MITCHENALL FAMILY HISTORY
Elizabeth Ann 1854 - 1925
Elizabeth Ann is the eldest daughter of John Mitchenall and his wife Ann Bashford, born in 1854 (by deduction from other records - I have not found a birth certificate).
Her younger brother William was born on 7th January 1857, but the first record for Elizabeth is the 1861 census, when she is stated to be a 7 year old scholar. They live in the High Street, Edenbridge and father is a shoemaker. Next door is her grandfather with his children, her aunt Rebecca and uncle William. The street numbers are not given, but the Star Inn is enumeration number 56, grandfather 58, and her home 59. Number 60 is Edward leigh and his wife Mary, and then Henry Jeffrey and his wife Kezia - another aunt, with 3 cousins, Kate, Louisa and Fanny. See also the page about Edenbridge.
Her baptism took place at St Matthew, in Brixton, on February 23rd 1862 the same day as her Uncle James's daughters Laura Elizabeth and Mary Ann were baptised - apparently a family christening. James lived in Brixton, in Cornwall Road, whilst father John was a postman, in Edenbridge - he must have visited James and had his daughter baptised with her cousins.
By 1871 the Mitchenall family had moved down the road a bit and round the corner into Hever Lane. The census does not record her status - father is a postman.
She married Edward Leigh, from Hever, in Hever on Boxing Day 1874 - marriages were quite common over Christmas as it was a rare holiday.
Eldest daughter Clara Alice Leigh is recorded as a scholar of 6 in the 1881 census. As this was on the 3rd April, to be six she must have been born between April 1875 and March 1876. She is recorded as Alice
She had eleven further children. Florence (1876 - ?) and William (1876 - 1956) were born, like Clara, in Hever.
Ernest (1879-1947), Minnie (Emma) (1881 - 1959), Laura (1883 -?), Edith (1887 - 1957), Mary (1887 -?), Frank (1890 -1891), Herbert (1895 - 1979) and Florence (1897 - 1914) were born in Edenbridge.
In 1881 they were next to the Vicarage on the census, possibly opposite her Aunt Kezia Jeffrey's shop. Husband Edward is a bricklayer.
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By 1891 they were living in Hever Lane, near Elizabeths mother and father, and Ernest (12 years) and Minnie (9) are living with their grandparents down the lane. Husband Edward is a Bricklayer and chimney sweep.
In 1901 they have moved to Croft Villa, and Husband Edward is a Carpenter, builder, Painter and Glazier. Ernest is also in the trade, living at home again. Croft Villa is counted next to other properties on Mill Hill.
The 1911 census is signed by Elizabeth at Mill Hill, stating she has 11 rooms. Edith, Herbert, Florence and a boarder, Dorothy May Mortimer, also occupy the home, but husband Edward is not recorded there.
Elizabeth is buried with Edward in the graveyard at St Peter and St Paul, Edenbridge, she pre-desceasing him in 1926, he following in 1929.
She leaves living descendants (from her children) named Malyan (Clara Alice), Leigh (William and Ernest) , Evans (Ernest), Leppard (Minnie), White (Minnie), Mills(Minnie), Tugwell (Minnie) and possibly Prevett (Minnie). Her other children have no descendants I have traced.