John William Whiting 1904-1978

Parents: William Whiting and Elizabeth Davy.
Born: 20th July 1904 in the Risbridge district.(1)
Baptised: ?
Married: Violet Charvill, aged 24, spinster, wireless worker, of Silver Lodge, Rosemary Drive, Pitsea, daughter of Henry Charvill, deceased, on 22nd August 1931 at St Michael's Church, Pitsea. Witnessed by B. Charvill and E.A. Oakley. (2,9)
Children: William Henry Whiting b.1932, Living Relatives
Died: 1978 in the Brentwood district, Essex (7).

Bio: John William was born on 20th July 1904(1) in Haverhill, and can be seen on the 1911 census living at 57 Burton End with his parents and siblings. His father William is a horseman on a farmer, and his mother Elizabeth and older sisters are machinists, presumably at the Gurteens factory in the town. Some confusion about the parentage of John William on Ancestry family trees is brought about by the fact that there was another William and Elizabeth Whiting of around the same age as John's parents living in Haverhill at this time, and they also had a daughter Elsie, who was almost exactly the same age as John's sister Elsie May. However, they did not have a son called John.

The chain of events that led to John William being in Pitsea, Basildon, in 1931 which is where he married Violet Charvill is unclear. Violet was the daughter of Henry Charvill and Bessie Leonard, who had married on 24th February 1904 at Ludgate Parish Church, Suffolk(5,6). Henry was a private in the Suffolk Regiment (12th Regiment of Foot) and Boer War veteran when Violet was born in Icklingham, Suffolk, on 5th July 1907(3,4). Their marriage entry at St Michael's (now St Gabriel) Church, Pitsea, reveals Violet was working as a wireless worker (possibly at the Marconi radio factory at nearby Chelmsford), and William was a farm labourer at the time they were married. They were both living at Silver Lodge, Rosemary Drive, Pitsea.

John and Violet had a son called William Henry in 1932, and three other children who are still living.

It seems that Violet died in the Brentwood district of Essex in 1965 (8), and John William in the same district in 1978 (7)

Sources:

(1) Birth Register, 3rd Quarter 1904, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 915
(2) Marriage Register, 3rd Quarter 1931, Billericay District, Volume 4a Page 1949
(3) GRO Regimental Birth Indices, 12th Regiment of Foot, Mildenhall, Suffolk,Vol 873 Page 65, Findmypast
(4) National School Admissions Register and Log Book, Tuddenham St Mary Charity School, ADB539/2/1 p.8, Findmypast
(5) WO97 Chelsea Pensioners British Army Service Records, Box 4517, No.219, Findmypast.
(6) Marriage Register, 1st Quarter 1904, Newmarket District, Volume 3b Page 671
(7) Death Register, 4th Quarter 1978, Brentwood District, Volume 9 Page 1501
(8) Death Register, 4th Quarter 1965, Brentwood District, Volume 4a Page 461
(9) Essex Records Office, SEAX, D/P 182/1/9 p.21, Marriages Register St Michael (later St Gabriel), Pitsea, 1925-1932