Hannah Morris

     Hannah Morris was baptized on 4 September 1785 at Framfield, Sussex, England. She was the daughter of Joseph Morris and Hannah Turner.
Information from Sheila Smith:
Said on his Marriage licence to have come from Penshurst, Kent and to be a yeoman. No further information yet. Aged 21 +
Bondsmen, Thomas Realf & William Newnham of Framfield, miller(South Melling Peculiar)
Taken from Sussex Record Society Vol xxvi, Lewes Melling, M-Z. Sussex Marriage Licences.
Marriages from 1789 - 1812, number 5 at ESRO, Lewes,Sussex,England Witnesses were William & Elizabeth Newnham see paper files

deaths: Brighton 1852 or Thakeham March 1867 aged 83. If Thakeham, he must have married twice .

Brighton Census 1851 says Thomas Realf, aged 69, was born in Buxted, Sussex, England and was a blacksmith, pauper and widower.

HO107/1645/1058     1851 census microfiche, Brighton: Thomas Realf, UnionWorkhouse, Brighton, pauper, widower, blacksmith aged 69, b. Buxted

Uckfield Union Poor Law Records XA30/58/8-9:
25 March 1858 Thomas Realf b. 1781, labourer, Uckfield. shows in records until 25 March 1859. Died 1st wk April 1859.
Bastardy Order at Framfield. Thomas Realf, putative father of HannahMorris's child. Dated 3rd April (or July) 1804 (see e-mail from PamAllsopp dated 16th Sept. 2003
National Burial index gives a Thomas Realf who was buried at Eastbourne St Mary on 3rd April 1804. (Unlikely to be him).
Bastardy Order at Framfield. Thomas Realf, putative father of Hannah Morris's child. Dated 3rd April (or July) 1804.
Hannah Morris and Thomas Realf obtained a marriage license on 5 July 1804 at Archdeaconry of Lewes, Sussex, England, Said on his Marriage licence to have come from Penshurst, Kent and to be a yeoman. No further information yet. Aged 21 +
Bondsmen, Thomas Realf & William Newnham of Framfield, miller(South Melling Peculiar)
Taken from Sussex Record Society Vol xxvi, Lewes Melling, M-Z. Sussex Marriage Licences.
Marriages from 1789 - 1812, number 5 at ESRO, Lewes,Sussex,England Witnesses were William & Elizabeth Newnham.¹
Hannah Morris married Thomas Realf on 5 July 1804 at Framfield, Sussex, England, Thomas of Penshurst, Kent.¹
The names Thomas and Hannah are nowhere to be found in the names of Richard Realf's children, and also his son Edward. Richard does have two children, Joseph and Sarah. It implies to me that Richard was likely brought up by his uncle Joseph and his wife Sarah (Hannah's parents).
I think it is also an important fact that Richard lived in Framfield and Uckfield up to about 1861 when he moved to Buxted. This is telling me that whatever happened to the family after 1808 did not cause Richard (al least) to move away from the area. Maybe Hannah died after the birth of Thomas Realf in 1807 which was the cause of their son Thomas dying 9 months later (if so, it is puzzling why we can't find her burial - but wouldn't be a first). If the parents had moved away after 1808 (which would be one explanation for their absence thereafter) then surely Richard would have gone with them, so I can't see this as being a possibility.
Maybe the parents split up, and Thomas moved away, leaving Hannah to live with her parents and bring up Richard. If this was the case you would think that Richard would have appreciated the effort and named a child after his mother.
My best guess based on this evidence is that Hannah died after the birth of Thomas (but we can't find her burial - not unknown in parish records). Richard was raised by Hannah's parents Joseph and Sarah Morris, and that husband Thomas remained in the area, never remarried and possibly died in Uckfield workhouse on 1 Oct 1858 age 77 years (giving his birth c1781 which sounds right). However, there is a Thomas RELF baptised 27 Mar 1783 in Framfield to John and Dinah Relf which is another real possibility for that death in the workhouse. Another Thomas Relf was baptised 27 Sep 1778 in Heathfield.
I think there is a strong case for saying that Richard was brought up by Hannah's parents.
G. Barber 25/9/2011.