James Jelleff was a Baker in Selsey in 1825 when he married Jane Boniface.
We have not found his Baptism, but having proved that all the possible baptisms we had found were not the James who married Jane Boniface, we thought that he was a child of Joshua & Mary (who had a gap between 1787 & 1794 in the baptisms of their children baptised at New Fishbourne). This was finally confirmed by the 1861 Census (over 20 years after the death of James), when Lucy Ladkin (nee Jelliff) born to Joshua & Mary in 1787, was “sister in law” to Jane Jelliff, the widow of James.
So, now we know that James was in the middle of the family, the 4th of 7 children, raised in the parish of New Fishbourne, where his father was a miller.
When he was about 35, a Baker in Selsey, on 12 Oct 1825 at Selsey he married Jane Boniface, age 25.
Jane was the 9th of 11 children of Charles & Ann Boniface, baptised at Sidlesham on 23 Aug 1800. Her father Charles Boniface (1760 – 1826) married Ann Forder (1765 – 1815) at Earnley on 26 Apr 1785 and their children were baptised at North Mundham until 1795, then at Sidlesham from 1797. Both Charles & Ann were buried at Sidlesham.
James & Jane had 5 children baptised at Selsey:
James baptised 3 Sep 1826, m 1850, died 1871/81
Mary Ann baptised 15 Jun 1828, died after 1851
Thomas baptised 23 May 1830, Baker, died after 1851
Fanny baptised 1 Jan 1832, died after 1841
Jane Boniface Jelleff baptised 27 Jul 1834, married 1857, died Q4 1882, buried 18 Nov 1882 Selsey.
James appears in the Selsey Churchwardens Rate Book:
1829/30 James Jelliff paid 4s rate for house & shop (£6).
1835/6 James Jelliffe paid 2s (£6).
1838 James Jelliff paid 6.25d (£6 5s)
At the age of 47 years, James died from Dropsy on 15 Mar 1838 and was buried in Selsey (now known as Church Norton) churchyard on 18 Mar 1838.
Selsey Parish Church was at Church Norton until most of the church was dismantled and used to build the new Parish Church in the middle of the village, only the tower remains as a chapel at Church Norton.
Widowed at the age of 38, Jane continued as Baker in Selsey and first appears in the Churchwardens Rate Book, at Easter 1839, when she paid 1s 6.75d (on £6 5s).
Her son James was not at home for the 1841 Census, perhaps at sea, so may or may not still have been living there. He was a Mariner when he married in 1850 at Sidlesham and lived there for about 10 years, before moving to Portsmouth.
Jane's sister in law Lucy Ladkin lived with her in Selsey from before 1861 until after 1871. Lucy's death was registered in Q4 1876 in Westhampnett RD.
Jane died and was buried at Selsey on 8 Feb 1878 as Jane Jelliffe of Selsey 78 years.
A few notes
1841 census: at Selsey Street, Selsey (2 doors from Selsey Hotel) Jane Jelleff 45 Baker Y.
Mary Ann Jelleff 13 Y, Thomas Jelleff 11 Y, Fanny Jelleff 9 Y, Jane Jelleff 7 Y.
1851 Census: at High Street, Selsey. Jane Jelleff, Head, W, 48, Baker born Sidlesham, also unmarried son Thomas 20 Baker, born Selsey, and daughter Jane 16 born Selsey.
(daughter Mary Ann Jelliff was a visitor at another house in Selsey)
1861 Census: at The Street, Selsey. Jane Jelliff, Head, Widow, 60, Baker employing 1 man, born Sidlesham, also Lucy Ladkin, Sister in law, Widow, 74, Independent (House Proprietor), born Fishbourne.
1871 Census: in the Village, Selsey. Jane Jelliffe, Head, W, 67, Post Mistress, born Sidlesham, also Lucy Ladkin, widow, 83, Retired Innkeeper, born Fishbourne.