Eliza BROWNING was born in about 1814-16 in Tetbury. Her father, Isaac BROWNING is identified on her marriage certificate and she is also identified as the mother of Frederick STOKES on his birth certificate.
She grew up the 5th of 14 children in what would have been a extremely busy household !
Eliza married Thomas STOKES at Hempsted, Gloucestershire in 1840 and they had eight children, the first being born in Essex where Thomas was learning the trade of a wheelwright. Hempsted has a reputation amongst family historians for being a magnet for clandestine marriages, as often the bride and groom were not from Hempstead. It is also possible that the local vicar had a policy of offering "penny weddings", i.e. no fee weddings that was taken advantage of by non-residents.
A likely explanation is that Eliza had had a child out of wedlock named Ellen Harding BROWNING in 1834 several years before marrying Thomas STOKES in 1840. Ellen later emigrated to Australia. This theory is strengthened by Ellen appearing in the 1841 census (as Helen) with her grandfather Isaac and in the 1851 census as granddaughter to Mary BROWNING who I believe to be Eliza's mother.
Based on Ellen's "Harding" forename (which is not a BROWNING family name) it might be speculated that one of the two HARDING brothers - Thomas and Charles - was the father of Ellen Harding BROWNING. Thomas HARDING went on to have a large family in Tetbury so he is unlikely to be the father, however his younger brother Charles bap. 1809, did not marry and died in 1839. Local burial records and parish records including paternity allegations should be checked.
In 1841 Eliza is living with her mother Mary BROWNING (nee LOCK) at the house of her uncle Thomas LOCK, a haulier, and next door to her uncle Charles LOCK, labourer.
Eliza died in Moreton in Marsh in 1886 of 'general asthenia and bronchitis' aged 72. Asthenia is an abnormal loss of weakening of the body.