Ethel Gertrude Whiting 1879-1952

Parents: Horace Odessa Whiting and Harriet Backler (1,2)
Born: 12th December 1879 in Eden Row, Haverhill (1,2)
Baptised: 29th December 1879 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill (1)
Married: Frank Henry Rampling, batchelor, apprentice, of Ipswich, son of Horace Rampling, bricklayer, on 6th August 1899 at St James Church, Westminster.(3,4)
Children: Frank Horace William Rampling b.1900, Ethel Gertrude Rampling b.1902 died in infancy, ? died in infancy, Edward George Rampling b.1905 and Alfred John Rampling b.1907
Died: 29th January 1952 at Tolmers Park Hospital, Newgate Street.(7)

Bio: Ethel was born in Eden Row, and on the 1881 census Ethel is living there with her parents and two sisters Kate and Lily. Her father had died the previous year in an accident at Gurteens. Ethel's mother Harriet remarried in 1882 to Charles Brown, and would go on to have another family with him.

Whereas her two sister are living with the Browns on the 1891 census, Ethel is staying with her grandmother Susan, who has also married for the second time.

She is living at 7 Croft Row, Haverhill, with Charles and Susan Farrant, Susan's children from her first marriage George, Lewis and Emily Backler, and another of Susan's grandchildren, Stephen Beavis. Ethel is working as a Factory hand, almost certainly at Gurteens.

It is not clear what happened to Ethel in the intervening years between this census and the next, but at some point she met up with Frank Rampling, of Ipswich, and they were married in 1899. The Bury and Norwich Post announced the marriage of 'On the 6th August 1899, at St James' Church, Westminster, by the Rev.T.W.Parks, Frank Henry, only son of Horace Rampling, of Ipswich, to Ethel Gertrude, third daughter of the late Horace Whiting, of Haverhill.'(4)

Although he is referred to as Frank Henry here, it appears he was born Frank King Rampling, and this is the name found on his marriage register entry and subsequent censuses.

On the 1901 census Ethel and Frank are living in London, at 63 Kenton Street. Frank is a Printer's compositor. They have a one year old son, Frank.

Next year, they have another child, Ethel, on 6th June. At this time they are still living at 63 Kenton Street. She was to die aged 2 and was buried at St Pancras cemetery on 11th October 1902.(10)

By the 1911 census(5) the family have relocated to 24 Skipwith Buildings, on the Bourne Estate, Holborn. They have had two more children, Edward and Alfred, and Frank still works as a compositor. The census shows Ethel had had five children up to that point, two of which had died.

The London Electoral Registers(8) are useful because we can use them to track where Frank and Ethel lived after the 1911 census.

The 1918 register shows them at 49 Nigel Buildings, Portpool Lane. It seems that Frank Rampling died in 1920(6) and was buried on 6th November 1920 at Islington cemetery.(10) After this, Ethel must have stayed put and we see her at 57 Nigel Buildings on the 1948 Electoral Register.

Ethel died on 29th January 1952 at Tolmers Park Hospital, Newgate Street, near Hertford. Her home address at the time was 33 Walsingham Road, Enfield.

Probate was granted to her youngest son Alfred John Rampling, printers works manager, with effects of £159 10s 11d.(7,9)

Sources:

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p14 of 37
(2) Birth Register. 1st Quarter 1880, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 536a
(3) Marriage Register. 3rd Quarter 1899, Westminster District, Volume 1a Page 1220
(4) Bury & Norwich Post, Tuesday, August 15th, 1899, pg.8 issue 6270.
(5) 1911 Census, Ref: RG14PN1205 RG78PN41 RD14 SD1 ED9 SN498
(6) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1920, Holborn District, Volume 1b Page 567
(7) Death Register. 1st Quarter 1952, Hatfield District, Volume 4b Page 39
(8) Ancestry.com, London Electoral Registers 1835-1965
(9) Ancestry.com. England & Wales, National Probate Calendar (Index of Wills and Administrations), 1858-1966
(10) Deceasedonline.com, burial register summary.