Son of William and Elizabeth (Dann) Relfe, of Prior Hall farm
George Relph, son of William and Elizabeth, was baptized at the Ireby parish church on April 20, 1738, and undoubtedly grew up learning all aspects of agriculture on Priour Hall farm. George was 14 when his father died. With no husband working on the farm, Elizabeth would have had a very difficult time. And it is probable that son George took over the position of family bread winner. To date, no record of Elizabeth's death has been found.
When he was 18 years old, George married Thamar Grave on July 29, 1756. Thamar was 17 and the daughter of Joseph Grave of Plumbland parish, where she was baptized on September 30, 1739. George and Thamar were married in Torpenhow parish. Since the bride and groom were both under age, the marriage record shows that they married "with consent" of their parents. Clearly George had meanwhile convinced the owners of Priour Hall that he was indeed of an age to do a man's work. So he took his young bride home to Priour Hall, and not quite a year later their first child was baptized in the Ireby parish church.
Over the years, George and Thamar had 16 children. In an age when few children survived and mothers often died bearing them, George and Thamer and their whole brood were apparently of very robust health. The records would indicate that all their children grew to adulthood, and George and Thamer both lived into the next century. Through the many entries in the Ireby baptismal record, George is described variously as being an "Estatesman" and "Husbandman" in his children's baptismal records. By 1774, George had become the "Yeoman Farmer" of Priour Hall. As the "Estatesman" he was managing Priour Hall for someone else. When he became a "Yeoman Farmer", it meant that he had acquired the Priour Hall land which he worked. Within the framework of his times, George was a very successful man.
Sometime after the birth of their last child in 1785, George, Thamer and most of their family left Priour Hall and moved north to Holme Cultram parish. It is noted that one of their daughters married a Holme Cultram man in 1792. Perhaps they decided then to go live near their daughter. It should also be noted that the continuing Enclosure Acts of Parliament made life very difficult for the Yeoman Farmers, and possibly it became economically impossible to continue at the Priour Hall farm. Whatever the reason for their move, George and Thamer both died in Holme Cultram parish. They had been married for 63 years when Thamer was finally buried in the Holme Cultram Abbey church yard on July 17, 1819, at the age of 79. George outlived his wife by more than nine years, and was buried beside her on October 22, 1828. At a time when life expectancy was 45 to 50 years, George lived to be 91 years old. Their gravestones stand side-by-side in the Abbeytown churchyard. By any measure of their times, they were quite exceptional people.
George Relph, son of William and Elizabeth, was baptized at the Ireby parish church on April 20, 1738, and undoubtedly grew up learning all aspects of agriculture on Priour Hall farm. George was 14 when his father died. With no husband working on the farm, Elizabeth would have had a very difficult time. And it is probable that son George took over the position of family bread winner. To date, no record of Elizabeth's death has been found.
When he was 18 years old, George married Thamar Grave on July 29, 1756. Thamar was 17 and the daughter of Joseph Grave of Plumbland parish, where she was baptized on September 30, 1739. George and Thamar were married in Torpenhow parish. Since the bride and groom were both under age, the marriage record shows that they married "with consent" of their parents. Clearly George had meanwhile convinced the owners of Priour Hall that he was indeed of an age to do a man's work. So he took his young bride home to Priour Hall, and not quite a year later their first child was baptized in the Ireby parish church.
Over the years, George and Thamar had 16 children. In an age when few children survived and mothers often died bearing them, George and Thamer and their whole brood were apparently of very robust health. The records would indicate that all their children grew to adulthood, and George and Thamer both lived into the next century. Through the many entries in the Ireby baptismal record, George is described variously as being an "Estatesman" and "Husbandman" in his children's baptismal records. By 1774, George had become the "Yeoman Farmer" of Priour Hall. As the "Estatesman" he was managing Priour Hall for someone else. When he became a "Yeoman Farmer", it meant that he had acquired the Priour Hall land which he worked. Within the framework of his times, George was a very successful man.
Sometime after the birth of their last child in 1785, George, Thamer and most of their family left Priour Hall and moved north to Holme Cultram parish. It is noted that one of their daughters married a Holme Cultram man in 1792. Perhaps they decided then to go live near their daughter. It should also be noted that the continuing Enclosure Acts of Parliament made life very difficult for the Yeoman Farmers, and possibly it became economically impossible to continue at the Priour Hall farm. Whatever the reason for their move, George and Thamer both died in Holme Cultram parish. They had been married for 63 years when Thamer was finally buried in the Holme Cultram Abbey church yard on July 17, 1819, at the age of 79. George outlived his wife by more than nine years, and was buried beside her on October 22, 1828. At a time when life expectancy was 45 to 50 years, George lived to be 91 years old. Their gravestones stand side-by-side in the Abbeytown churchyard. By any measure of their times, they were quite exceptional people.
