Maud Mary WESTLAKE was born on 8th February 1878 in Sampford Spiney, Horrabridge, Devon on the western edge of Dartmoor.
William WESTLAKE her father was born around the early 1850’s possibly either in Horrabridge, Devon or Cornwall. So far I have been unable to find a Birth Certificate or birth entry for William Junior. I did however, find a Baptism entry for a William WESTLAKE at the Parish Church in Horrabridge for 9 September 1853 showing William WESTLAKE, Blacksmith aged 54 born Buckland Monachorum and Ann GILBERT aged 53 of St Austell, Cornwall as the parents.
Sidwell Vincent, Maud’s mother, was born on the 29th April 1851, in Illogan, Cornwall.
William and Sidwell were married at Tuckingmill Parish Church, Cornwall on the 10 August 1873. On their marriage certificate, William’s occupation is given as Smith and on the 1881 Census as Railway Labourer and that he was born Horrabridge, Devon. Of course it may well be that William thought he was born in Horrabridge, but had in fact been born in Cornwall and only baptised in Horrabridge.
William WESTlLAKE Senior gives his trade as Smith on his son’s marriage certificate, and the two witnesses were William and Edward GILBERT. Is it just coincidence that the two witnesses to Wm Jnrs wedding were Gilberts? Hopefully this mystery will be solved in due course.
In 1875 William Charles was born, and sometime later the family moved to Horrabridge in Devon.
Sidwell died shortly after my grandmother Maud was born in 1878, and not long afterwards, William married Mary E from Lynford. This is not surprising as he was left to care for two young children. William died during WW2.
At an age unknown, Maud left Devon and headed to Twickenham in Middlesex, where she met and married Henry KOSBAB on the 6th May 1901. They had eleven children, Beatrice Maud, Queenie, Violet, Lois (who died as a child), Lily, Florrie, Wynn, Ivy, Henry William, George and my father John being the youngest. Gran was with her daughter Wynn in Richmond, Surrey when she died in 1958.
NEW information from the 1891 Census has come to light as well as the 1901 Census. Click the ** Updates ** link below, then follow the Westlake links to new information and Census pages – if you recognize anyone – Please do email me.
