The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 50 No.1 | June 2023

Member’s article

It doesn’t appear that any other servant stayed with the family for as long as Jane. Only the BURNS ) is on more than one census return. Jane BEARD died at Funtington House on 2nd May 1888 and was buried in the cook (Mary BARNS or

Funtington Churchyard

lived at that address in 1891. Jane BEARD worked in the household of a man who had a very long and illustrious career in the Royal Navy. Both of his wives came from well-connected families as did his son-in-law. It seems to me that Jane must have been appreciated by him and the family to have stayed in service with them for so long. It also appears that they took the trouble to have her death notice published. Provo WALLIS died 13th February 1892, aged almost 101 and was buried in the churchyard at Funtington. I have seen his grave but did not find a stone marking any grave for Jane. Had I not checked the British Newspapers available on Find my Past I would never have found the information about my 2 x Great Aunt’s service. It has enabled me to put some ‘flesh on the bones’ so that I know a bit more about Jane BEARD , and her employer.

churchyard at Funtington on 5th May, aged 81 years according to the burial register. Her actual age was 82. Administration (with the Will) of Jane’s Personal Estate was granted on 17th July 1888 at Chichester to ‘Rachael LAMBERT (wife of Edward LAMBERT ) of 55 Delhi Street, Fratton, in the county of Southampton the Niece and one of the Next of Kin’ (the other assumed to be her sister, Jane THOMPSON ). The Gross Personal Estate was £291. 5s. 8d. Interestingly the Letters of Administration state that Jane BEARD , spinster, was ‘without parent, brother or sister’ when in fact her younger sister, Sarah (wife of John LEWIS ), the mother of Rachael LAMBERT and Jane THOMPSON , was still alive. 55 Delhi Street was the home of Rachael and Jane’s parents, Sarah and John LEWIS in 1881 and John still

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