4 Mourning
Homepage William Warner Major
The time of status, security, and prosperity quickly ended. The direct line of Major men who dwelled in other counties had lived over 64 years old for generations, but London’ s pollution was severe and unhealthy. 21 William’s father died February 17, 1821 at age 49 years and 4 months. 22 Forty-one days later, while the family was still mourning, the news came of the death of Henry Major, William’s grandfather..23 Henry Major was eighty-two years old and had made a will in 1817 giving "my eight grandchildren now born ten pounds each to be paid them when each of them have their twenty first year of their age..." The farms of Whitmore or Wissen in Newton, St. Cyres was passed down to William Warner Major’s uncle, William Major, and unmarried aunt, Jane Major.24
Will reads, "Last will and testament of Henry Major Senior of the parish of Newton St. Cyres..." Half way down the will in the brackets the will lists "Sons Daughter of Richd Major--William Major, Henry Major, Richard Major, Elizabeth Major."
Since the Will is dated 1817, Mary Jane, who was born in 1818, was not included with the grandchildren.
Map from 43 Bedford St. to St. Pancras
Finances were difficult for William Warner Major’s family. His mother, Frances Constantia Major, almost immediately closed the shop on 43 Bedford St. and moved north to a cheaper area in the fields of Greater London, St. Pancras Richard Major apparently became dissatisfied with the religion taught by the Church of England many years before his death. Breaking from 200 years of Major family tradition he chose not to have any of his children, born after William Warner Major, baptized into the Church of England. That it was Richard’s disillusionment and not his wife’s is evidenced by the fact that only four months after Richard died, Frances Constantia Major took her four unbaptized children (Henry, Richard, Elizabeth and Mary Jane) to St. Pancras, Old Church and had the ceremony performed. Perhaps it was Richard’s apparent stubbornness in the area of traditional religion that opened the way for the Mormon missionaries to teach the Major family twenty years later.
Alexander Hogg The Modern British Traveller (London, Engraved for the Modern British Traveller, (London, 1784). "A View of the Church of St. Pancras in the County of Middlesex" Artist, Anonymous.
Author, Jill C. Major (right) and her daughter, Melanie Major Rogers in front of St. Pancras, Old Church. Melanie is the 3rd great granddaughter of William Warner Major and Sarah Coles Major.
Copyright Jill C. Major