Susannah Whiting 1829-1852

Parents: Stephen Whiting and Elizabeth Barber
Born: 2nd October 1829.(4)
Baptised: 17th January 1831 at the Congregational Church, Haverhill.(4)
Married: Stephen Williams, full age, labourer of Withersfield, son of Stephen Williams, labourer, on 26th October 1850 at St Mary the Virgin, Withersfield. Witnessed by William and Harriet Whiting and Henry Furbank.(1)
Children: None
Died: Mar 1852 in Withersfield.(3) Buried on 12th March 1852 at St Mary the Virgin Church, Withersfield.(2)

Bio: Born on 2nd October 1829, and baptised at the Congregational Church, Haverhill, Susannah is present on the 1841 census with her parents and siblings. She married Stephen Williams, a labourer of Withersfield on 26th October 1850 at Withersfield Church.(1) The GRO certificate shows her father as Stephen Williams, but I am almost certain that this is just a clerical error and should be Stephen Whiting. Evidence for this is that the witnesses at the wedding are her brother (Stephen's son) William and his wife Harriet. The other witness, Henry Furbank, is a cordwainer who is living next door to Stephen's father at Haverhill Road, Withersfield on the 1851 census.

Stephen Williams was the son of Stephen Williams, a brewer and grocer, and Sarah Levett, of Ashen, Essex, and was baptised at Withersfield church on 7th June 1829.(5) His parents Stephen and Sarah had been married on 24th July 1826 at St Augustine of Canterbury Church, Ashen.(6)

We see a Stephen and Susannah Williams on the 1851 census living in Withersfield at Stitcher(?) Farm. They have no children. The census correctly gives Susannah's birthplace as Haverhill. Then, a Susan Williams aged 22 dies and is buried at Withersfield Church on 12th March 1852.(2,3) The age is correct, although the name is abbreviated.

Stephen must have been hit hard by the death of his young wife and decided to make a fresh start.

On 11th July 1854 he became an assisted immigrant aboard the ship Anglo Saxon and set sail from Southampton for Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.(7,8) He was accompanied by Charles Williams, also of Withersfield, who was the son of Thomas and Phoebe and cousin of Stephen.

The Anglo Saxon arrived on the 21st October 1854, having been at sea for 102 days. It was a 765 ton clipper ship captained by J.G Chapman. There were 336 emigrants on board, of whom 9 died enroute. This voyage was dispatched by public funds as part of a program of settlement.

After some time, Stephen married again. He exchanged vows with his second wife, Elizabeth Beavis, a dressmaker, on 24th December 1878 at Collingwood, Victoria. She was originally from Hampshire in England.(9) It seems Elizabeth was married before, to a George Rivett and had several children although there is some confusion over the timing of the births and the surnames used.

Stephen died in Mornington, Victoria, in 1919 aged 89.(10)

Sources:

(1) Marriage Register. 4th Quarter 1850, Risbridge district, Volume 12 Page 807
(2) SFHS, Suffolk Burial Index, issue 2, 1538-1900.
(3) Death Register. 1st Quarter 1852, Risbridge district, Volume 4a Page 239
(4) Non-Conformist Baptism register, Congregational Church, Haverhill. RG4/1845/p17
(5) Suffolk Baptism Index, Clare Deanery 1813-1900, SFHS. entry 290.
(6) SEAX. Marriage register of Ashen, St Augustine of Canterbury, 1813-1836, D/P 366/1/5. Image 8.
(7) State Records Authority of New South Wales; Kingswood New South Wales, Australia; Persons on bounty ships to Sydney, Newcastle, and Moreton Bay (Board's Immigrant Lists); Series: 5317; Reel: 2466; Item: [4/4938].
(8) http://www.theshipslist.com/ships/australia/aust1850s.shtml
(9) Australia Marriage Index, 1878, Victoria, Reg. 5159. Ancestry.com. Marriage cert from public family trees, Ancestry.
(10) Australia death index, registration: Victoria, 1919, no.8688.