Hezekiah Wellstead was born in Wool around 1819 and his future wife Fanny Kellaway was also born there and baptised on 20 August 1820.
They married at Wool on 16 February 1840. Hezekiah gave his age as 22, his occupation as labourer and stated his father was John Burt. Fanny also gave her age as 22. Her father as Joseph Kellaway. Neither Hezekiah or Fanny could write and so both ‘signed’ with their mark. On the same day, the marriage of George Torafield [Tollerfield] and Eliza Bagg took place in the same church and Hezekiak and Fanny were witnesses!
Hezekiah & Fanny appear to have lived in Kingston a relatively short while in their twilight years. They were recorded on the 1901 census as living in South Street, with Hezekiah shown as an ‘ordinary agricultural labourer’ aged 82 and Fanny aged 80.
Hezekiah died on 20 November 1903 and his wife Fanny died just two months later on 19 January 1904. They were buried in the lower graveyard behind the old St. James’ Church, on 23 November and 22 January respectively.
Their gravestone is pictured below:
The gravestone commemorating Hezekiah and Fanny. Photo by Martin White in June 2009
The inscription reads:
In Loving Memory of HEZEKIAH WELLSTEAD WHO DIED NOVEMBER 20TH 1903 AGED 84 YEARS ALSO OF HIS WIFE FANNY WELLSTEAD WHO DIED JANUARY 19TH 1904 AGED 83 YEARS THE RESURRECTION MORNING WILL AWAKE THEM BOTH AND THEN THE SAINTS WHO SLEEP IN JESUS WILL BE RESTORED AGAIN
After their marriage, Hezekiah and Fanny remained at Wool for 10 years or more, where they had at least four children: Robert John, John Robert, Mary Ann and Charles. By 1861 the family were living at Arne, and Hezekiah and Fanny were still living there in 1891. Arne was part of the Eldon Estate and it was no doubt through this connection that they moved to Kingston.