John William Whiting 1876-1952

Parents: Henry Whiting and Mary Ann Poole
Born: 12th November 1876 in Burton End, Haverhill.(1,5)
Baptised: 31st December 1876.(4)
Married: Jane Jacobs in 1921 in Haverhill.(6)
Children: None
Died: 1952 in the Newmarket district. Buried at Haverhill Cemetery.(4,5)

Bio: John was born near the end of 1876 in Burton End. Familysearch give his baptism as being on 31st December 1876, although this is not sourced and it is unclear where this took place.(4) He appears on the 1881 census living there with his parents and younger sister Alice. On the 1891 census the family are living at 21 Burton End. John William is an apprentice (it's not made clear of what trade), and now has four younger siblings.

For the 1901 census, see that John is now a silk weaver. He is still living at home with the family, this time at 29 Burton End.

By the 1911 census John is still at the same address living with parents and younger brothers and sisters. He's still a silk weaver.

Despite a prolonged search, no trace of a marriage was found for John until the 1939 Register revealed some important evidence(5). Here, John is shown living at 7 St Botolphs Place, Haverhill. He is an unemployed silk weaver, and he is recorded as married. Living with him is someone called Jane, who appears to be his wife. She is some nine years older than him and is said to have been born on 4th September 1865.

It seems that Jane Whiting could very well be Jane Jacobs, and that she married John in 1922 in the Risbridge district. One problem with this is that the GRO marriage entry gives her husband as William Whiting. Could this be John using his middle name? Without looking at the certificate it is hard to be sure. However, if we take her to be John's wife to be Jane Jacobs then other facts seem to fit in. Jane Jacobs was the wife of William Jacobs, whom she had married in 1884 in Haverhill(8). They raised a family together, then William Jacobs had died in 1921 aged 57 and was buried at Haverhill cemetery(10). Jane's maiden name before her first marriage was Bacon and she was born in Haverhill in 1865(7), the daughter of Joseph Bacon and Johanna Claydon of Little Bradley. This places her birth year the same as that of Jane Whiting on the 1939 Register.

I'm pretty sure that he is the John William Whiting who is buried at Haverhill cemetery in 1952(2) because the age is spot on. There doesn't appear to be anyone buried with him, but this could be explained by the fact that if his wife was Jane Jacobs nee Bacon, as is suspected, the she was buried with her previous husband with whom she had a family. This seems to be borne out by the entry for a Jane Whiting of the correct age to within a year who died on 18th February 1954 and was buried in Haverhill cemetery in a different area to John(9).

Sources:

(1) Birth Register. 4th Quarter 1876, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 469
(2) Haverhill Cemetery, Compartment V, Space No.104, Burial Ref. 7390
(3) Death Register. 2nd Quarter 1952, Newmarket District, Volume 4b Page 828
(4) England Births and Christenings, 1538-1975, Index, FamilySearch, Batch No.103809-1, Film No.1657479
(5) 1939 Register, Ref: RG101/6661C/005/19 Letter Code: TYDO, Findmypast.co.uk
(6) Marriage Register. 4th Quarter 1922, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 1852
(7) Birth Register. 3rd Quarter 1865, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 380
(8) Marriage Register. 4th Quarter 1884, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 966
(9) Haverhill Cemetery, Compartment S, Space No.74, Burial Ref. 7476
(10) William Jacobs, aged 57, labourer, buried 7th June 1921, Ref:4222, http://www.haverhill-uk.com/pages/burial-records-137.htm