Elizabeth Nye

Elizabeth Nye, eldest child of Thomas Nye and Ann Walker, was christened 1 September 1776 at the parish church in Leigh, Kent. Her name on the christening record is Eliza but her marriage and death records both have her as Elizabeth.

On 13 December 1796 she married Samuel Kite in Horton Kirby as recorded in Pallott's marriage index. Horton Kirby is in the Dartford area and it is possible that Elizabeth went there to find work and when she met Samuel she stayed. Samuel Kite was christened 4 Aug 1765 at Hothfield, Kent, England a son of Samuel and Mary Kite.  (Source FHL film 1751915.  Family History Library = FHL)

Their first five children, namely Esther born abt 1800, Elizabeth 1802, William 1804 and twin boys 1806, who were not named, all died shortly after birth.

Finally the sixth child Samuel Kite Jr. who was born abt 1808 and christened 25 April 1813 lived until adulthood. Next another son named Charles was born and died in 1809. Child #8 Harriet was born in 1812 and was alive during the 1841 census but no further information has been found for Harriet.

Again the family was to have the heartbreak of another early death when Robert was born and died in 1813. Child #10 Maria was born in 1814, her christening took place on 6 March 1814; Eleanor was christened 1 July 1816 these two girls lived to adulthood but child #12 Hester who was born in 1819 died at the age of 15.

Elizabeth Nye Kite died 30 Mar 1840 at Horton Kirby at the age of 63, the cause of death according to the death certificate was disease of the heart.

Death Certificate for Elizabeth Nye Kite

On 22 Apr 1849 Samuel Kite Sr. was buried. He had been employed as a shepherd, a factory laborer and a laborer during his lifetime.

Imagine the heartbreak of giving birth to twelve children and only having 3 of them live long enough to marry and have their own families. Following is information on those three children.


Samuel Kite Jr.

Eliza Farrell Kite, wife of Samuel Kite Jr.
photo courtesy of Brian Skinner

Samuel Kite Jr
son of Elizabeth Nye and Samuel Kite
photo courtesy of Brian Skinner

Samuel Kite Jr. was married to Anna Maria Lott on 28 April 1833. She was christened 30 Jul 1815 in Luddesdown, Kent (FHL film 1469432 - 1813-1862 christenings). They were blessed with a son they named George William Kite in 1835. Anna Maria died sometime before 1840.

Samuel Kite Jr. then married his second wife Eliza Farrell on 30 August 1840 and they produced eight children. Eliza died 18 September 1874 at the age of 58. Tragically their son Samuel III drowned in the river Darenth on 15 July 1852 at the age of 10.

There is a monument in St. Mary's Churchyard at Horton Kirby which reads as follows:

"Eliza wife of Samuel Kite [Jr.] of this parish died 18 September 1874 aged 58, Samuel son of the above who was drowned in the river Darenth 15 July 1852 aged 10. Also Caroline infant daughter of Charles and Caroline Kite R.S. who died at Nasseerabad, Bombay, India 17 July 1872 aged 3 months 18 days. Also Samuel Kite died at Wilmington 13 Feb 1879 aged 71". Erected by surviving families."

This record can be viewed at St. Mary's Churchyard Monumental Inscriptions 1461-1989 fiche 6359799 #3 North West Kent Family History Society Horton Kirby, Kent, England.

Maria Kite
Daughter Maria (child #10) married Isaac Brown in 1830 and they were the parents of eleven children, after Isaac's death in 1852, Maria married John Moore in 1854 in Wrotham, Kent. She died in 1871.

Eleanor Kite
Eleanor (child #11) married George Ralph Walkling in 1842 and they had 4 children. George died in 1886 and Eleanor in 1893, they lived in Northfleet, Kent.

For more details on the Kite family, please see the Genealogy page.

Sophia Nye

Sophia Nye was christened on 6 April 1817 at Hadlow in County Kent, England. She never married and lived with her parents, John Nye and Anne Randall, on their farm until their deaths. In 1841 she was listed as a dress maker.

After her parents death she and her sister Ann Nye continued to live on the family farm and to operate it with the help of their cousin Henry who was the son of Harriet Nye, daughter of Richard Nye and Elizabeth Avis.

In 1867, Winchester Farm - then owned by Sophia and Ann Nye - had an extremely abundant harvest, from which the Nye sisters donated £250 to entirely fund the construction of the Zion Baptist Church on Pembury Road, Tonbridge.

At the time the 1871 census was taken Ann was in Maidstone visiting with their brother Thomas Cotton Nye and his family so Sophia was listed as the head of the household in Hadlow. She was farming 90 acres and employing 5 men and 2 boys. Cousin Henry continued to be the manager of the farm. Rhoda Dedman was visiting, she later married Henry.

