Foxley – Church of St. Thomas the Apostle (Mabel Annie Purdy – 1883-1913)

This grave at the Church of St. Thomas the Apostle caught my eye as it commemorated the life of Mabel Annie Purdy who died according to the gravestone at the young age of just 28. I was initially confused as the church’s birth register notes that a Mabel Annie Purdy was born on 25 November 1882 and baptised on 15 February 1883. However, I then noticed a birth of Mabel Annie Purdy on 7 August 1883 and baptism on 26 October 1884, so I assume the first little girl died and they wanted to give their next child the same name. Both girls were the daughters of Henry Purdy, a publican, and Rosina Purdy (nee Connell). The pub that they ran was the Chequers in the village, which closed in 1968, but apparently the pub sign remains in place so the building on Stocks Hill remains. Henry was a farmer and he was the licensee of the pub between 1863 and very early in 1913, when he died, which is quite a tenure.

Mabel was mentioned in the Eastern Evening News on 14 April 1902 when her beautiful singing in a concert in Bawdeswell to raise money for the Foxley church bells was mentioned. These church bells have had a substantial amount of fund raising over the years…. The Downham Market Gazette also mentioned on 29 December 1900 that Mabel was excellent at needlework and the Eastern Daily Press on 24 October 1901 mentioned that Mabel and her sister Ada were bridesmaids at the wedding of Albert Green and Edith Purdy. At least those newspaper mentions add a little colour to the detail of her life, I always find it a little sad when it seems nearly nothing is known.

Mabel died on 23 April 1913, not long after her father died. Unfortunately, I can’t find any mention in the local newspapers as to why she died, so that remains a mystery for the moment at least…