Jane Read was born in 1788 to George and Sarah (nee Thurl) and was baptised on 24th August 1788 at Beaulieu church.

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​William Rixon​​​​ was born in 1785 to John and Elizabeth (nee Phillips), the second of their ten children.

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William married Jane on 21st October 1812 at Boldre church. ​Comyn's notebooks (c 1817) show William and Jane Rexon (nee Reade) living in Buley Rails where the old cottage sits that is part of the now much larger Willow Cottage.

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​William was baptised into the Baptist church in 1829 aged 44. He was one of the members who left to form a second Baptist church at Masseys Lane and served that new church as deacon from 1834 - 1846.

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​The census of 1841 lists William (a farmer) and Jane living with Ann (10), William's mother Elizabeth (75) and Emily Gardner (1) in Beaulieu Rails. ​The 1851 census list William (an agricultural labourer) and Jane living together in Beaulieu Rails. ​Ann had left home and was working as a general servant for grocer Isaac Purchase on Lymington High Street. In 1853, Ann married John Biles who was a barber.

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In 1861, the census shows William and Jane are still living in Beaulieu Rails with visitors John and Ann Biles and their 6 month old son, also John. In 1871, William (85) had his brother Joseph and wife Sarah (both paupers) and brother-in-law William Warne living with him.

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​Jane and William were buried by the Rev John Bartlett Burt on 29th July 1867 and 10th December 1871 respectively.