William Whiting 1870-1943

Parents:      Henry Whiting and Mary Scott (1)
Born:           25th November 1870 in Burton End, Haverhill. (1,2)     
Baptised:    1st January 1871 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill.(1)                  
Married:       Harriet Ewin, 19, spinster of 11 Union Square, Haverhill, on 16th April 1892 at St Mary's Parish Church, Haverhill. Witnessed by H F Thake and G Basham.3,4)    
Children:     Stanley Herbert Whiting b.1893 died in infancy, Grace Hilda Maud Whiting b.1896, Catherine Whiting b.1903 and Frank Whiting b.1903
Died:            1943 in Haverhill. Buried on 14th January 1943 at Haverhill Cemetery.(6,7)

Bio:              William just made it onto the 1871 census where he is living with his parents and siblings in Burton End. We find him there again on the 1881 census, and he is listed as being a scholar. On the 1891 census he is living at 78 Primrose Hill, Haverhill, with his parents. He is working as a mat weaver.

Next year, William married Harriet Ewin who was the illegitimate child of Georgiana Ewin.(5) At first they must have lived in Eden Road, because their first child Stanley was born there on 7th January 1893(5), before moving to Crowland Road as we see. Stanley died aged 7 months, after falling from a pram: 'Haverhill - Fatal fall from a perambulator - On wednesday an inquest was held before Mr W.Goss, deputy-coroner, touching the death of Stanley Herbert Whiting of Crowland Road, Haverhill, aged seven months. The child fell from a perambulator the other day and subsequently died, the cause of death being meningitis, caused probably by the fall. The Jury found a verdict of 'Accidental Death'.'(9)

They had a daughter, Grace Hilda, in 1896, and at that time they were living at 14 Union Square. Not keen on staying put for too long it seems, for when we see them again on the 1901 census they are living at 17 Crowland Road, Haverhill. William's job is indiscernible from the census, but Harriet is a trousers machinist.

William and Harriet had two more children before the 1911 census at which point they are living at 60 Mill Road, Haverhill. William is a carter for a railway company, and Harriet is a hair weaver. Oldest daughter Grace is a sewing machinist.

On the 1921 census, taken on 19th June that year, William and Harriet are shown living at 31 The Pightle, Haverhill. William was a foundry labourer for Atterton & Ellis Iron foundry, and their son Frank and daughter Catherine were both still at home, and both working as sewing machinists at Gurteens. Visiting the house was George A. Wright, 19, a road-man for Linton District Council. (10)

William died in Haverhill in 1943, and was buried at Haverhill Cemetery. It looks like Harriet died in 1958 in the Sudbury district(8), and she too was buried at Haverhill Cemetery.

Sources:       

(1) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p14 of 37
(2) Birth Register. 4th Quarter 1870, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 411
(3) Marriage Register. 2nd Quarter 1892, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 975
(4) Suffolk Records Office, Bury St Edmunds, Parish Registers of St Mary's Church, Haverhill. Fiche 578/4/p28 of 37
(5) Suffolk Baptism Index, SFHS, Clare Deanery 1812-1900
(6) Death Register. 1st Quarter 1943, Risbridge District, Volume 4a Page 1252
(7) Haverhill Cemetery, Ref.5543.  http://www.haverhill-uk.com/pages/burial-records-137.htm
(8) Death Register. 4th Quarter 1958, Sudbury District, Volume 4b Page 989
(9) The Essex County Standard, Saturday, August 5th 1893, p.5 issue 3269, C19th British Library Newspapers: Part II
(10) 1921 Census. RG15, Piece 09276, Schedule 74, District Reference RD 204 RS 1 ED 4, 5. Findmypast.