Mary Ann BRANSCOMBE

  General Notes:

Marriages Sep 1844 St Thomas 10 379
BAKER John
BEAVIS Mary Ann
BROWNING Sarah
COLE Elias
COX William
DAVEY Deborah
DUNN Hannah
FORD Samuel

Details from the marriage certificate are as follows:-
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5 August 1844 Marriage solemnized in the Church in the parish of St. Thomas in the County of Devon.
William Cox, of age, widower, shoe maker, of Cowick Street, Father - William Cox, shoemaker.
Mary Ann Beavis, of age, widow, (no occupation recorded), of Cowick Street, Father - William Branscombe - smith.
Married in the Church by Banns according to the rites and ceremonies of the Church of England by me J Loveband Fulford, Asst. Curate. In the presence of John Tootell & Eliza Moxey.
William Cox signed. Mary Ann Beavis made a X.

1841 census
HO107/208/14 F4 P3
Withycombe Village, Exmouth (Withycombe Raleigh), Devon
Josais Beavis, 75, Blacksmith, Y
Mary do, 45, , Y
George do, 20, , Y
William do, 15, Tinplate Worker Ap, Y
Charlotte do, 12, , Y
Josais do, 9, , Y

1851 census
William COXHeadM41MShoe MakerWithycombe-DEV
Maryann COXWifeM53F---Withycombe-DEV
Charlotte BEAVISDaurU22FLaundressWithycombe-DEV
Address:Withycombe, ---
Census Place:Withycombe Rawleigh St Thomas, Devonshire
PRO Reference:HO/107/1865Folio:361Page:5FHL Film:0221013

1861 census
RG9/1383 F46 P7
Withycombe Village, Exmouth (Withycombe Raleigh), Devon
William Cox, Head, Mar, 51, Shoemaker, Devon Withycombe
Mary A do, Wife, Mar, 61, , Devon Withycombe
- George Beavis and family are on the same page

From source
I know nothing further of Mary Ann until her marriage to Josias Knight Beavis (widower) on 22 Jan 1827 at Withycombe Raleigh. Josias was much older than Mary Ann (she was his 3rd wife). He was born in 1762 at Withycombe Raleigh and died there on 27 Jan 1844, just a few months before Mary Ann's marriage to William Cox.
On the day of her marriage to Josias K Beavis (22 Jan 1827) Mary Ann had three children baptised at Withycombe Raleigh. They were George Branscombe (born 3 Nov 1819), William Branscombe (born 2 Apr 1825) and Sarah Ann Branscombe (born 29 Jul 1826). I don't know what became of Sarah Ann but George & William appear in the 1841 Withycombe Raleigh census with the Beavis surname. George used the surname Beavis for the rest of his life. William reverted to the Branscome surname when he emigrated to Australia. I have no absolute proof but I feel sure that Josias K Beavis was the father of these three children. I say this because George appears to have inherited JKB's blacksmiths business in preference to a son born after the marriage who was also a blacksmith. Given the conventions of the time it seems unlikely that George would have inherited if he had not been the eldest surviving blood son.

Mary married.

Mary next married Josias Knight BEAVIS on 22 Jan 1827 in Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth, Devon, England. (Josias Knight BEAVIS was born in 1762 in Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth, Devon, England and died on 27 Jan 1844 in Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth, Devon, England.)

Mary next married William COX, son of William COX and Sarah SEARLE, on 5 Aug 1844 in St Thomas, Exeter, Devon, England. (William COX was born in 1809 in Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth, Devon, England and was baptised on 12 Nov 1809 in Withycombe Raleigh, Exmouth, Devon, England.)