James Whiting 1860-1930

Parents: David Whiting and Elizabeth Buttle (1)
Born: 4th August 1860 in Burton End, Haverhill. (1)
Baptised: 17th June 1866 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill.(1)
Married: Annie Jones, 18, spinster of Hanbury Terrace, South Acton, daughter of William Jones, labourer, on 25th January 1881 at All Saints Church, South Acton. Witnessed by Alfred Roach and ? Tennant.(3,4)
Children: Maud Louise Whiting b.1882, Edith Annie Whiting b.1884, Florence Alice Whiting b.1887, Annie Eliza Whiting b.1889, James David Whiting b.1891, May Gertrude Whiting b.1894
Died: 2nd Quarter 1930 at 90 Bollo Lane, Acton.(5)

Bio: James appears as a child living in Burton End, Haverhill, on the 1861 census, and as a farm labourer on the 1871 census, still living with his family in the same street.

He may well have been the James Whiting mentioned in the Essex Standard, on the 28th August 1874, as being summoned for 'trespassing in pursuit of game on land in the occupation of Mr.James Berry, of Haverhill Hamlet, on 9th August'.(11) The others involved were of a similar age to him at this time - Samuel and Frederick Smith and Elijah Farrants, although their occupations were given as weavers. The summons was adjourned, however.

James sister Esther had moved nearer the city with her husband Frederick Squire, and several of her young brothers and sisters followed suit including James later in the decade.

At the time of his marriage to Annie Jones in January 1881, he was living at 2 Shawberry Cottage, Hanbury Road, Acton. At the time of the 1881 census we find the newly married couple living at 207 Hanbury Road, Acton, with the Mackay family, from Ireland, and lodger Mary Ann Parsley and her daughter. James is working as a slater.

We can trace their movements through the baptism records of their children. At the time of Maud Louise's birth in 1882(6) they are still at Hanbury Road, Edith Annie's birth in 1884, they were living in Shawberry Terrace, Acton.(6) The 1886 Electoral Register sees them at 45 Hanbury Road(10), and in 1887, when Florence Alice is born, they are at 16 Enfield Road, Ealing.(7)

By the 1891 census James and Annie had moved to 130 Bollo Bridge Road, Acton, where Annie was working as a laundress and James a general labourer. By now they now have 5 children; Maud, Edith, Florence, Annie and James. They are still there in 1897 when Annie, James and May are baptised, and James' occupation is recorded as slater once more.(8)

The family settled in this area, and the same members appear at number 133 Bollo Bridge Road on the 1901 census. James occupation is slater and Annie is a laundress.

For the 1911 census, James and Annie are living at 90 Bollo Lane, Acton. James is a tiler and slater, Annie is no longer working. They have two daughters with them, Annie, 22, and May, 17, who are both laundry workers.

The 1929 Electoral Register shows James and Annie are still at 90 Bollo Lane.

It looks like James died in the Brentford district in 1930 at the age of 69(5), and Annie lived on until 1946.(9)

Sources:

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p13 of 37
(2) Birth Register. 3rd Quarter 1859, Risbridge District, Vol 4a Page 359
(3) London Metropolitan Archives, All Saints, South Acton, Register of marriages, DRO/056, Item 012
(4) Marriage Register. 1st Quarter 1880, Brentford District, Vol 3a Page 57
(5) Death Register. 2nd Quarter 1930, Brentford District, Vol 3a Page 199
(6) London Metropolitan Archives, All Saints, South Acton, Register of baptisms, DRO/056, Item 002
(7) London Metropolitan Archives, All Saints, South Acton, Register of baptisms, DRO/056, Item 003
(8) London Metropolitan Archives, All Saints, South Acton, Register of baptisms, DRO/056, Item 004
(9) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1946, Brentford District, Vol 5e Page 221
(10) Ancestry.com, London Electoral Registers, 1835-1965
(11) The Essex Standard, Friday, August 28th 1874, pg.4.issue 2280. C19th British Library Newspapers.