ANN BUXTON
WIFE, MOTHER AND WITNESS
Very little is known regarding Jane Buxton. She was born at Lowestoft in October 1634 the daughter of Thomas Fullwood (aka Fullward) and Elizabeth his wife. Thomas was a Scrivenor by trade.
On the 18th November 1656 at the age of 22 she married John Buxton of Lowestoft. He was 21 years old. The Buxtons seem to have been new-comers to Lowestoft but the Fullwood family stretched back in to the 16th century. John was third child of five born to John and Alice Buxton but neither of his parents appear to have been born in Lowestoft, neither were they married there.
Ann and John had two children that are recorded; Elizabeth, born June 1657 and Thomas who was 5 months old when his mother visited Amy Denny in the stocks in October 1661. At this time Ann had just celebrated her 27th birthday.
Ann was born in an house in High Street opposite the Town Chamber (the present day Town Hall) but it it is not known where she lived after her marriage. Town records show that he husband (whose occupation is not known) contributed to the town Rates and so presumably he was an householder in the parish but the location of the house has not been ascertained.
Her husband died in November 1677 and Jane appears to have remained a widow until her death in August 1705. Both husband and wife are buried in unmarked graves in the parish churchyard.
After the death of her husband Jane appears to have moved back into part of the house in which she was born. The manor court records show that she owned one-third part of this property, probably through inheritance. It was at the east end and consisted one room containing a hearth with a chamber above. In September 1686 she transferred this humble tenement into her daughter's Elizabeth's name.
LEFT: Jane Buxton's birthplace. She was born in the right hand half of the cream-coloured building which in the 17th century was two houses.
