Mary's paternal family
Mary's father, JOHN MUCKLIN, was chr. 19. Mar 1844 in Whaplode, a village and civil parish in the South Holland district of Lincolnshire. It's situated 2 miles (3 km) west from Holbeach and 4 miles (6 km) east from Spalding. He died 1922 in Peterborough, Huntingdonshire. The surname MUCKLIN has been changed by Deed Poll to MARKLEY at some time before Census 1901 as family members were registered as MARKLEY in UK Census Records up from then.
JOHN MUCKLIN (MARKLEY) was married twice:
(1) ELIZABETH WALKER, 11. July 1870 in Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire; mother of MARY MARKLEY
(2) Mary Ann Allen (1863-1928), 1892 in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire; their marriage remained childless.
(1) ELIZABETH WALKER, 11. July 1870 in Glanford Brigg, Lincolnshire; mother of MARY MARKLEY
(2) Mary Ann Allen (1863-1928), 1892 in Middlesbrough, North Yorkshire; their marriage remained childless.
He was the son of FRANCIS MUCKLING (1798-1846) born in Stilton, Huntingdonshire and LEVINIA LARK (1805-1884) born in Holbeach, Lincolnshire. While only Levinia's parents, William Lark (1768-1821) and Mary Newcomb (-1838) are still known by name, Francis' family can be traced back to his grandparents, William Muckley or Muckling (1715-1762) and Margaret Larrat (- 1767) of Warmington respectively her father, Arthur Larrat.
Parts of the Muckley familiy were stone masons of some sort and were in fact involved later in the rebuilding of part of the church at Stilton after fires damaged the village as a whole in the 18th century.
Even if it is not yet verified, but there are online hints that this part of the family might have been descended from French Protestants or Wallon Calvinists. There is a corresponding entry on RootsWeb, 16. Apr 2010: "... Many of the French Protestants did try to marry within their own group, as the Margaret LARRAT that a William MARKLEY/MUCKLEY married - I take a clue from that. Many of these people attended non-denominational halls or chapels so are very hard to find because the rectors etc. did not want to give up their registers or lists to the government. They had very bad experiences doing that before in France and the Netherlands, and I should include the Palatinate of Germany. By the way, most of these people were Walloon Calvinists, not Huguenot per se. The Walloon Calvinists started a bit earlier than the Huguenots as Jean Calvin (or Jean Cauvin) was born in northern France. ..."
However it also cannot be disregarded that the surname "Muckley" might have its origin from the village "Muckley" in Yorkshire - West Riding. The name is of Norse derivation meaning "dung clearing" or "dung field." When the Vikings found it, it must have been every bit the dismal place it is today. Its first known occupants were in residence only briefly. Eric Bloodaxe, Viking ruler of the city of York, ordered a military camp to be established to keep a lookout for approaching enemies on the hill upon which now sits Muckley Manor (built in the late 14th century). This base was abandoned after less than a year, when it was discovered that nobody ever went through this area. However the camp was there long enough to establish a small village, which remained even after the Norsemen pulled out.
THE MUCKLING FAMILY
was traditionally a family of chimney sweeps by trade in Lincolnshire. Also Mary's father followed his father's footsteps according to different Census Records.
When Mary's uncle and aunt married, it got published afterwards in an unspecific local paper, and reported on p252 of "Aspects of Spalding Villages" by Michael J Elsden, in 2000: "21 May 1850 - Sweep's wedding at Whaplode Mr Francis Muckalo, chimney sweep to Rachel James; and at the same time, Charles Fiddler, sweep to Sarah Muckalo, daughter of Mr Muckalo, master sweep. The pathway to the church was carpeted with soot-cloths and bags; over which at intervals were placed sundry hand-brushes, scrapers and bunches of gay flowers."
The Mucklings lived near the Star Inn on the Turnpike (photo below) for many years. A memorandum of the 27. Jan 1820 from the Whaplode Parish Register reports:
Not a quiet life on the Whaplode Turnpike
At the last summer assizes, John Bimrose, of this parish, was capitally convicted of wilfully firing a gun about midnight, into the chamber window of William Wilders, of the Star public house. He supposed that his wife, whom he had turned out, was there: for which offence the said John Bimrose received sentence of death, & was left for execution on Friday the 6th day of August 1819. But on Sunday: August 1st, myself, the Churchwardens, Overseers of the Poor, & almost every Parishioner, signed a petition for commutation of punishment: ...
(An apprentice chimney sweep- maybe 14 years old , abt 1800)
... at the same time setting on foot a subscription to defray the expences of sending a special messenger after the Judge, to Derby, for that purpose, which was happily effected: & the messenger arrived back at Lincoln Castle with a reprieve on Wednesday Aug 4th at about 10 o'clock at night. ... Ultimately he was transported for life N.B. The whole expence was £21. It ought not, by any means, to be omitted recording that, among the principal people of this Parish, shooting into houses, breaking open doors, demolishing windows & such like transactions, in the night, has been, for some years, a common drunken frolic: which was always made up in a day or two, by paying for the damage done, & spending a few shillings, by way of a treat!!! .... It might have been reasonably supposed that the narrow escape of this poor culprit would have proved a wholesome example: & effected a moral reformation in the Parish, but, alas, the grosser acts of violence are only restrained! The same spirit of notorious impiety, profligacy & licentiousness continues to prevail. And a great many are triumphantly bringing up their children in the same conttumacious manner!!! That God Almighty may turn the heads of the disobedient, into the wisdom of the just, thru Jesus Christ our Lord Samuel Oliver