Light, Priscilla

Singer

Collection date: Sept 1908

Area: Somerset - Yeovil & Crewkerne

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Priscilla Light (c1854-?): age 54, 2 songs on 3 Sept 1908: There was no ‘Priscilla Light’ in West Coker in either the 1901 nor 1911 census, and no indication of that surname in the village at all. The most likely candidate is a gipsy woman, who was born Priscilla Wells in 1855. She was the daughter of William Wells, licensed hawker, quite possibly a relation of singer Lucy Carter (née Wells). Lucy had settled in Tintinhull, only 7 miles from West Coker, and the Wells family traditionally roamed all across Hampshire, Wiltshire and Dorset. West Coker is just 2 miles from the Dorset border.

Priscilla Wells married Samson Light July qr 1889 (2b 1047). They had 4 children and can be found in 1901 at Allington, just north of Salisbury (RG13/1950 f21 p2) where Priscilla was listed as ’41, born Farnham’. In 1911 they were down at Newton Abbott in Devon (RG14/12758 sch 417). A Priscilla Light was buried at Lyng, nr Taunton in Somerset 19/3/1913.