| Emma BINDING was born in
1822 in Lympsham, the 3rd illegitimate child of Sarah BINDING (who
had 7 illegitimate children in total). Emma's father is reputed to
have been George HAYES.
Joseph, her first child, was born in the Axbridge Union Workhouse.
He died in early 1841 in Worle, aged less than 1 year. His father's
name is not known.
Emma married 3 times: firstly to Ephraim CHANDLER, another
illegitimate youngster who had been placed by the overseers as an
apprentice thatcher when he became the responsibility of the
parish. They had two children but Ephraim died only 2 years after
the marriage, at the age of 24. One of these children also died in
infancy.
Secondly she married Richard HAM, a poor labourer from Upper Weare.
She was, by then, living in Weston Super Mare. Richard also died
young, after only 4 years of marriage, leaving Emma with two more
surviving children.
Thirdly Emma married George FISHER, a widowed fisherman with several
children of his own. Emma had two more children with George, a
total of 8 children, 5 of whom survived infancy, and she outlived
her third husband by 22 years, dying at the age of 80. She lived
most of her life on or below the poverty line and must have had a
very tough life.
I am descended from Emma's half-brother James, who was the 6th of
Sarah's illegitimate children, and I'm always interested to hear of
any BINDING sightings.
Marion Lowe
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