Henry Whiting 1810-1846

Parents: Daniel Whiting and Elizabeth Archer (1)
Born: 26th September 1810 (1)
Baptised: 14th April 1811 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill (1)
Married (1): Sarah Ship, spinster of Haverhill, on 5th May 1832 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill. Witnessed by James Ship and Harriet Whiting. (2)
Children: Henry Whiting b.1832 died in infancy. (3)
Married (2): Mary Stevens, spinster of Haverhill, on 5th September 1835 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill. Witnessed by Thomas & Phoebe Scott.(2)
Children: Daniel Whiting b.1836 and Emily Whiting b.1839
Died: May 1846. Buried at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill on 11th May 1846. (4,6)

Bio: Henry is really the only candidate to be the Henry Whiting that married Sarah Ship in 1832 as the only other Henry alive in Haverhill at this time (son of David and Sarah Whiting) would be far too young. They had a son, Henry Whiting, born on 31st August 1832.(7)

Looking at the burial records for St Mary's we see a Sarah Whiting of Burton End buried aged 27 on 16th September 1832.(8) Four days previously a Henry Whiting of Burton End had been buried aged 8 days.(8) Given the ages, dates and location involved I think it is almost certain these are Henry's wife and son. It is likely that they both died as a result of complications in childbirth.

Henry Whiting, now listed as a widower, marries Mary Stevens in 1835. He has two children with his second wife.

On the 1841 census Henry is a labourer living with his parents and two children but no wife. Are we to assume, then, that this second wife went the way of the first? a Mary Whiting is registered as dying in the first quarter of 1841 in the Risbridge district (5) - she was buried at St Mary's on 31st March and is described as being aged 24 and from Burton End which fits in with what we know.(9) On the 1851 census, Henry's two children are living with their grandparents Daniel and Elizabeth but with father and mother absent. It looks like Henry is dead by 1851. I am sure he is the Henry Whiting from Burton End buried in 1846 because although this Henry is listed as being 45 there is no other candidate from this area, or indeed Haverhill as a whole.

Sources:

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p of 37
(2) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p of 37
(3) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p33 of 37
(4) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p34 of 37
(5) Death Register. 1st Quarter 1841, Risbridge District, Volume 12 Page 314 - Mary Whiting.
(6) Death Register. 2nd Quarter 1846, Risbridge District, Volume 12 Page 262
(7) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p9 of 37
(8) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p33 of 37
(9) Suffolk Family History Society, Burial Index 1538-1900.