John Whiting 1845-1935

Parents: Samuel Whiting and Sophia Farrant.
Born: 1845 in Haverhill.(8)
Baptised: ?
Married (1): Harriet Barber, spinster of Burton End, Haverhill, daughter of George Barber, labourer, on 20th October 1866 at St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Witnessed by Charles and Susan Bigmore. (1,2)
Children: Christiana Whiting b.1867 died in infancy.
Married (2): Emily Binks, spinster, of Little Wratting, daughter of John Binks, labourer, on 29th July 1869 at St Mary's Church, Little Wratting. Witnessed by George and Eliza Butler.(5,9)
Children: John William Whiting b.1870, Susan Whiting b.1871, George Samuel Whiting b.1873, Albert Whiting b.1875, Christiana Whiting b.1878, William Whiting b.1881 and Ellen Whiting b.1883.
Died: 10th November 1935 in Little Wratting. Buried on 13th November 1935 at St Mary's, Little Wratting.(7,10)

Bio: John is not to be found in the baptismal registers of St Mary's Church, but censuses place his birth year as 1845. His mother Sophia was to die not long after in 1848 mostly likely as a result of complications in childbirth. He is first mentioned on the 1851 Census living with his recently widowed father Samuel and his grandparents William and Ann Whiting in Burton End, Haverhill. By the 1861 census we find John living in Burton End with his Grandfather William and father Samuel, both now widowers, and working as a silk weaver. In 1866 he marries Harriet Barber, also of Burton End and they have a daughter, Christiana, on 28th January 1867. She was to die 8 months later and was buried at Haverhill Cemetery on 28th September 1867. Sadly Harriet was to die soon almost exactly a year later. She too was buried in Haverhill Cemetery, on 6th August 1868.(3,4)

John married again on 29th July 1869 to Emily Binks of Little Wratting, at Little Wratting church.(5) He was living in Haverhill at the time. He is present with her on the 1871 census living in Little Wratting with Emily's widowed father John Binks, a labourer occupying 4 acres and 1 rood of land. John is now working as an agricultural labourer himself. As there was only one John Whiting born in Haverhill around 1845, his details on the census would suggest that this is almost certainly him. They have one son, John, who was born in Little Wratting in 1870. The following census finds John and Emily still living with his father-in-law in a private house in Little Wratting. John now works as a thatcher, and they have five children - John, Susan, George, Albert and Chrissie.

For the 1891 census we have John and Emily living in a cottage in Little Wratting, Emily's father now having died. John is doing labouring work, and they have two more children, William and Ellen. John's eldest, John, has now left home, and his second eldest Susan is working as a seamstress. Christiana is missing from this census, but turns up on the next one as a servant in London.

On the 1901 census, they are still living in Little Wratting. John is working as a thatcher again, and of the children only Susan, William and Ellen remain living with them. Ellen, interestingly, is working as a school teacher. John's wife Emily died in 1902(6) and was buried at Little Wratting church on 16th July 1902.(10)

By the 1911 census, John is a widower living in Little Wratting with his daughter Susan, Christiana who has returned and is now a housekeeper, and son William who like his father is working as an agricultural labourer.

John Whiting died on 10th November 1935 in Little Wratting, and was buried 3 days later at the local church.(7,10)

Sources:

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/26 of 37
(2) Marriage Register. 4th Quarter 1866, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 824.
(3) Haverhill Cemetery, Ref. 84. http://www.haverhill-uk.com/pages/burial-records-137.htm
(4) Death Register. 3rd Quarter 1868, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 292.
(5) Marriage Register. 3rd Quarter 1869, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 593.
(6) Death Register. 3rd Quarter 1902, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 407.
(7) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1935, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 1007.
(8) Birth Register. 1st Quarter 1845, Risbridge District, Volume 12 Page 434.
(9) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, marriage register for St Mary's, Little Wratting, 1837-1993, FL502/4/7
(10) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, burial register for St Mary's, Little Wratting, 1813-2000, FL502/4/8