Son of William and Elizabeth (Dann) Relfe, of Prior Hall farm
George Relph, son of William and Elizabeth, was baptized at the Ireby parish church on April 20, 1738, and undoubtedly grew up learning all aspects of agriculture on Priour Hall farm. George was 14 when his father died. With no husband working on the farm, Elizabeth would have had a very difficult time. And it is probable that son George took over the position of family bread winner. To date, no record of Elizabeth's death has been found.
When he was 18 years old, George married Thamar Grave on July 29, 1756. Thamar was 17 and the daughter of Joseph Grave of Plumbland parish, where she was baptized on September 30, 1739. George and Thamar were married in Torpenhow parish. Since the bride and groom were both under age, the marriage record shows that they married "with consent" of their parents. Clearly George had meanwhile convinced the owners of Priour Hall that he was indeed of an age to do a man's work. So he took his young bride home to Priour Hall, and not quite a year later their first child was baptized in the Ireby parish church.
Over the years, George and Thamar had 16 children. In an age when few children survived and mothers often died bearing them, George and Thamer and their whole brood were apparently of very robust health. The records would indicate that all their children grew to adulthood, and George and Thamer both lived into the next century. Through the many entries in the Ireby baptismal record, George is described variously as being an "Estatesman" and "Husbandman" in his children's baptismal records. By 1774, George had become the "Yeoman Farmer" of Priour Hall. As the "Estatesman" he was managing Priour Hall for someone else. When he became a "Yeoman Farmer", it meant that he had acquired the Priour Hall land which he worked. Within the framework of his times, George was a very successful man.
Sometime after the birth of their last child in 1785, George, Thamer and most of their family left Priour Hall and moved north to Holme Cultram parish. It is noted that one of their daughters married a Holme Cultram man in 1792. Perhaps they decided then to go live near their daughter. It should also be noted that the continuing Enclosure Acts of Parliament made life very difficult for the Yeoman Farmers, and possibly it became economically impossible to continue at the Priour Hall farm. Whatever the reason for their move, George and Thamer both died in Holme Cultram parish. They had been married for 63 years when Thamer was finally buried in the Holme Cultram Abbey church yard on July 17, 1819, at the age of 79. George outlived his wife by more than nine years, and was buried beside her on October 22, 1828. At a time when life expectancy was 45 to 50 years, George lived to be 91 years old. Their gravestones stand side-by-side in the Abbeytown churchyard. By any measure of their times, they were quite exceptional people.
George Relph, son of William and Elizabeth, was baptized at the Ireby parish church on April 20, 1738, and undoubtedly grew up learning all aspects of agriculture on Priour Hall farm. George was 14 when his father died. With no husband working on the farm, Elizabeth would have had a very difficult time. And it is probable that son George took over the position of family bread winner. To date, no record of Elizabeth's death has been found.
When he was 18 years old, George married Thamar Grave on July 29, 1756. Thamar was 17 and the daughter of Joseph Grave of Plumbland parish, where she was baptized on September 30, 1739. George and Thamar were married in Torpenhow parish. Since the bride and groom were both under age, the marriage record shows that they married "with consent" of their parents. Clearly George had meanwhile convinced the owners of Priour Hall that he was indeed of an age to do a man's work. So he took his young bride home to Priour Hall, and not quite a year later their first child was baptized in the Ireby parish church.
Over the years, George and Thamar had 16 children. In an age when few children survived and mothers often died bearing them, George and Thamer and their whole brood were apparently of very robust health. The records would indicate that all their children grew to adulthood, and George and Thamer both lived into the next century. Through the many entries in the Ireby baptismal record, George is described variously as being an "Estatesman" and "Husbandman" in his children's baptismal records. By 1774, George had become the "Yeoman Farmer" of Priour Hall. As the "Estatesman" he was managing Priour Hall for someone else. When he became a "Yeoman Farmer", it meant that he had acquired the Priour Hall land which he worked. Within the framework of his times, George was a very successful man.
Sometime after the birth of their last child in 1785, George, Thamer and most of their family left Priour Hall and moved north to Holme Cultram parish. It is noted that one of their daughters married a Holme Cultram man in 1792. Perhaps they decided then to go live near their daughter. It should also be noted that the continuing Enclosure Acts of Parliament made life very difficult for the Yeoman Farmers, and possibly it became economically impossible to continue at the Priour Hall farm. Whatever the reason for their move, George and Thamer both died in Holme Cultram parish. They had been married for 63 years when Thamer was finally buried in the Holme Cultram Abbey church yard on July 17, 1819, at the age of 79. George outlived his wife by more than nine years, and was buried beside her on October 22, 1828. At a time when life expectancy was 45 to 50 years, George lived to be 91 years old. Their gravestones stand side-by-side in the Abbeytown churchyard. By any measure of their times, they were quite exceptional people.
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