Ralph Heath married
Mary Farmer on 13th November 1787 in Stoneleigh, just a week after his brother Charles Heath had married Eleanor Butler. Ralph b. 1756 and Charles b. 1758 were the sons of Charles and Mary Heath from North Elmham in Norfolk, who had moved to Stoneleigh with father Charles employed as park keeper at the Deer Park, (
see also A.9). Mary Farmer born 1757, was the fifth of the six children of Richard Farmer (1721-1800) of Manor House, Stoneleigh. Her younger sister Mabell was one of the witnesses together with Ralph's mother Mary Heath.
Ralph and Mary had four children, Charles b.1789, Mary b.1791, Mabell who died young in 1793 and Ralph who died age 2 in 1797.
It is their unmarried daughter
Mary Heath born 1791, who is buried with them.
Ralph like his father before him was park keeper up at the Deer Park and was buried 19th September 1839. In the 1841 census, Mary and bachelor son Charles, who is now the park keeper, together with unmarried daughter Mary continued at the Park Keeper's Lodge. The two Mary's were living on 'independent means'. Mary Farmer-Heath was buried 28th February 1843, and daughter Mary Heath was buried 5th January 1846 (not 1845 as above).
Charles eventually married in 1844, and then in 1851 was still at the park age 62 with his wife Ann from Lambourne in Berkshire age 59. However in 1861 there is no sign of Ann, and Charles now age 72 at the Deer Park is with his niece Elizabeth Prater age 29 from the Isle of Wight. Charles eventually moved there and died in 1870 age 81, not living quite as long as had his father Ralph age 83 or mother Mary age 86.
Unusually for Stoneleigh, the headstone is slate, which makes the inscription easy to read.
