Wednesday, June 29, 2011

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
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.
Eliza Farrell Kite, wife of Samuel Kite Jr.
photo courtesy of Brian Skinner
Samuel Kite Jr., son of Elizabeth Nye and Samuel Kite
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.

2 comments:

  1. Most of us are able to rear our children to adulthood these days. What a blessing! People live a lot longer too. My, it is a wonder families were able to pass on their line at all!

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