Sarah Peaple – a grand old lady

The re-imagined story …

When I was a little girl I could never understand why we had so many grandmothers in our family. The lady my cousin Joyce called Nan wasn’t my Nan and neither was the lady Mollie called Nan.

I once asked Elsie why we all had different Nans but she just smiled at me in the way adults do when children ask tiresome questions.

But we all called the same woman Granny and one thing I could understand was that she was by far the oldest lady in the whole family.

I once tried to work out how many dozens of children she must have had, not understanding that the aunts, uncles and numerous cousins who all called her Granny were sons and daughters, sons-in-law and daughters-in-law, grandchildren and even great grandchildren. It was all too complicated for me to grasp.

And then suddenly, one day, she was gone. You look back and wish you’d paid more attention, listened to her stories, asked a few, sensible questions.

The facts …

Sarah Ralphs was born in Rodbourne Cheney in 1838, the daughter of agricultural labourer William Ralphs and his wife Mary Ann. At the time of the 1851 census, she was living with her parents and four siblings, Elizabeth 15, Richard 8, Rhoda 5 and two-year-old Rosanna in Haydon Wick.  

Sarah married John Peaple in the church at Rodbourne Cheney in November 1862. They were both described as being of full age with John stating he was an ‘Artisan’ [a skilled manual worker or craftsman.]

Their first child, a daughter named Rosanna, was baptised on November 8, 1863. The couple were then living in Moredon and John described his occupation as Factory Operative. By the time of the 1871 census the family were living in a house close to the Independent Chapel in Rodbourne Cheney with their four young children – Rosannah 7, Esrom 5, Mary J. 3 and one-year old William.

Ten years later and the family had moved to 3 Linslade Street in Rodbourne, closer to John’s place of work in the GWR Works. The family lived here for more 20 years and it was here that they sadly lost two of their sons. William died in December 1883 aged 14 years and Charles in May 1889 aged 13.

By 1911 John and Sarah were living at 174 Redcliffe Street. John was 72 and Sarah 73 and they declared they were both Old Age Pensioners. The couple had been married for 48 years and had had 9 children, six of whom were still living. Living with them was their long-term lodger, Sidney Stapleford.

John died in 1915 when he was living at 5 Hawkins Street. His funeral took place on March 20 and he was buried in Radnor Street Cemetery in grave plot A532 with the couples two young sons who had died more than 25 years earlier.

Sarah died in 1933 at 131 Kingshill Road. Her funeral took place on February 22 and she is buried with four others in Radnor Street Cemetery in grave plot C1193, an unmarked public grave.

Death announcement

The oldest member of the Salvation Army in Swindon has died in the person of Mrs Sarah Peaple of 131 Kingshill Road, Swindon, at the age of 94.

Wiltshire Times and Trowbridge Advertiser, Saturday February 25, 1933.

Sarah Peaple was the grandmother of Elsie Morse.

She was also the great grandmother of Joyce Murgatroyd and Mollie Tanner.