Mary Ann Whiting 1863-1955

Parents: Charles Whiting and Eliza Tatt.
Born: 1863 in Haverhill.(1)
Baptised: 13th May 1866 at Old Independent Church, Haverhill.(6)
Married: Albert Ives, 19, batchelor, labourer, of 18 Clements Lane, Haverhill, son of Thomas Ives, scavenger, on 21st December 1884 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill. Witnessed by H F Thake and Ada Smith.(2,3)
Children: Albert John Ives b.1886, Annie Ives b.1887, Stillborn Child b.1890, Frank Bennett Ives b.1892 died aged 7, Oscar William Ives b.1895, Arthur Ives b.1898 died in infancy, May Pretoria Ives b.1900 and Cecil Thomas Ives b.1904
Died: 1955 in Bury St Edmunds district(5)

Bio: Mary Ann was born in 1863 and baptised at the Old Independent Church in Haverhill on 13th May 1866. She is on the 1871 census living with her parents and her grandmother in Queen Street, Haverhill. She remains at 23 Queen Street on the 1881 census, where her family is still living with Jacob and Priscilla Kiddy, who are Eliza's mother and stepfather.

In 1884, Mary Ann married Albert Ives. He was the son of Thomas Ives, a silk weaver, and Susan Farrant(8) and was born 8th June 1865 at Clements, Haverhill, and baptised on 16th July 1865 at St Mary's Church.(7) We see Thomas and Susan on the 1871 census living at Clements Lane with parents John and Sarah Ives, and a five year old son who is also called Thomas, plus a younger son Stephen. It is interesting that Albert's great grandson Patrick Ives says that Albert was known as 'Tom', which seems to confirm this anomaly, suggesting that Albert and the Thomas on the census are one and same. Baptism and birth entries show that Albert was definitely his 'official' name, however.

Despite being modestly described as a silk weaver or road labourer on censuses, Albert's father Thomas was actually an old soldier who was a veteran of the Indian Mutiny. He joined the 75th Foot regiment (later the Gordon Highlanders) in 1854(14) and served in India, taking part in the fierce fighting at the Siege of Delhi and Relief of Lucknow in 1857. He returned to civilian life in 1863. When he died in 1906 there was a short testimony to his participation in the Indian Mutiny which appeared in Newspapers across the country. (see extract on left. I intend to include a feature on Thomas' military service sometime soon.)

After getting married, Albert and Mary set up home at 21 Duddery Road which was part of a new street of houses built for factory workers. If you click on the link you will see that the street has remained largely unchanged from from the time when they lived here. They had two children, Albert and Annie by the time of the 1891 census where they are living in Duddery Road with Mary Ann's recently widowed mother Eliza. Albert is working as a Mat weaver and Mary Ann as a seamstress.

On the 1901 census they remain at the same address, but with the addition of two more children: Oscar William and May Pretoria, whose topical middle name derived from the newsworthy Boer War in South Africa. Eliza is still living with them.

They Ives family remain at 21 Duddery Road on the 1911 census where Albert works as a steam presser, and Mary Ann a sewing machine tailoress at a wholesale clothiers (Gurteens). Daughters Annie and May remain at home, and a young son, Cecil lives with them too. Eliza, now 68, also continues to stay with them.

The 1911 census reveals Mary Ann had 8 children, 5 still living and 3 who had since died. Of the children who were living, but not present in Haverhill on this census, son William (Oscar) Ives was working as a delivery porter and living at 112 Gower Street, London, at this time. He died later that year, aged only 16(9). Patrick Ives recounts hearing how his grandfather Cecil, then 7, and great grandfather went to the Colne Valley Road station to meet the body that was carried back to Haverhill by train, and his grandad got a clip round the ear for shouting 'my brother is on that train!'. Oscar Ives was buried at Haverhill cemetery on 10th August 1911.(15) The burial entry remarks that he was a lift attendant from Tottenham Court Road. It was said he died falling down a lift shaft.(16)

Eldest son Albert John Ives had married Bessie Rose and was now living at 51 Barry Road, Stonebridge Park, Willesden, working as an Electric Tramway Car driver. This was fairly close to his uncle Frank Whiting, who also lived in Barry Road. Albert John was in the Army Reserve, having joined the Royal Garrison Artillery in 1902 and when war came he joined up again, this time with the Army Service Corps. He saw action in France, was wounded in 1917 and returned home to work in a Munitions factory.(10,11)

Cecil Ives married Annie Pollendine in 1926(12) and the next year May Ives married Fred Leech(13).

Albert Ives lived until the age of 82, and died in April 1948.(4) He was buried at Haverhill Cemetery. That's a good age to reach, but it appears Mary Ann surpassed him by a full ten years and died aged 92 in 1955(5).

Thanks to Patrick Ives, great grandson of Albert and Mary Ann for information and the photos at left. Click to enlarge.

Sources:

(1) Birth Register. 3rd Quarter 1863, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 371
(2) Marriage Register. 4th Quarter 1884, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 938
(3) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p28 of 37
(4) Death Register. 2nd Quarter 1948, Newmarket District, Volume 4b Page 812
(5) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1955, Bury St Edmunds District, Volume 4b Page 893
(6) Baptism records. Old Independent Church, Haverhill. Thanks to Lauraine McPhee for transcriptions.
(7) Suffolk Baptism Index, 1813-1900, SFHS
(8) Marriage Register. 1st Quarter 1865, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 443
(9) Death Register. 3rd Quarter 1911, St Pancras District, Volume 1b Page 58
(10) British Army WW1 Service Records, WO363 National Archives. Ancestry.com, name: IVE, image 1485
(11) British Army WW1 Pension Records, WO364, piece 1875. National Archives. Ancestry.com, name: IVE, image 276
(12) Marriage Register. 3rd Quarter, Newmarket District, Volume 3b Page 1282
(13) Marriage Register. 3rd Quarter, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 2381
(14) National Archives, British Army Service Records, Thomas Ives, 75th Foot Regiment, WO97-3133-046. Findmypast.com
(15) Haverhill Cemetery Burial Records, ref.3537, http://www.haverhill-uk.com/cgi-bin/gen/burials_search.pl
(16) Patrick Ives, great grandson of Albert and Mary Ann Ives.