Sophia died on 20 March 1876 at Hadlow, less than three months after her brother Thomas died. She was buried alongside her brother and her parents in Borough Green, Kent (click to see headstone). Later their sister Ann was buried there also.

Ann Nye

Ann Nye, daughter of John Nye and Anne Randall, was christened 3 October 1813 in the Hadlow Church. Ann never married but stayed at home with her parents until their deaths. In 1841 Ann was listed as a dressmaker but in the 1851 census there is no occupation listed.

The 1861 census states that Ann age 47 was the head of the household and was a farmer of 89 acres employing 1 man and 1 boy. Her sister Sophia Nye is also living at the farm and their cousin Henry Nye was the bailiff for the sisters. Henry was a son of Harriet Nye the daughter of Richard Nye and Elizabeth Avis.

In 1867, Winchester Farm - then owned by Sophia and Ann Nye - had an extremely abundant harvest, from which the Nye sisters donated £250 to entirely fund the construction of the Zion Baptist Church on Pembury Road, Tonbridge.

At the time of the 1871 census Ann was visiting in Maidstone at the home of her brother Thomas Cotton Nye and his wife Mary Ann.

The 1881 census shows Ann a lodger and annuitant (a person living on retirement funds) living at Budd Farm near Shipborne, Kent in the home of William Fermor and his wife. Having never married, and after her parents and her siblings died, Ann was in need of care so she went to live with the Fermor's. Apparently William Fermor promised a home and care if Ann signed her money over to him.

Ann died 3 December 1882 and was buried in the Borough Green Baptist Churchyard (click to see headstone) next to her parents, her brother Thomas and her sister Sophia.

Thomas Cotton Nye

Thomas Cotton Nye, the son of John Nye and Anne Randall, was christened or baptized on 4 August 1811 in the Penshurst Church. Thomas probably grew up as an agricultural laborer with limited formal education, and we know little of his life until his marriage to Mary Ann Goldsmith in Wateringbury Kent.

As found in the Parish register of Wateringbury "Thomas Nye, bachelor of this parish and Mary Ann Goldsmith, spinster of this parish were married in this church by banns this 21st day of June 1835 by Mr. Robert Earle. Witnesses were William Burden and Sophia Nye". Sophia was a sister of Thomas.

There was some confusion in some of the Nye family about Mary Ann's birth name. It has been reported as being Mary Ann Summers but the marriage has her correct name. The 1851 census has Mary Ann as being born in Tudely Kent and the 1871 census has her born in Tonbridge. In October 2011 I finally located Mary Ann Goldsmith's christening date as 27 Dec 1816 in Tonbridge Wells, Kent, England.

The 1841 census notes that Thomas and Mary Ann were living in Springfield, Essex County with Thomas Nye listed as a railway worker.

• Their son William Henry Nye was born while they were in Essex and his christening was found to be 2 May 1849 at Springfield. William later married Mary Ann Willett.

In 1851 the family had moved to West Ashford Kent and were living at #131 Churchyard. Thomas was working as a rose laborer.

• Their second son George Thomas was christened on 19 October 1845 at West Ashford. He later married Amanda Amelia Mercer.

George Nye birth - son of George Nye & Amanda A Mercer

• Their daughter Eliza Ann was born 21 April 1851 at West Ashford. She later married William McKeough.

Eliza Ann Nye birth record.

• Their third son Frederick John was born on 19 December 1855 at Thornhills, East Maidstone. No marriage has been found for Frederick.

Birth record of Frederick John Nye

They were again listed in Ashford in 1861 with Thomas working as a railway laborer. William was working as a cabinet maker and George was listed as a railway laborer.

The 1871 census states that the Nye's had moved to #36 Fisher Street in Maidstone. Thomas is listed as a laborer. The only two children living with their parents were Eliza Ann and Frederick.

Thomas Cotton Nye died on 25 December 1875 at his home. His certificate of death has his occupation as a platelayer and his age as 64. Cause of death was paralysis for six weeks and he was in a coma the last two days of his life. Eliza Ann Nye is listed as the informant, so Eliza was not using her married name McKeough at that time.

Record of death of Thomas Cotton Nye

As previously stated Thomas was buried next to his parents at Borough Green, Kent.

Mary Ann and her daughter Eliza Ann along with Eliza's husband and child continued to live at #36 Fisher Street. Both women were listed as dress makers. William Mc Keough disappeared at some point.

An interesting side note on Mary Ann was found on Ancestry.com as follows: England and Wales Criminal Registers 1791-1892 - 16 Mar 1835 larceny by servant, Mary Ann Summers alias Goldsmith, sentenced to three months. I currently don't have information on why Mary Ann used both names.

Mary Ann lived until 1895 and died at Maidstone.