George Scott Whiting 1847-1929

Parents: Mary Scott, father unknown.(6)
Born: 12th May 1847 in Burton End, Haverhill.(6)
Baptised: 12th September 1847 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill.(6)
Married: Mary Ann Wiseman, 17, spinster of Haverhill, daughter of John Wiseman, licensed hawker on 28th September 1867 at St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Witnessed by Thomas Wiseman and Sarah Nunn.(1,2)
Children: James Whiting b.1868, George William Whiting b.1871, Albert Whiting b.1873, John Whiting b.1876 died in infancy, John Peter Whiting b.1876, Ernest Thomas Whiting b.1880, Percy Whiting b.1882, Sidney Whiting b.1885, Bertram Herbert Whiting b.1892 and Hilda Beatrice Whiting b.1895 died in infancy.
Died: 1st June 1929 at 19 Alpha Terrace, Trumpington, Cambridge. Buried on 5th June 1929 at St Mary and St Michael's Church, Trumpington. (3,5,7)

Bio: George was actually baptised as George Scott, and his father is not listed on the baptismal register. He was an illegitimate child, but was obviously brought up as a Whiting and is mentioned as such on censuses thereafter - he refers to Henry Whiting as his father on his marriage entry. It is not implausible that Henry sired him before his marriage to Mary, but of course we'll never know for certain who the father was.

George is present on the 1851 census living with his parents and brother in Burton End. For the 1861 census, he remains at home in Burton End, the eldest child, working as an agricultural labourer.

After his marriage in 1867, George leaves Haverhill, an example which his younger brothers Ephraim and Thomas were to follow in later years. The 1871 census finds him living in Barton, a village just outside Cambridge. He is working as a labourer, and he and Mary Ann have a three year old son, James. It appears they must have been back in Haverhill again at some point in the next decade as their son Albert was baptised at St Mary's Church on 4th October 1874.(6)

On The 1881 census, George and family are now living in Swines Lane, Comberton, the next village west of Barton. His brother Ephraim also lived in Comberton around 1872 when his first child was born, so their paths may have crossed; they possibly found work together. George and Mary Ann now have five sons, James, George, Albert, John and Ernest.

George moved closer to Cambridge after this, for his next children Percy and Sidney are born in Trumpington in 1882 and 1885 and at some point before the 1891 census, he finally ended up in the City itself because on this we find him living at 10 Jubilee Terrace, Catherine Street. He is working as a Gardener.

Living with him and Mary Ann are their sons John, Ernest, Percy and Sidney.

We also know George was living at 56 Covent Garden, Mill Road, Cambridge (right next to the University cricket ground) on 8th July 1893 because this is mentioned on his son Albert's Artillery attestation forms.(8)

On th 1901 census he is on the outskirts of Cambridge, in Cherry Hinton, living at St John's Villa, Hartington Grove, working as a gardener (not domestic - the census tells us). He lives with Mary Ann and sons Sydney and Bertie. One gets the feeling he is doing fairly well for himself.

A move again, on this occasion to Alpha Terrace, Trumpington, for the next census in 1911. He and Mary Ann live alone, He is a domestic gardener this time. The census tells us that they had 10 children, 8 of which are living and 2 dead. Although looking at previous censuses had led to some confusion about the identities of all the children, the list is now complete thanks to information supplied by Jenny Henson (nee Whiting) a direct descendant of George Scott.

Unlike some of the other branches of the Whiting family, George's children would travel far and wide after leaving home. It turns out that the youngest son, Bertram emigrated to Canada and arrived there on 10th April 1911.(9)

George was to spend the remaining years of his life in the same street as the national probate register shows that he died at 19 Alpha Terrace in 1929, and he left effects totalling £461 9s to his two sons Sidney Whiting, a police constable, and Albert Whiting, a carpet planner.(5)

It appears his wife survived him by a year, for there is a Mary A Whiting who died aged 81 in the same district in 1930.(4)

Sources:

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p27 of 37
(2) Marriage Register. 3rd Quarter 1867, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 606
(3) Death Register. 2nd Quarter 1929, Chesterton District, Volume 3b Page 476
(4) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1930, Chesterton District, Volume 3b Page 469
(5) Ancestry.com, National Probate Calendar (index of wills & administrations), 1861-1941
(6) SFHS, Suffolk Baptism Index, Clare Deanery 1813-1900.
(7) National Burial Index, 3rd Edition, FFHS. Parish register of St Mary and St Michael's Church, Trumpington.
(8) National Archives, Soldiers service documents, WO97/4155/9
(9) Ancestry.com. Canadian Passenger Lists, 1865-1935, roll T-4740, Library and Archives Canada.