Catherine Elizabeth Whiting 1836-1841

Parents:     Joseph Whiting and Rebecca Cole (1)
Born:            4th November 1836 in Haverhill (1)
Baptised:   4th November 1837 at the Independent Chapel, Haverhill (1)                    
Married:      ?       
Children:    ?
Died:             8th December 1841 in the Work House, Haverhill(3,4)

 

Bio:    Catherine is living with her parents and siblings in Burton End at the time of the 1841 census. By 1851, the family have moved to Chauntry Croft, Haverhill, and they have a daughter aged 11, named what appears to be 'Lot' or more likely 'Liz' in the household. Could this be Catherine? The only candidate other than Catherine for the identity of this individual is Boaz Whiting, who although a boy, is missing on the 1851 census and would be close to that age.

Catherine is not among the household on the 1861 census. There is no trace of her getting married anywhere or dying in Haverhill. There is, however, a Catherine Whiting who died in Bethnal Green in 1860(2). This would be around the time that the family moved to Bethnall Green but the GRO indexes indicate an age of 29 for this Catherine making it a little too old to be her.

Courtesy of a GRO certificate, we discover that Catherine Elizabeth was almost certainly the Catherine Whiting who died, aged 5, rather unpleasantly, of 'worms, fever, etc.,' in the work house in Haverhill on 8th December 1841 (4). She was noted as being the daughter of Joseph Whiting, weaver.(3) She was buried on 9th December 1841 in St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill.(4) Joseph Whiting was accused of stealing from the poor house in 1847, with the implication being that perhaps he was a resident there also around this time.

 Sources:      

(1) Haverhill Non-Conformist Registers LDS Film: 825404
(2) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1860, Bethnal Green district, Volume 1c Page 165.
(3) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p34 of 37
(4) GRO Certificate. 4th Quarter 1841, Risbridge District, Volume 12 Page 253