Monnery, Mrs

Singer

Collection date: Apr 1908

Area: Sussex

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Mrs (Sarah) Monnery at Shipley (born c1848): age 61, 3 songs (FT1681-3) on 23 April 1908: In his field notebook (words) (FW1523) Sharp wrote that Mrs Monnery had learned the song ‘Salisbury Plain’ (FT1682 Roud 1487) ‘from an old man, 80 years old, named Ropley, who lived at Copyhold, Shipley, 53 years ago’. In fact the man’s name was William Rapley (died 1878, aged 89) and he would have been in his ‘60s when he taught Sarah the song but he did certainly live to a great age. He was a master butcher in the village for many years:

Sarah Monnery was baptised Sarah Francis at Shipley church 19/11/1848, 4th of 5 children of John Francis, agricultural labourer, and his wife Ellen. She married William Lucas at Shipley on 6/4/1868 and they had 5 children before William died aged 38 in April qr 1885. She was remarried to Allen Munnery in October qr 1887 (Horsham 2b 591). He sometimes spelled his surname ‘Monnery’. They had 2 children together; he was an agricultural labourer. They were at Church Farm cottage in 1911 when Sharp met Sarah. Her date of death has yet to be confirmed.