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A list of sources is included.

Walter Quaife and Mary Carpenter ©

It is believed Walter was born around 1740, in Catsfield, Sussex.  His parents were possibly William Quaif and his wife Mary, although to-date no proof of this has been found.

Mary and Walter had their Banns read in St Peter, the Parish Church of Ardingly, Sussex, on the 5^th, 12^th & 19^th April, 1761, and were married in the same Church on 21^st April¹.  The marriage was conducted by the Rector, Tim Brown, in the presence of John Hillman and Thomas Bollard.  Walter signed his name and Mary made her mark.

Ardingly lies approximately 35km north-north-west of Catsfield in Sussex, and was most likely developed as a settlement during the Saxon era, when a forest clearing – a ‘leah’ in Old English - was created on a piece of high ground near a tributary of the River Ouse, which runs through the Ouse Valley and across the north-eastern part of the high Weald area.  Although not mentioned in the Domesday Book of 1086, it is known that there was a church in Aldingly at that time because it was given by Wiliam de Warrene to the Priory of Lewes before his death in 1088.  The Normans founded a church in 11^th Century to replace the original Saxon building.  There is also mention, in the  Plea Rolls of the Court of the Common Pleas in 1396, of a place spelt as Ertlyngeleghe, which may refer to Ardingly.  Traditionally Ardingly was largely an agricultural parish, with much of the population actively engaged in agriculture or serving their needs.  But, by the middle of the 14^th Century, the village had developed a successful wool trade, and new wealth had became available.  This led to the construction of the new church of St Peter on the same site as the older, original building.

Mary is thought to have been born around 1740, possibly in Wisborough Green, West Sussex, and was possibly the daughter of William Carpenter.  However, to-date no conclusive record of Mary's baptism has been located.  Wisborough Green is roughly 25km south-south-west of Ardlingly.

Records indicate Walter & Mary had seven children all born and baptized in Catsfield, Sussex: Thomas 1762; William 1764; Mary 1766; Edward (Ned) 1769, he married Mary Waters 1792; Elizabeth 1773; Sarah 1776; and Samuel 1779. 

Walter died in 1780, and was buried in Parish Churchyard on 25^th May, it is estimated he was only about 40years old². 

At the age of 84, and having survived her husband for over 40 years, Mary died in 1821.  She was buried on 4^th December, also in the Parish Churchyard².  It is not known if there is or ever was markers to identify their final resting places.

References:
1. Parish Marriage Record via LDS Film

2. Parish Burial Record via LDS Film

Other Sources:

Ancestry.co.uk http://search.ancestry.co.uk/search/

British History Online http://www.british-history.ac.uk/

FamilySearch https://familysearch.org/

Parish Records Catsfield, Sussex, England
Parish Record Ardingly, Sussex, England
Various Quaife Family Members

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