David Whiting 1819-1892

Parents: David Whiting and Sarah Ragg (1)
Born: 1st February 1819 in Burton End, Haverhill. (1)
Baptised: 28th February 1819 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill. (1)
Married: Elizabeth Buttle, spinster of Burton End, Haverhill, daughter of Thomas Buttle, labourer, on 5th August 1842 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill. Witnessed by Sarah Whiting and Thomas Buttle.(2,3)
Children: Ellen Whiting b.1843, Frederick Whiting b.1845, Esther Whiting b.1848, Frank Whiting b.1851, Frances Alice Whiting b.1856, James Whiting b.1860, Joseph Whiting b.1862 and Edith Whiting b.1866
Died: 14th May 1892 of senile decay, aged 74, in Burton End, Haverhill. Buried on 20th May 1892 at Haverhill Cemetery.(4,5)

Bio: David Whiting was my great-great-great grandfather. He was born in Burton End, Haverhill and grew up there. On the 1841 census he is living with his parents David and Sarah and his brothers and sisters. He works as a labourer. Next year he married Elizabeth Buttle, two years his junior, who was the daughter of Thomas and Mary Buttle. Elizabeth's brother Thomas, married Sarah Whiting two years later. By the 1851 census David and Elizabeth are living in Burton End (next-door to Elizabeths parents) with three children, Ellen, Frederick and Esther. David is working as an agricultural labourer. On the 1861 census there are now seven children living in the house in Burton End with David and Sarah - Ellen, Frederick, Esther and now Frank, Fanny (Frances), James and Harry. Harry, although listed as a child of David and Elizabeth was, I think, the child of Ellen born out of wedlock. Ellen was to marry George Whybrow the next year, and in later censuses they have a son Harry whose birth is not registered under the name Whybrow, and whose date of birth is given as 1861.

David (or possibly his father, who was still working as an agricultural labourer at this time) appears in the Essex and Suffolk Free Press of 1st January 1863 in connection with the supposed theft of some ploughshares by Phoebe Whiting (see her page for the full text). The news article reveals he was a labourer in the employ of Mr Brown of Haverhill.

For the 1871 census David, Elizabeth and children Frank, James, Joseph and Edith appear to be living next to the Royal Standard beerhouse in Burton End. This is run by Eliza Blackshire, a widow, but it was later to be taken over by David's brother George Whiting, who runs it on the 1891 census.

By 1881 Most of David's children have left home and on this census, only Joseph and Edith remain with him and his wife in Burton End. David still works as a farm labourer.

The last census David appears on is the one in 1891. He is living at 27 Burton End with Elizabeth, and staying with them is their grandson Albert, who was Edith's son. Edith married Elijah Barrett in 1887, and on the 1901 census Elijah and Edith are living in Acton, Middlesex with Albert, now known as Barrett, who had been born in Haverhill. Whether he was Elijah's son born out of wedlock we are unable to tell.

David Whiting, farm labourer, died of senile decay on 14th May 1892 aged 73. Elizabeth was the informant of the death, which was registered on the 17th May.

David is buried at Haverhill Cemetery. My mother discovered the grave on a visit to the cemetery (click on image to enlarge)

This was a great find as there was uncertainty as to whether a stone even existed. The gravestone is badly eroded, but David's date of death is clearly discernible as 21st May, although his death certificate states this occurred on 14th May.

Thanks to Judy Stratford for a copy of David's death certificate

Sources:

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4
(2) Marriage Register. 3rd Quarter 1842, Risbridge District, Volume 12 Page 555
(3) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p23 of 37
(4) Death Register. 2nd Quarter 1892, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 358
(5) Haverhill Cemetery, Ref.1928. http://www.haverhill-uk.com/pages/burial-records-137.htm