Sophia Muddle (1800)

Born 1800 in Isfield, Sussex, England

Ancestors

Descendants

Problems/Questions Profile manager: Trace Allison [send private message]

Made in England

Biography

Sophia Muddle was James and Philadelphia’s sixth child, who was born at Isfield in Sussex, and baptised at St Margaret of Antioch Church in Isfield on 11 May 1800.

Sophia was about 21 years old and working as a servant when in 1821 she had an illegitimate daughter. From the name of George Francis Muddle that the daughter gave as her father’s name at her marriage, and the witnesses at that marriage, who were George and Mary Ann Frances, it could be that her father was George Frances.

In about 1826 Sophia met Daniel Attrell, but as no marriage certificate has been found many believe they simply started living together as man and wife.

Daniel and Sophia had seven children; the first six born at Isfield between 1826 and 1839, one of whom died in infancy in 1838. Daniel described himself as a soldier when their first two children were baptised in 1826 and 1829 even though he had been discharged; then as a labourer when their next two children were baptised in 1831 and 1834; a huckster (peddler or hawker of small cheap articles) when their fifth child was baptised in 1837; and then he was back to being a labourer when their sixth child was baptised in 1839. Census of 6 June 1841 they were living in Gilberts Cottage at Fletching with their then five surviving children, and they also had Sophia's widowed mother living with them. Daniel was a pensioner from the 3rd Regiment of Foot Guards and also working as a farm labourer. Their seventh child was born at Fletching in 1844. . In the census of 7 April 1861 they were living at Piltdown Common in Fletching Parish with just their grandson, and Daniel was now described as just a Chelsea Pensioner. Census of 2 April 1871 only Daniel and Sophia were still living at Piltdown Common, and Daniel was now a farm worker and Chelsea Pensioner.

Sophia died at Piltdown, at the age of 74, and she was buried in St Andrew & St Mary the Virgin Churchyard at Fletching on 13 December 1874.

Sources

• Website The Muddle Families