Thomas and Mary Ann Metters
Thomas Metters was born on 23 December 1823 in Okehampton, Devon, one of the three sons of John, a yeoman farmer, and Mary Metters. (His headstone gives his date of birth as 23 December 1824, which must be incorrect, as he was baptised on 25 January 1824 at Okehampton.)
In 1851 he was a farmer in Sampford Courtenay, Devon, holding 99 acres and employing 4 men.
He married
Mary Ann Lee on 23 November 1854 in Okehampton and by 1861 the couple had twin sons and were living in Bickleigh, Devon. He and his wife Mary Ann had four sons altogether, all of whom became farmers. His son
William Henry Metters is buried at
E 1.1.
Thomas was still living in Devon at the time of the 1891 census but when he died three years later, on Christmas Eve 1894, his address was West Fields, Harbury in Warwickshire. This was where his son Thomas farmed. He was buried at Stoneleigh on 27 December.
Mary Ann Metters nee Lee was born in South Tawton in Devon on 5 December 1827. She was, at the time of the 1901 census, with her son William Henry and his family in Stoneleigh, but when she died on 7 December 1903 she was living in Harbury with her son Thomas. Her chief place of residence was, however, Georgeham in Devon.
On 11 December, like her husband, she was buried at Stoneleigh, and it is interesting that husband and wife were buried together here, where their son William Henry was such a prominent farmer. The executors of her will were, however, her eldest sons, the twins John and Thomas.
