My grandmother Lorna Whiting was born in Haverhill, Suffolk, in 1921 and grew up in Broad Street.
During the war she worked for the Air Ministry at Wratting Common, and it was then that she met my grandfather George Smith who was in the RAF and stationed at Stradishall Airfield with 214 Squadron.
They met at a dance at the Town Hall in Haverhill and married at the West End Congregational Church, Withersfield Road, in 1941. After the war she worked as PA for William Gurteen at Gurteen Clothing Factory in Haverhill amongst other jobs, and after retirement helped out at her local history group. Talking to her about her family's roots in the town intrigued me.
Looking at early censuses I could see that the Whitings seemed to originate from one particular part of Haverhill, but how were they all related? and where did they all end up? I soon found my answers were inextricably linked with agriculture and farming, the local militia, the growing textile industry, and let's not forget the beer houses.
Looking at early censuses I could see that the Whitings seemed to originate from one particular part of Haverhill, but how were they all related? and where did they all end up? I soon found my answers were inextricably linked with agriculture and farming, the local militia, the growing textile industry, and let's not forget the beer houses.
Starting with the 1841 census, this site will take an in-depth look at Lorna's Whiting ancestry in Haverhill through the generations that lived first in Burton End and then in other parts of the town.
Making reference to primary sources where possible, I hope to provide a genealogy that will be informative to Whitings and indeed anyone else with an interest in the history of Haverhill.
Simon Hutchison
 |  |  Lorna Smith (nee Whiting), left, with cousin Lily Farrall (nee Whiting) outside 21 Broad Street. Photo taken in the mid 1990's. |