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Richard NICHOLS (1816–1870)
His infant daughter Elizabeth Ann NICHOLS (1851–1853)
St Mary Magdalen section: Row 6a, Grave C53

The little girl was buried here in 1853, but the inscription must have been added in 1870 after the death of her father (who then no longer lived in the parish)

Richard Nichols was born in Oxford on 9 November 1816 and baptised at Wantage on 9 November 1817. He was the son of William Nickols and his wife Ann, but spelt his surname differently from them. His father was variously described as a coachman, a chaise driver, and a postboy. For more about his parents and siblings, see his mother's separate grave.

On 19 June 1838 at St Andrew's Church in Headington, Richard, who was a tailor, married Eliza Langston: they were both then living in Headington. Eliza, who was born in Woodstock in 1817 and baptised there on 19 December was the daughter of the chaise driver/post boy James Langston and his wife Elizabeth (possibly the James Langston and Elizabeth Morgan who were married at St Ebbe's Church in Oxford on 24 April 1815).

Richard & Eliza Nichols had the following children:

• William James Nichols (born at Pusey Lane, Oxford in 1839 and baptised at St Giles's Church on 17 November)
• Richard George Nichols (born at George Street, Oxford in 1849 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 29 April)
• Elizabeth Ann Nichols (born at George Street, Oxford in about July 1851 and baptised at St Mary Magdalen Church on 31 August).

In 1839 the family was living at Pusey Lane (then called Alfred Street).

At the time of the 1841 census Richard was away, but Elizabeth was home at George Street in St Mary Magdalen parish with baby William (1), and an elderly lady called Sarah Nichols.

In 1851 Richard (34), who continued to work as a tailor, was living at 55 George Street with his wife Eliza (33) and their children William (11) and Richard (2), plus their servant. Their daughter Elizabeth was born in about July that year, but died in 1853:

† Elizabeth Ann Nichols died at George Street at the age of 2 years 5 months on 26 December 1853 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 1 January 1854 (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

Their son William was married near the beginning of 1858, when he was just 18 and his wife was 17:

• On 1 March 1858 at Launton, William James Nichols (20), described as a tailor of Launton, married Elizabeth Pallett (born in Bicester on 20 July 1840, the daughter of the carpenter James Pallett and his wife Ann).

In 1861 Richard Nichols (44) was living at Wood Street, St Ebbe's with Eliza (43) and their son Richard junior (12), who was still at school. Also living with them was their married son William (21), who was also a tailor, his wife Elizabeth (20), and their daughters Lucy (2) and Ellen (five months).

Richard Nichols died in 1870:

† Richard Nichols died at Wood Street, St Ebbe's at the age of 54 on 24 January 1870 and was buried at St Sepulchre’s Cemetery on 30 January (burial recorded in the parish register of St Mary Magdalen Church).

He was buried in the grave of his little daughter. The following notice appeared in Jackson’s Oxford Journal on 29 January 1870: “Jan. 24, after a long and painful illness, in Littlegate-street, St. Ebb’s, aged 54, Mr. Richard Nickols, tailor, eldest son of the late Mr. Wm. Nickols, of the Anchor Inn, Corn Market-street; much respected.” His effects came to under £200, and his wife Eliza was his executor

At the time of the 1871 census his widow Eliza (53) was living in Handsworth, Staffordshire: she was the head of the household, and living with her was her son William Nichols and his wife Elizabeth with their children Ellen (11), Florence (3), and Adelaide (three months).

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The two surviving children of Richard & Eliza Nichols

• William James Nichols (born 1840) and his wife Elizabeth and their children Ellen, Florence, and Adelaide are hard to trace after 1871, when they were in Staffordshire, and it is possible that they emigrated.
• Richard George Nichols (born 1849) does not appear to have married, but he had a daughter, Rosa Nichols, born in London in c.1874. He is hard to find in the 1881 census. In 1891 census Richard (42) described himself as a widower: he was working as a tailor's cutter and living at 104 Reuben Street, Leeds with his daughter Rosa (16), who was a tailor's machinist. In 1901 Richard (56), who was still a tailor's cutter, described himself as married but was boarding alone at 5 Hornsey Rise, Islington. He vanishes after that date.