My Layzell Family

Robert Stanley Layzell

My father was Robert Stanley Layzell who was born at Bradfield Essex in 1907 and died at a comparatively young age in 1956 when I was still young.

Robert, pictured below, was the 7th child of Harry Layzell and Harriet Willis.

Harry Layzell

Harry was born in 1862 at Nayland, Suffolk as Henry Layzell but always called Harry. Harriet was born in 1866 at Wiston ( sometimes called Wissington) Suffolk to John Willis and Emma Last.

Harry and Harriet married in 1866 at Wiston where they were to live in a tied house in Bures Road while Harry worked as a labourer at Hall Farm.

They had 6 children at Wiston - Edith Elsie b 1888, Walter b 1890, Charlotte Lottie b 1893, Maude Margaret b 1898, Florence Alice May b 1892 and Ernest Jack b 1903.

In 1906 problems with employment at Wiston coupled with the higher wages paid to agricultural workers in Essex meant that the family moved to Bradfield in Essex, where my father was born, and then in 1915 moved to work at Colliers Wood Farm at Ardleigh in Essex. They initially lived in a tied cottage but after a few years hard saving and the pooling of resources the family bought a vacant public house called the Wheatsheaf which they converted to a house and small shop. This move was unusual amongst farm workers to buy their own property and shows forward thinking by the family. Harry, Harriet, Florence and Ernest were to live in the Wheatsheaf for the remainder of their lives and is still in family hands and regarded as home by the surviving descendants to this day,

Harry was the 7th of 10 children born to John Layzell and Emma King

John Layzell

John was born in 1826 at Wissington, Suffolk . Emma was born in 1829 in the nearby village of Stoke by Nayland.

They were married in 1848 at Nayland, Suffolk and lived in a tied cottage in Cawley Road, Wissington where John worked as a farm labourer.

They had 10 Children - James b 1849, Harriet b 1851, Robert b 1852, Ann b 1856, John 1859, George b 1860, Henry b 1862, Charlotte b 1865 and Lucy b 1871.

They spent their whole lives living at Wissington until Emma Died in 1896 and John in 1908.

John was born to Robert Layzell and his wife Mary.

Robert Layzell

Robert was born at Bures st Mary, Suffolk in 1785 nd married Mary.

By 1841 he had moved to Cawley Road, Wissington where he was to live until his death in 1869.