Sarah Whiting c.1778-1850

Parents: Daniel Whiting and Elizabeth Hilsdon (1,3)
Born: c.1778 in Haverhill.
Baptised: 15th March 1778 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill. (1)
Married: James Teverson (alias Tabersham3 or Teversham), of Thurlow Parva (Little Thurlow) on 13th March 1804 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill. (1,3)
Children: Lydia Teverson b.1804, James Teverson b.1806 died in infancy, Lucy Teverson b.1808 died in infancy, James Teverson b.1809, Lucy Teverson b.1809, Joseph Teverson b.1810, William Teverson b.1813, George Teverson b.1815, Harriet Teverson b.1817 and Marian Teverson b.1821
Died: December 1850 in Little Thurlow. Buried on 7th December 1850 at St Peter's Church, Little Thurlow.(4,9)

Bio: The birth of Sarah is attributed to Daniel and Elizabeth 'Whiten' in the Parish Register(2) This is a corruption of 'Whiting' that is noted in other instances. I am Sarah was a child of Daniel Whiting and Elizabeth Hilsdon. This was the only Daniel/Elizabeth Whiting (or variation) marriage of this period in Haverhill (Daniel's son Daniel also married an Elizabeth, but some 20 years later) and the date of Sarah's birth ties in with their marriage date.

There is a reference to the marriage of James Teversen and Sarah Whiting in both the parish baptismal registers and in Barnabas Webb's diary(3), where James is known as 'Tabersham' on 13th March 1804. He is noted as being from Thurlow Parva (an earlier name for Little Thurlow).

Neither the age, nor the parentage of Sarah are noted in these references so the evidence for her attribution as Daniel and Elizabeth's daughter is only circumstantial. However, the only other Sarah Whitings born around this time seem to have been in the 1750's making them surely too old to be candidates.

It looks like after their marriage Sarah and James moved back to Little Thurlow where the baptisms of a succession of children are noted in St Peter's Parish registers.(2) In the later ones, James occupation is noted as labourer.(5)

Both Sarah and James appear on the 1841 census(8) living in Little Thurlow, at Over Green. Here we have confirmation that they were both born around 1780 - their ages are both given as 60. 1841 census returns are notorious for rounding ages up/down. James is listed here as an agricultural labourer.

The GRO death index suggests that Sarah 'Teversham' died in 1850.(4) This is backed-up by the 1851 census return(7) that shows James living as a widower aged 70 in Upper Green, Little Thurlow, with his daughter Harriet and son-in-law William Burton. His occupation is given as pauper.

It looks like he died the next year in 1852.(6)

Sources:

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/
(2) SFHS. Suffolk Baptism Index. Clare Deanery 1754-1812.
(3) Barnabas Webb’s pocket-book, Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds. HA553/1
(4) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1850, Risbridge District, Volume 12 Page 284
(5) SFHS. Suffolk Baptism Index. Clare Deanery 1813-1900
(6) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1852, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 221
(7) 1851 Census. Class: HO107; Piece: 1787; Folio: 273; Page: 18; GSU roll: 207436.
(8) 1841 Census. Class: HO107; Piece: 1033; Book: 9; Civil Parish: Little Thurlow; County: Suffolk; Enumeration District: 9; Folio: 4; Page: 5; Line: 20; GSU roll: 474642.
(9) SFHS, Suffolk Burial Index, issue 2, 1538-1900