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All Saints: the parish church of Frindsbury, Wednesday, 1 April, 2009 Photo available for reuse under this Creative Commons licence. |
Henry Savage Esquire (b. 1 Jul 1796 in Ireland), son of Francis Savage and Elizabeth Atkinson of County Down, then of the Parish of Saint Mary in the Town and County of Pembroke, Bachelor, married Mary Ann Perry (b. 23 Aug 1803, bap. 1 Oct 1803 at St Mary & St Hugh, Old Harlow, Essex), daughter of John Perry and his 2nd wife Mary, then of this Parish, Spinster, at Saint Pancras Parish Church (St Pancras Old Church where her parents had also married), on 23 Jul 1835. The marriage service was conducted by Mary Ann's brother, the Reverend George Perry, as confirmed by the announcement in the Essex Herald of 28 Jul 1835, which read: "23rd inst. At St. Pancras Church by the Rev, George Perry, Henry Savage, Esq. of the Royal Marines, to Mary Ann, daughter of the late John Perry, Esq., of Moor Hall, Harlow." Witnesses were Richard Perry, Mary Ann's brother; Elizabeth Perry, Reverend George Perry's wife; a Francis Savage (presumably a relative); and another Savage.
Burke's Family Records (1860) list "Henry, of Frindsbury, near Rochester, Kent, J.P. [Justice of the peace], Capt. R.M.A. [Royal Marines Artillery]" and suggests his line goes back to the Savage family (Ireland) descended from members of the Anglo-Norman Savage family, who landed in Ulster and settled in the barony of Ards, County Down in the latter half of the 12th century during the conquest of Ulster. Sir William Savage, Baron Savage accompanied Sir John de Courcy during the conquest of Ulster in 1177 and the family went on to build a number of castles and priories in The Ards.
Henry and Mary Ann Savage did not have children. This is confirmed, again in Burke's Family Records, which lists that he died, d.s.p., abbreviation of the Latin phrase decessit sine prole, which translates to "died without issue".
The Royal Marines have a long, historic association with the area, particularly Chatham and nearby Frindsbury. From 1775 to 1950, the Chatham Division of the Royal Marines occupied barracks at the southern end of the Chatham Dockyard, adjacent to the Medway. (Royal Marine Barracks, Chatham). Although they lived closer to the Elizabethan artillery fort Upnor Castle.
In 1841, Henry Savage (40) from Ireland and Mary Savage (35) were living in in Frindsbury Street, Frindsbury, Kent, with two female and one male servant living in. In the profession field next to Henry's name was written "Navy", but that had been crossed through and Royal Marines written over it. (The census is completed in such a way as to appear as if they are part of the household of Benjamin Young (80) of Independent Means and Ann Young (45), but I'm sure these are separate households. In the next door household lived Thomas Day (35) Banker. Mary Catherine Perry, the eldest daughter of Mary Ann's brother, Rev. George Perry, married his son, Hermitage Charles Day, in 1859.)
In 1851, Henry Savage (54) Magistrate, Captain of Marines Half Pay, from Ireland and Mary A Savage (45), were living at Goddington House, Frindsbury Street, Frindsbury. They had two male and two female servants. (Next door still was Anna Young (60) Widow, Annuitant and next-door-but-one, Thomas Hermitage Day (49) Justice of the Peace for the County and Banker.)
In 1861, Henry Savage (64) Magistrate, Captain of Marines Half Pay, and Mary A Savage (~50) were living in Frindsbury Road, Frindsbury. I'm sure this is still the same address and that Frindsbury Street had merey been renamed Frindsbury Road in the previous decade. They still retained four servants, two female, a cook and a housekeeper, and two male, a groom and a footman.
In 1871, with their address expressed as High Street, Goddington House, Frindsbury, were Henry Savage (74) Magistrate, Captain Royal Marines Artillery Retired and Mary Ann Savage (65). They still employed three servants, including Alfred Marsh (27) Footman, who'd also been there, aged 18, in 1861, plus a cook and a housemaid, Alice Pocock (27) from Frindsbury - who we will see again in 1881. Presumably in his retirement, Captain Savage could no longer justify the employment of a groom.
Captain Henry Savage died, aged 82, on 27 Feb 1879 (1879 M Quarter in NORTH AYLESFORD Volume 02A Page 328) at Goddington House and is buried in St Philip and St James Churchyard, Upnor. On 4 Apr 1879, the Will with a Codicil of Henry Savage late of Goddington House Frindsbury in the County of Kent Esquire who died 27 Feb 1879 at Goddington House was proved at the Principal Registry by Mary Ann Savage of Goddington House Widow the Relict the sole Executrix. His personal estate was valued at under £14,000 (about £2.2M today). Mary Ann had a Stained Glass Window, South Aisle, at All Saints Church, Frindsbury, dedicated in Henry's memory.
In 1881, Mary Ann Savage (~77) Widow was living in High Street, Frindsbury with three servants: Alfred Marsh (37), who'd risen to the position of Butler; Alice Marsh (37) Housemaid, and a cook. (Yes, Alfred Marsh and Alice Mary Pocock had married, on 15 Jun 1880 at St Philip and St James, Upnor. While I hope they weren't forced to wait until after Henry had died for permission, sadly, the timing suggests that they may well have had to do so.)
Mary Ann Savage died, aged 85, on 9 Jun 1889 (1889 J Quarter in STROOD Volume 02A Page 279) The London Evening Standard of 12 June 1889 carried the announcement, "SAVAGE - June 9, at Goddington House, Frindsbury, Rochester, Mary Ann, widow of the late Captain H Savage R.M., J.P., and daughter of the late J Perry Esq., of Moor Hall, Harlow, Essex, aged 85." Mary Ann is also buried in St Philip and St James Churchyard, Upnor.
On 11 Jul 1889, The Will with four Codicils of Mary Ann Savage late of Goddington House Frindsbury in the County of Kent Widow who died 9 Jun 1889 at Goddington House was proved by the Right Reverend Charles Bishop Perry of 32 Avenue Road Regent's Park in the County of Middlesex D.D. late Bishop of Melbourne the Brother and the Reverend Hermitage Charles Day of Frindsbury Clerk and Augustus Alfred Arnold of Rochester in the County of Kent Solicitor the Executors. Her Personal Estate was valued at £55,009 2s 2d (equivalent in purchasing power to about £9,175,365.39 today). Mary Ann had never worked, obvs., and her husband 'only' left her £14,000. So the balance of £41,000 must therefore have come from the trust fund left to her by her father; bequests from her siblings and by shrewd investment.