George 1780

On 14 November 1802 in a lonely church down on the marshes of the River Waveney at Syleham, a young couple married: George Denny and Rhoda Cossey. Neither was from the area. Rhoda was seven months pregnant with the first of eight children. Why did they get married there?  Rhoda was from Earsham, about 10 miles to the east along the River Waveney, just over the border in Norfolk.   We do not know where George was from.

From George’s death certificate (30 May 1839) we know when he was born—1780. Rhoda was born in 1772 and died in 1834. 

George's occupation in 1839 was given as Farmer.  He was living in Fressingfield, Suffolk.  From the tithe records1836 for Fressingfield, Rev. Spratt and George Denny were living in a house owned by William Reynolds.  But the Rev Spratt and George owned another cottage occupied by Alfred Harper and others, and also some land - Winding Field, Long Field, Devil's Hole, Little Hill, Middle Hill, Chapel Pighle, The Chapel. The Rev Spratt built the "Coffin Church" in Fressingfield.

Further research shows that the Rev Spratt's christian names were George Denny and he was christened in Wortwell Church in 1799, the son of Stephen and Mary Spratt.  He was born in Wacton some 5 years earlier.  We presume that Mary was the sister of our George Denny but this has still to be proved.

Of the eight children by George and Rhoda, six left East Anglia in the 1840s (the time of the Agricultural Depression) to live in London. Edward, as family legend has it, was the "runt of the litter" and not suited for a labouring job. He was therefore apprenticed to a tailor in Harleston and followed this trade for the rest of his life, he grew to be a robust 6' 6" and lived to be 86.