Parents: Daniel Whiting and Ann Spackman (nee Wilson)(2, 3) Born: c.1755 Baptised: 22nd November 1755 at the Congregational Church, Haverhill (2, 3) Married: Mary Hazlewood, spinster, on 11th December 1775 at St Mary's Church, Shudy Camps. Witnessed by Robert Pettit and William Freeman (1) Children: Robert Whiting b.1776 died in infancy, Robert Whiting b.1779, Mary Whiting b.1781, Mildred Whiting b.1783, James Whiting b.1785 and Ruth Whiting b.1792. Died: January 1837 in Green Hill, Woolwich. Buried on 21st January 1837 at St Mary Magdalene Church, Woolwich.(4)
Bio: Robert's baptism entry in 1755 is traceable from the records of the Congregational Church at Haverhill. He was the son of Daniel and Ann Whiting, and most likely grew up in or around Haverhill. At the age of twenty, he married Mary Hazlewood at Shudy Camps church in 1775. She was originally from Castle Camps, and was the daughter of William and Mary Hazelwood. She had been baptised at All Saints Church, Castle Camps on 9th October 1757,(5) and would have been about eighteen at the time of her marriage. Robert's surname is given as 'Whitton' in his marriage entry, this is just spelling variation; his identity is confirmed in later records. Robert and Mary seem to have been living in Haverhill for fifteen years or so after their marriage as they had a number of children who were born here and baptised at St Mary's Parish Church. Their first son, Robert, was baptised on 17th November 1776. It is very likely he was the infant who was buried at the same church on 25th March 1778, because they have another son called Robert who is baptised on 10th February 1779. Their next child Mary is baptised on 4th February 1781, followed by Mildred on 16th March 1783, James on 10th April 1785 and Ruth on 27th May 1792. On one of my visits to Suffolk Record Office I came across a letter amongst the Overseers Records in FL578/7/40 that is attributed to Robert Whiting. It is not signed, which leads me to believe that it was perhaps written on his behalf. The language in it belongs to someone who thinks they can write in a business-like manner, but the standard falls some way short of that used by an educated person of this time. The letter is definitely post-marked 'December 1806', but elsewhere 'Woolwhich 1808' is distinctly written. It was addressed to Mr Fincham, Master Weaver, who was the same man who produced the 'Fincham Token' with the image of the weaver at the loom that has been frequently used as a symbol of Haverhill. Here is a transcription: For Mr Fincham, Master Weaver, Haverhill in Suffolk Woolwich, 1st December 1806 Dear
friend I have taken the personal opportunity of letting you know that So as
remains your humble servants Robert and Mary Whiting The words in brackets in the transcription are badly misspelt in the original letter, although it is clear what is intended. At the conclusion of the letter are some markings that could perhaps be Robert's. They are not a signature as such, yet could be his mark. Robert is asking for proof of his marriage because he wishes to join a life insurance club. Life insurance was becoming more popular around this time. The Gambling Act of 1774 had 'banned the purchase of insurance on lives in which the policyholder did not have a real and documented financial interest'(6) Robert obviously knew Mr Fincham, perhaps a previous employer, and considered him an important person in the town of Haverhill and someone whom he could trust to procure proof of his marriage to Mary at Shudy Camps. He says they'd been married 31 years, which implies the date of the letter is 1806 and not 1808. The Horse and Star was an Inn at Woolwich, and was situated near the dockyard in Church Street. We find a reference to it again in the West Kent Guardian of 31st March 1838, concerning a property for auction: 'A substantial brick-built house, with shop, situate in Church-Street, near the Horse and Star, in the occupation of Mr Champion, Oil and Colourman'(12). Pigot's Directories of 1839 and 1840 both show that the Roebuck, run by Henry Burch, existed in Church Street(18,19). There is no mention of the Horse and Star in either edition of the directory which might lead us to suppose it had been renamed as the Roebuck. However, there is an article in the Morning Chronicle of 14th September 1837 about William Hennesey, a sailor that took his own life with prussic acid who 'for some months past..had been stopping at the Roebuck Tavern, Church-hill, Woolwich'.(20) As this pre-dates the West Kent Guardian extract mentioned earlier, the implication is that the Roebuck and the Horse and Star existed at the same time and were not in fact at the same venue. Back to the letter! This provides a tantalising glimpse into the life of Robert and Mary who would have both been in their fifties by this time. How long they had been living in Woolwich is not clear, nor is why they had relocated there. Was there some connection with ships or the dockyard? Robert's younger brother Ezra had joined the navy and had died at sea five years before this letter was written. Unfortunately, I have found no mention of Robert's occupation anywhere yet. I believe that Robert lived until 1837. There is a burial entry for St Mary Magdalene Church, Woolwich, on 21st January 1837 for a Robert Whiting aged 84. This would place his birth as 1753, and is close enough for me to suspect this is him considering the location too. Whether Mary received the £10 life insurance due to her, we'll never know! Mary makes it on to the 1841 census as a widow of 84 living in Chapel Row, Woolwich dockyard. She is staying with William Fleming, 54, a labourer, and Ruth, 49, his wife, who turns out to be Robert and Mary's youngest daughter. This was Ruth's second marriage. She had married John Dorrington at St Mary Magdalene on 19th October 1806.(10) Her first husband died and she married again, to William Fleming, on 20th February 1828 at St Nicholas Church, Greenwich.(11) Mary lived to the grand old age of ninety. I am certain she must have been the Mary Whiting, 90, who died on 15th September 1847 and was buried at Enon Baptist Chapel, High Street, Woolwich.(8,9) Sources: (1) Shudy Camps Marriages, 1560-1950, CFHS. |
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