister Mary Ann Taylor in the village. If not already there they certainly made their way there after the death of Ann. Abraham, the youngest member of the Gyte household was the only one left living at Swanwick. By the 1861 census he is 16 years of age, working as a coal miner at the same mine in which his brother died, and living as a boarder with a Swanwick cordwainer, John Frier and his family.^[7]

Census

1841 - Hill House, Hill Side, Youlgrave, Derbyshire^[2]

Gyte James 40 1801 Lead Miner Yes

Gyte Ann 30 1811 Yes

Gyte Mary 9 1832 Yes

Gyte George 6 1835 Yes

Gyte Sarah 2 1839 Yes

1851 - Alfreton, Derbyshire^[4]

Gyte Ann 40 1811 Head Lace Maker Alfreton, Derbyshire

Gyte George 16 1835 Son Coal Miner Stanton, Derbyshire

Gyte Hannah 12 1839 Daughter Stanton, Derbyshire

Gyte Sarah 9 1842 Daughter Stanton, Derbyshire

Gyte Abraham 6 1845 Son Stanton, Derbyshire

Sources

1. ↑ "England Marriages, 1538–1973 ," database, FamilySearch (https://familysearch.org/ark:/61903/1:1:NJB6-1VS : 10 December 2014), James Gyte and Anne Stayley, 02 Jul 1827; citing Winster,Derby,England, reference ; FHL microfilm 498,145.
2. ↑ ^{2.0 2.1} UK census 1841 HO107/0187/F? - Hill House, Hill Side, Youlgrave, Derbyshire
3. ↑ GRO index (Deaths) - GYTE, JAMES 46 Order GRO Reference: 1846 J Quarter in BAKEWELL UNION Volume 19 Page 301
4. ↑ ^{4.0 4.1} UK census 1951 HO107/2145/F? - Alfreton, Derbyshire
5. ↑ General Register Office Online index - GYTE, GEORGE 22 Order GRO Reference: 1857 D Quarter in BELPER Volume 07B Page 310
6. ↑ General Register Office Online index GYTE, ANN GRO Reference: 1858 J Quarter in BELPER Volume 07B Page 291
7. ↑ UK census 1861 RG9/2516/F? - Swanwick, Derbyshire