Robert Whiting c.1779-1821

Parents: Robert Whiting and Mary Hazlewood(1)
Born: c.1779
Baptised: 10th February 1779 at the St Mary's Church, Haverhill (1)
Married (1): Ann Shipster, spinster, on 22nd September 1799 at St Nicholas' Church, Plumstead, Greenwich. Witnessed by James Cook and Elizabeth ? (2)
Children: Charlotte Paine Whiting b.3 Dec 1801, Robert Caleb Paine Whiting b.30 Sep 1803
Married (2): Rhoda Beaton, spinster, on 13th August 1808 at St Alphege, Greenwich. Witnessed by James Whiting and Sarah Barker(3)
Died: January 1821 in Stowage, Greenwich. Buried on 12th January 1821 at St Nicholas' Church, Deptford.(4)

Bio: Robert was born in Haverhill and baptised at St Mary's on 21st February 1778, he was the second son of that name born to Robert Whiting and Mary Hazlewood, the first having died in infancy.

It seems likely that Robert's parents and siblings moved from Haverhill to Woolwich in around 1793, possibly to get work on the docks,and Robert made this transition with them.

Robert married Ann Shipster on 22nd September 1799 at St Nicholas' Church, Plumstead, Greenwich, and had two children that are known of - Charlotte Paine Whiting in 1801, and Robert Caleb Paine Whiting, in 1803. It seems that at some point over the next five years, Robert's wife Ann died. No record of this has been found as yet, but evidence suggests that this was the case and that Robert married again.

Robert was shown to be a widower at the time of his second marriage, this time to spinster Rhoda Beaton on 13th August 1808 at St Alphege, Greenwich.

Rhoda was the daughter of Charles and Sarah Beaton, and was baptised on 25th January 1784 at St Nicholas, Deptford, Greenwich(5)

The marriage was witnessed by his brother James Whiting whose own marriage is the next entry in the parish register and occurred the day after. Both James and Robert's surname looks to be spelt as 'Whitling' or 'Whithing', but the witness at James' marriage being their sister Ruth Dorrington helps confirm that this was them.

...to be continued

Sources:

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4 of 37
(2) London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: p97/nic/002. www.ancestry.co.uk
(3) London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: p78/alf/035. www.ancestry.co.uk
(4) London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Board of Guardian Records, 1834-1906/Church of England Parish Registers, 1813-1906; Reference Number: p78/nic/041. www.ancestry.co.uk
(5) London Metropolitan Archives; London, England; Reference Number: P78/NIC/005