Uriah MARKS (1794-) and Susanna DIX -Married in 1817



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Edna OTWELL > Edwin OTWELL > Jane ASH > Anna Maria MARKS > Uriah MARKS and Susanna DIX 

Anna Maria was born and baptized in Heytesbury, Wiltshire, England and her parents were Uriah MARKS, shearman, and Susanna. 

Uriah MARKS’ parents were Richard MARKS and Mercy STOKES (1755-?). The family was originally from North Bradley, Wiltshire, England and had moved to Heytesbury by Uriah's baptism on 5 February 1804. Uriah was born in 1794, so he was about 10 years old when he was baptized.  The name Uriah appears several times in the STOKES family of North Bradley.

We found a 5 October 1817 record of marriage for Uriah MARKS, bachelor to Susanna DIX, spinster in the transcript of Heytesbury Marriages, 1653-1827. The same information was found on Pallots Marriage Index, 1780-1837 and in the Wiltshire Parish Registers.  The marriage is the earliest record we have for Susanna.

From Pallots Marriage Index, 1780-1837

Uriah and Susanna had at least 5 children: Anna Maria (our ancestor), Elizabeth (born in 1820), Eliza (born in 1822), William, Jane and Henry.  Baby Henry was baptized in 1830 and died in 1831.  Susanna also died in 1831.

The family history recorded by genealogist Stilson HART states that William and possibly Lizzie were the names of the siblings that came to Toronto with Anna Maria after the death of their parents. William became a Methodist Minister and we found records confirming he had taught in a Sunday School in Toronto. No solid information has been found for Lizzie, though we have found a marriage registry in Toronto for Elizabeth MARKS who married John PUDNEY with witness William ASH (Anna Maria's husband's name).

To date, the only death record found for a Uriah MARKS in England was an 1846 record in Alderberry, another small Wiltshire village, but it is doubtful this is the same person since Anna Maria was in Canada before her 1838 marriage.

Interestingly, a Uriah MARKS showed up in the 1842 Toronto census. He was listed as a laborer. We also found a Toronto marriage registry for Uriah MARKS to Mary BRIEN on 25 May 1846. The marriage was by Banns and the witnesses were William MARKS and Elijah MARKS (which looks a bit like "Eliza MARKS"). Could Uriah have brought his children to Toronto? More research is needed.