Mary Rising (1773-1844) of West Somerton and Martham
Plus her husband Thomas Francis (1771-1820)
Mary Rising was born in 1773 at West Somerton and was baptised on 9th May at St Mary the Virgin, West Somerton. She was the fifth child of Robert Rising & Ann Manship and had thirteen siblings, namely: Robert, William, Stephen, Tilney, Edward, Thomas Sutfield, Benjamin, John, Anne, George, Charles, Rebecca, and Frances.
When she was 21, she married Thomas Francis the son of Thomas Francis & Elizabeth Proctor, on 9th December 1794 in St Mary’s Church, West Somerton. Her father-in-law was a very successful farmer living at West End Cottage, Cess, Martham.
Mary & Thomas had a daughter called Anne Rising Francis who was born on 16th April 1795 at Ingham, Norfolk. Anne married her first cousin George Edward Francis on 23rd January 1824 at Kensington, Middlesex, England.
Mary’s husband, Thomas, died on 30th March 1820 and is believed to be buried in the family sarcophagus at St Mary’s Martham.
In 1841 Mary was listed in the census as living on independent means at Cess, Martham. She died a few years later on 23rd June 1844 and was buried at St Mary the Virgin, Martham. The place of her burial was not officially recorded but is likely to be with her husband in the Francis family sarcophagus.
