E3.7

Charles and Mary Ann Seeney nee Freeman Charles Seeney was born in 1832 in Middleton Cheney and baptised there on 8 April, the second child of four of Joseph and Ann Seeney. His father was noted as a coal dealer in the 1841 census, but an agricultural labourer in 1851. Charles married Mary Ann Freeman, the daughter of a shoemaker, in what was called a specially licensed chapel in the parish of Holy Trinity Coventry on 24 October 1855 and was by then describing himself as a farmer, from Radford (the district of Coventry rather than Radford Semele, as Coventry's Radford was still quite rural at the time). Surprisingly he was describing his father as a farmer, too. They went on to have seven children. By 1861 the family lived at Finham Cottage, situated according to the census between Pipes Mill and Stivichall Grange; Charles was a farm bailiff and certainly, in 1862, was working for Mr Ben French, a Finham farmer. Their daughter Elizabeth died aged four years and eight months in 1868 and is buried at B 24.1. In subsequent censuses the family were to be found at Finham, where Charles was a farm bailiff for many years before taking on Hill Farm sometime before 1901. According to a newspaper report he died after less than a week's illness on 31 January 1904, and was buried on 4 February. Probate was granted to William Adcock, who farmed nearby, and John Spiers the parish clerk. His estate was quite considerable; he had evidently been successful. Mary Ann Freeman had been born in Kenilworth where she was baptised on 6 January 1836, the third daughter of John and Eleanor Ann nee Spraggett. By 1851 her family were living in Radford, Coventry, although she was not at home. Mary Ann bore Charles Seeney seven children and after his death in 1904 she continued to farm at The Hill with their son George as farm manager. She died in her 81st year on 7 March 1916 and was buried on 11 March. Inscribed on their headstone is, following Charles' details: And after Mary Ann: