Frances RANGER was buried at Ringmer on 30 Sep 1858, her age recorded in the register as 98. Ages of older residents are very often exagerated.
In Dec 1802 H. RANGER was a tenant of a cottage property called The Islands, Ringmer Green (still there, now extended) but too poor to be expected to pay the overseers' rates.
Henry RANGER was buried 21 May 1821 aged 57. Widow RANGER received a regular parish pension thereafter under the Old Poor Law. The overseers' records include many such pension lists indicating the amount paid. In 1822 she had 4s 0d per week (presumably at least one child still at home), but by 1828 she was getting only 1s 0d per week - not enough to live on so she must have been expected to shift for herself at least in part.
In 1835 when the new Poor Law Union came into effect the paupers ordered to be removed from Ringmer workhouse to other Union workhouses included Widow RANGER aged 67 who was sent to Ditchling workhouse, which the Union was using for the elderly poor [ESRO/G2/1a/1, entry 11 Nov 1835]
In the 1841 census Francis RANGER aged 70 (70-74) lodged with Thomas DIVALL in his lodging house on Church Hill, Ringmer (previously a beerhouse).
In 1851 Fanny RANGER (aged 83, born Eastbourne) was one of the occupants of the then-new (built 1848) Ringmer alms cottages, North Road, Ringmer Green (still there, converted to a house).
Her eldest son John was not baptised in Ringmer, but was born in 1794 - evidence is ESRO/Par.461/36/1 dated 4 Aug 1794 noting Henry RANGER was a private in the Sussex militia serving as substitute for a Withyham man. His wife Fanny and son John, aged 7 months, were to receive 3s 0d per week from the Ringmer overseers, who were to be reimbursed by Withyham parish. A note on the reverse shows that she was in Ringmer workhouse Nov 1794-Jan 1795, receiving clothes listed and also charged to Withyham Par.461/36/16 notes that in Aug 1801 (Napoleonic Wars) Henry RANGER was inrolled in the Sussex Militia and was in actual service at Battle Barracks. John RANGER (1794-1875) had a long and not entirely trouble-free history in Ringmer - jailed in 1832 for beating up an overseer who was leading the fight to rgeain social control after the Captain Swing riots of 1830.
Henry and Frances /Fanny also had five other children bapt at Ringmer 1796-1806, the youngest son (Henry) dying as an infant. Her daughters, no better than they should be, presented the parish with some illegitimate children, and some good stories about the parish attempts to get them married off.
