Auntie Kate, my alter ego, is telling Tales of Sticklepath School at the #AllAboutThatPlace event. So who was Auntie Kate? Born Kezia Ching, she lived from 1860 to 1933. My Grandmother’s Aunt and then Stepmother, but always known as Auntie Kate. Surprisingly her first husband was known by his surname – Uncle Middle. Perhaps a sign of respect. But let’s start at the beginning.

Hugh Pyke, registrar of births and deaths kindly registered Kate’s birth as described by her mother, with his clear handwriting and an accurate transcription is found at The General Register Office, now available almost instantaneously in digital format.

It shows that Kezia Huxtable Ching was born to George Ching, driver of an omnibus, and his wife Eliza who was previously a Huxtable. This strongly suggests George and Eliza were married. Kezia was born on Sixth of September 1860 at Coombe Head (a farm) Sticklepath, Sampford Courtenay Parish. Mum went to register the birth on 15th September, which suggests she was in good health. Kezia already had an older sister Eliza.

The Ching Family lived at Coombe Head Farm Sticklepath, Devon with Eliza’s parents. 

In all George and Eliza Ching had three daughters and twin sons. They are well spaced. I wonder if George travelled a lot with his work?

Name	Born	Died	Married name
George Ching	1826	1897
Eliza Huxtable	1827	1911	Mrs George Ching
Eliza Ellis Ching	1856	1918
Kezia Huxtable Ching	1860	1933	Mrs Albany Finch 3rd Mrs William Middle
Georgina Ching	1863	1917	Mrs Albany Finch 2nd
George Edwin Ching	1867	1926
Louis Richard Huxtable Ching	1867	1927

In the 1861 census we find that Kezia’s grandparents were John Huxtable, agricultural labourer (75 years old) and his wife Kezia Huxtable a dress-maker (67 years old). Her father George is now a ‘Higgler’.

A higgler was  an itinerant trader, buying and selling items such as butter, cheese, poultry and eggs. Perhaps he would travel to the coast to sell his wares and return with fish. Higglers like peddlers and badgers (who sold corn and grain), needed a licence. Unfortunately I have not yet found any evidence of this.

Kezia is in the centre of the back row:

In 1871 George, now a Carrier, is head of household with Eliza his wife. Daughter Kezia is aged 10 years. William White’s History, Gazetteer & Directory of Devon 1878-9 (accessed through the Leicester University special collections online) shows George Ching as Farmer and Bus Proprietor. This type of directory took several years to prepare, so information was often out of date. Unfortunately in 1878, when George would be 54 years old, the newspaper suggests the family hit hard times, selling the omnibus and market trap and ‘declining business’:

Western Times – Friday 05 July 1878 accessed via BritishNewspaperArchive.co.uk Sept 7 2023.

HIGHER COOMBEHEAD, near STICKLEPATH. MR. W. FEWINS will SELL by Auction WEDNESDAY, the 10th of July, at 3 p.m., 17 Acres of Corn and Grass, 1 very useful Farm Horse, 1 Heifer Yearling, Omnibus, Market Trap, Farm Implements, and a portion of the Household Furniture, the property Mr. George Ching, declining business.

In 1881 George and Eliza have sister-in-law Kezia Huxtable staying with them at Higher Coombe Head. Kezia really was a family name, both grandmother and Aunt! In 1881 George is described as an Ag Lab, but by 1891 George is described as a ‘small farmer’ again, still living at Higher Coombehead farm.

Now did you see what I did – started talking about Kate and went off on a tangent to her father’s occupation. This sort of diversion is a constant risk for all family historians! Important to setting the scene here perhaps.

More about Kate …

References not included above:

England & Wales Census 1861 Okehampton District Class: RG 9; Piece: 1469; Folio: 98; Page: 13; GSU roll: 542818 Image accessed via ancestry.co.uk 

England & Wales Census 1871 Okehampton District Class: RG10; Piece: 2156; Folio: 24; Page: 6; GSU roll: 832040. Image accessed via ancestry.co.uk

England & Wales Census 1881 Okehampton District Class: RG11; Piece: 2226; Folio: 89; Page: 4; GSU roll: 1341536 Image accessed via ancestry.co.uk

England & Wales Census 1891 Okehampton District Class: RG12; Piece: 1757; Folio: 79; Page: 3; GSU roll: 6096867 Image accessed via ancestry.co.uk