WIlliam Bennett was born in 1786 to John and Elizabeth (nee Suffield). He was baptised at Beaulieu church on 19th Feb 1786.

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Ann Warne was born in 1792 to William and Jane (nee Arnold). She was baptised on 12th  January 1793 at Fawley church.

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Ann and William were married on 13th October 1822 at Beaulieu church. They had two children Elizabeth (born 1823) and Samuel (born 1826).

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Their children's baptismal records show William was a hemp dresser living near Beaulieu rails. He would have been working at one of Charles Westbrook's rope factories, either at Buckler's Hard or in East Boldre (then called Beaulieu Rails). The census of 1841 shows the Ann, William and Samuel living in Beaulieu rails which might indicate the latter. ​The census of 1851 shows Ann and William living in Beaulieu Rails with William still working as a hemp and flax dresser.

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Flax and hemp, once harvested, were left in the fields for the sun and rain to degrade the pectins that bind the fibres to the straw. Then, in the factory, the hemp was  'scutched' to remove the outer covering and loosen the fibres. Hemp dressers like William, known as hecklers, then separated and aligned the hemp fibres by repeatedly combing them through a table mounted ‘heckle’ ready to be woven into rope. The term, heckle, acquired its present meaning from the name of this comb used to tease or comb hemp and flax, hence its meaning to tease.

This hemp dressing process charged the air with huge quantities of hemp dust and fluff and few people remained in that occupation for long given the chronic respiratory problem’s the work caused. William worked in this job for about 30 years.

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The Beaulieu Rails (East Boldre) Baptist church minutes show Ann was baptised on 19th June 1836. This predates the chapel's baptistry so this may have taken place at either Hatchet pond or Lymington Baptist church.

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William was buried at the chapel by Rev John Bartlett Burt on 3rd December 1862. Ann just 3 months later on 12th March 1863.

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Their epitaphs are quotes from Job 1:21 and Matthew 24:44.​​