Mrs Sarah HARDS, née Jarvis (1802–1857)
Her daughter Miss Mary Ann Jarvis HARDS (1827–1906)
St Paul section: Row 6, Grave A8 (St Paul ref. F3)
[The text on the gravestone is
hard to read, as it is masked by
the footstone; but the distinctive
initials of Mary Ann Jarvis Hards
and the years
of death recorded
on the footstone (shown below),
plus the fact that it is in the
St Paul’s section of the cemetery,
make the names easy to identify]
S. H.
Mdccclvii
M. A. J. H.
Mdccccvi
Sarah Jarvis was born in Broughton near Banbury on 18 October 1802 and baptised there on 27 October. The parish register describes her as the illegitimate daughter of the widow Mrs Anna Maria Jarvis, so her father is unknown. Sarah had two older half-siblings, the legitimate children of Anna Maria Jarvis and her husband Richard: William Jarvis (born 6 June 1798 and baptised on 12 June by the Curate of Hanwell, and received into Broughton Church on 20 January 1792); and Ann Jarvis (born on 23 January 1800 and baptised at Broughton Church on 2 February. Anna Maria's husband Richard Jarvis must have died in about 1800, and the William Jarvis son of Richard Jarvis of North Newton who died at Hanwell and was buried there on 4 November 1802 is likely to be his young son.
George Hards was born in Epsom in 1794 and baptised at St Martin's Church there on 4 August, the son of John and Mary Hards.
On 16 November 1823 at St Mary's Church, Ewell, near Epsom, Sarah Jarvis married George Hards: they were both then living in that parish, and George could sign his name but Sarah just made her mark. They had the following children:
- Priscilla Hards (born in Holywell in 1824 and baptised at St Cross Church on 3 October);
died aged three months and buried in St Cross churchyard on 13 January 1825) - Mary Ann Jarvis Hards, sometimes known as Ann (born in Holywell in 1827 and baptised at St Cross Church on 23 February)
- Sarah Hards (born in Holywell in 1828 and baptised at St Cross Church on 23 February)
- Marianna Barnett/Harriett Hards (born in Oxford in c.1837)
- Tom Westley Hards (born in London in c.1838)
George Hards was a victualler (publican), and at the start of their marriage the family lived in Holywell (St Cross) parish. George is listed as the landlord of the King's Head at 17 Holywell Street in Pigot's Directory for 1830.
They appear to have moved to the London area by 1838, as their youngest child was born there.
At the time of the 1841 census Mrs Sarah Hards (42) was back in Oxford. She was described as independent and living at Jericho Terrace (probably in Walton Street) with her children (Mary) Ann (15), Sarah (12), Marianna (recorded as Mary Harriett) (4), and Tom (3). Meanwhile her husband George Hands (43) was a servant at an inn in Butcher's Row in Horn Street (otherwise West Street) in Buckingham: he described himself as married. It is unclear whether they had separated, or whether George was seeking work in the university vacation.
At the time of the 1851 census Mrs Sarah Hards, described as both married and the head of the household, was an annuitant, living at Walton Road (probably Walton Street) with her four surviving children: (Mary) Ann (24) and Sarah (22) who were dressmakers, and Marianna (13) and Tom (12), who were both at school. Her husband George Hards (53) was still in Buckingham, now working as a waiter at Market Place.
Their second daughter was married in 1851:
- In 1851 (third quarter) in Oxford, Sarah Hards married Thomas Randle Grubb, a member of a prominent Oxford Baptist family.
Mrs Hards died in 1857:
† Mrs Sarah Hards née Jarvis died at Walton Road at the age of 55 [recorded as 58] in April 1857 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 14 April (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).
In 1861 George Hards (66), described as a retired waiter, was back in Oxford and had resumed his place as the head of the household at 102 Walton Street, where he lived with his daughter (Mary) Ann (32), who was still working as a dressmaker, and their lodger.
George Hards died at Walton Street at the age of 70 in 1866 and was buried on 20 December. His burial is recorded in the register of St Paul's Church with the same plot reference (F3) as his wife's grave.
At the time of the 1871 census Miss Mary Ann Jarvis Hards (42) was living at 102 Walton Street and working as a dressmaker. She had a 17-year-old boarder.
By the time of the 1891 census she was living on her own means at 20 Walton Street, with two of the children of her sister Sarah, who had died in 1882: Thomas Grubb (30), who was a corn merchant, and Sarah Ann Grubb (27). They had one servant.
Mary (72) was living at the same house on her own with one servant in 1901. She died there in 1906:
† Miss Mary Ann Jarvis Hards died at 20 Walton Street at the age of 79 in July 1906 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 21 July (burial recorded in the parish register of St Paul’s Church).
Other surviving children of Mrs Hards
- Sarah Hards, Mrs Thomas Randle Grubb (born 1828) was living at 34 Cornmarket Street in 1861 with her husband, who was a baker & corn dealer, and their children Thomas Grubb (5) and Elizabeth Grubb (six months). They were still there in 1871 with another daughter, Sarah (7). Her husband died in 1874 at the age of 48, and in 1881 Sarah (51) was still living at 34 Cornmarket Street with her son Thomas (25), who was now a corn dealer, and her daughter Sarah (17). Mrs Sarah Grubb died in a 34 Cornmarket Street on 17 June 1882 at the age of 52. Her effects came to £392 12s. 6d., and her executor was her sister Miss Mary Ann Jarvis Hards.
- Marianna Barnett/Harriett Hards (born in Oxford in c.1836) is hard to trace after 1851.
- Tom Westley Hards (born in London in c.1838) is hard to trace after 1851.
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