John Funnell married Mary Harmer… but which one?
Feb 5th, 2007 by Andy Funnell
Was Mary Unstead’s name really Hokum?
These are two questions asked by Christine Brookes who sent in an email to query research on the “Funnells from Chiddingly” tree. If anyone can confirm, infirm or comment, please do so using the comments form – click on “Comments” at the bottom of the article.
Mary Harmer (person ID 1140). The marriage between John Funnell and Mary Harmer is recorded in the parish records – but which Mary Harmer this is is a bit of a headache. There are a number of Funnell trees on the internet, which show Mary Harmer’s birth date as 1776, born Heathfield and that she is the daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth Harmer. I am not sure where this piece of information originated, but I believe it to be incorrect. I have been in touch with The Harmer Association who were very helpful on this question, and also checked on the parish records at ESRO. I could not find a Mary Harmer born 1776, daughter of Joseph and Elizabeth, but I did find one born in 1766 in Heathfield – this Mary Harmer is included in the Harmer Association’s tree as having died in 1778, and I have verified this from the parish records.
Even if this Mary Harmer’s death in 1778 is incorrect, her date of birth does not fit well with the other things we know about Mary Harmer Funnell – her age is shown in her death record as being 65 on 1 January 1838, and in the 1820 census she is shown as being aged 48. If both of these are correct then we have a birth date for Mary of between 28th May 1772 and 1 January 1773.
There is another Mary Harmer who was the daughter of Barnabus Harmer and Elizabeth Pike – she was baptised in Warbleton on 6th December 1772 (which fits well in terms of date). Looking through the parish records, I have found no other marriage for this Mary, nor a death. The HFA records have a pencilled suggestion (probably best fit) which suggests that it was this Mary who married John Funnell.
Finally, when I looked at the parish records, I did see that on her marriage to John Funnell, she is described as being of this parish (i.e. Chiddingly). I looked back in the Chiddingly parish records and could find no record of a birth of a Mary Harmer around the correct time, so have come to the conclusion that Mary must have been living in Chiddingly having moved there from somewhere else. There also do not appear to be any other Harmer marriages in Chiddingly around that time (apart from one between William Harmer and Mary Jenner in 1805), so maybe she moved there alone.
It is an interesting coincidence that both William Harmer and Mary Harmer (daughter of Barnabus) were related to Sarah Harmer, the wife of James Funnell (John Funnell’s brother). William is Sarah Harmer Funnell’s nephew, and Mary is the daughter of Sarah’s cousin. So maybe it was the link with Sarah Harmer, which prompted Mary to move to Chiddingly.
The upshot of all of this, is that while I am not completely sure, I think that Mary Harmer born 1772 and the daughter of Barnabus Harmer and Elizabeth Pike, is at the moment the most likely person to have been the Mary Harmer who married John Funnell.
Ideas anyone?
5 Responses to John Funnell married Mary Harmer… but which one?
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Hi Andy, in my tree I also have a Mary Harmer born about that time, but she was married to a William Stonestreet on 18/10/1817, now she was left to hold the baby as it were because the rogue got 14 years transportation to Parramatta, NSW in 1823. No more is known of the poor lass and if there was subsequent marriages. It would also appear William forgot to divorce her too before marrying out in Oz somewhen about 1843 after he gained his freedom.
I also have a Sophia Hallaway visiting a Mary Harmer in Heathfield on 1881(?)cencus.
I do know from sources that Mary had a “Removal Order” made against her which meant she HAD to leave Heathfield and go to Brightling, interesting stuff……but any good???
Sarah
Amazing, Andy. Just a month later and a chance conversation in my local sailing club in Norfolk led my contacting the Harmer Family Association yesterday about this very same issue!
I don’t have anything to add to your material above, but since it looks like we have ancestors in common, do get in touch if you would like to exchange other notes.
Regards
Paul
As it’s mentionned at the top, this is Christine Brooke’s (very thorough) research. If you wish to contact her, please send me an e-mail and I’ll pass it on.
Hi Andy – thank you so much for putting the Mary Harmer question up onto your site for discussion.
I read both Sarah and Paul’s posts with much interest.
After a quick internet search, I think I have William Stonestreet as being born in 1795, son of Henry Stonestreet and Sarah Walters (married 1783 in Heathfield) and that he was transported at age 29 with his brothers Moses and Levi in 1823 (my apologies if this is not correct!). If this is right though, then that would make Mary Harmer (daughter of Barnabus Harmer and Elizabeth Pike – born 1772) over 20 years his senior – which, of course, does not make their marriage impossible, but there is quite an age gap. Sarah – do you have any more information about the marriage of Mary Harmer and William Stonestreet?
I have a couple of Mary Harmers from the IGI, both born in 1793, in Heathfield – they are:-
(1) Mary Harmer the daughter of Joseph Harmer and Elizabeth
(2) Mary Harmer daughter of William Harmer and Philadelphia Crews.
I ruled them both out as possible spouses for John Funnell, as they were both too young (only 4 years old at the time of Mary and John Funnell’s marriage in 1797) but they are both closer to William Stonestreet in age. I must confess that I didn’t look too closely at these two Marys, so perhaps someone somewhere has either deaths or marriages for them, which would rule them out as possible wives for William Stonestreet.
So many Mary Harmers – and as ever, more questions than answers!
Best wishes, Christine
Dear Christine, just skipping through HFA links, noticed your querry, I am from the heathfield tree and related to the Funnels from Lansdowne,Ont, however the last posted was 2007, have you linked any family connection since that time? I may be able to help as my great grandfather was Richard Albert Harmer lived in Lansdowne and all of your querry seem to make scence. I will try to help. please email me?